Pool Dive Skills Circuit for Public Safety Dive Team

Summary

In this video, Brett Halderson demonstrates how to set up an underwater skill circuit for public safety pool diving. The circuit includes stations for mask removal, cutting exercises, marker buoy deployment, body bagging, evidence recovery, knot tying, out-of-air drills, lift bag deployment, and gear exchange. Additional stations focus on underwater gear-up, entangled diver, and confined space escape. The video showcases a comprehensive training regimen to enhance diver skills in a controlled pool environment before open water scenarios.

Takeaways

• 🏊‍♂️ The video introduces an underwater pool circuit designed for public safety dive teams to enhance their skills.
• 📈 The circuit includes a variety of skill stations such as no-mask swim, cutting, marker buoy deployment, body bagging, evidence recovery, knot tying, out-of-air drills, lift bag deployment, and gear exchange.
• 👥 Divers perform skills in pairs with one acting as a safety to ensure safety during the drills.
• 🧭 A rope anchored to the pool bottom guides divers through the circuit, with skill reminders attached via Q cards.
• ✂️ Divers practice cutting different materials using various tools to determine the most effective cutting methods.
• 🧵 The body bagging station helps divers become accustomed to handling body bags underwater in low visibility conditions.
• 🔍 Evidence recovery emphasizes the careful handling and transportation of evidence while preserving trace evidence.
• 🪢 Knot tying is practiced to ensure divers can perform essential knots underwater, which is crucial for various diving operations.
• 🤿 The out-of-air drill tests a diver's ability to supply air to a buddy and handle mask removal and replacement underwater.
• 💨 The lift bag station prepares divers for potential future scenarios where they might need to surface heavy objects.
• 🧰 The gear exchange station builds confidence in handling gear underwater and can be beneficial in unexpected situations.
• 🤿 The underwater gear up drill simulates retrieving and donning gear from the pool bottom, enhancing problem-solving skills in unfamiliar situations.
• 🪢 The entangled diver station practices resolving entanglement issues, which is crucial for diver safety.
• 🚫 The confined space escape is a new addition, preparing divers for the possibility of having to remove gear to escape through tight spaces.

Q & A

What is the purpose of setting up an underwater skill circuit for a public safety pool dive?

The purpose is to enhance the divers' techniques and increase their time in the pool before using them in open water scenarios, ensuring they are well-prepared for real-world situations.

What areas of the pool are used for the underwater circuit?

The circuit is set up in both the shallow end (4 to 7 ft) and the deep end (12 to 14 ft) of the pool, with the greatest depth change occurring between two vertical DOA lines.

How long does it take to set up the underwater skill circuit?

It typically takes about 30 minutes for a team of four divers to set up the circuit.

What is the significance of the no mass swim in the circuit?

The no mass swim is a crucial skill for divers to master, as it involves the regular practice of removing and replacing dive masks, which many dive teams often overlook.

What materials are used for the cutting station and what tools do the divers use?

The cutting station includes polypropylene rope, small nylon cord, and heavy-duty scuba webbing. Divers use a fixed blade knife, medical shears, and a seat belt cutter.

Why is marker buoy deployment an important skill to practice?

It's important to master marker buoy deployment to avoid common pitfalls associated with using a small reel, which can be crucial during actual operations.

How does practicing body bagging in a pool help divers?

Practicing in a pool allows divers to get accustomed to managing body bags underwater and to develop techniques for placing a body inside, which can be especially challenging in low or no visibility conditions.

What evidence recovery practices are performed in the pool?

Divers practice placing a piece of evidence, such as a pry bar, into an evidence container for transport while preserving any trace evidence.

Why is the notot station included in the circuit despite being the least favorite?

The notot station challenges divers to tie specific knots underwater, which, once mastered, becomes a routine part of the circuit and enhances their overall diving skills.

What is the purpose of the out of air drill in the circuit?

The out of air drill allows divers to test their skills and equipment by supplying air to another diver while swimming, also providing an opportunity to practice mask removal and replacement underwater.

How does the gear exchange station benefit the divers?

The gear exchange station increases divers' confidence in handling their gear underwater and prepares them for potential future scenarios where such a skill might be necessary.

What is the underwater gear up drill and how is it set up?

The underwater gear up drill involves divers starting on the side of the pool and retrieving their equipment from the pool bottom. It simulates a situation where divers must don their gear underwater, starting with the mask, fins clipped to the BCD, and the tank knob turned on to charge the regulator lines.

What is the confined space escape and why is it included in the training?

The confined space escape is a recent addition to the training, simulating a situation where a diver must remove their gear to fit through a restriction to escape. It provides experience in a critical skill that could be necessary in an emergency.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Introduction to Underwater Skills Circuit

Brett Halderson introduces a video detailing the setup of an underwater skills circuit for public safety pool diving. The video showcases a pool circuit designed to enhance divers' skills before transitioning to open water scenarios. The circuit includes various stations such as a no-mask swim, cutting station, marker buoy deployment, body bagging, evidence recovery, knot-tying, out-of-air drill, lift bag deployment, and gear exchange. The video footage is from a training session in December 2018 with divers from multiple teams using different equipment and skill levels. The circuit is set up to take about 30 minutes and is guided by a rope anchored at the bottom of the pool with skill reminder cards attached.

05:00

✂️ Cutting Station and Skills Practice

The cutting station involves divers using three different types of cutting tools on three materials: polypropylene rope, nylon cord, and scuba webbing. Divers must cut each material with each tool, resulting in nine cuts per diver. This repetition helps divers become proficient in retrieving and sheathing their cutting tools. The video also discusses the importance of marker buoy deployment and body bagging in low visibility conditions, using PVC dummies for practice. Evidence recovery is highlighted, emphasizing the preservation of trace evidence and the handling of evidence containers underwater.

10:21

🪢 Knot-Tying and Out-of-Air Drill

Divers are challenged to tie various knots underwater, including bowlines, figure eights, and sheet bends, using a PVC pipe frame with ropes. This station is often the least favorite but is crucial for mastering essential diving knots. The out-of-air drill allows divers to practice supplying air to a fellow diver while swimming, also providing an opportunity for full face mask divers to practice mask removal and replacement underwater.

15:26

💨 Lift Bag and Gear Exchange Skills

The lift bag station prepares divers for potential future scenarios where they might need to use a lift bag to bring a weighted item to the surface. This skill is practiced in the shallow end for quick station reset. The gear exchange station, while not directly applicable to regular dive calls, builds divers' confidence in handling gear underwater and presents a challenging situation that could be beneficial in future dives.

20:27

🤿 Underwater Gear Up and Confined Space Escape

The underwater gear up drill simulates a diver starting with equipment on the pool bottom, requiring them to find and establish air supply before donning their gear fully. The untangle diver station involves a diver entangled in a net or cords, with a safety diver assisting in solving the entanglement, either by cutting or pulling the cords off. The confined space escape is a new addition, teaching divers how to remove their gear to fit through restrictions in case they need to escape a confined space.

🔗 Conclusion and Resource Sharing

The video concludes with a thank you note and an offer to share diagrams and Q cards for the skills circuit in the video description. The video aims to provide a comprehensive guide for public safety dive teams to enhance their underwater skills in a controlled pool environment before applying them in real-world scenarios.

Keywords

💡Underwater Skills

Underwater skills refer to the abilities and techniques required to perform various tasks and maneuvers while diving. In the video, these skills are practiced in a pool setting to prepare divers for public safety operations. Examples include mask removal and replacement, cutting different materials, and deploying marker buoys.

💡Public Safety Dive Teams

Public Safety Dive Teams are specialized groups that perform underwater search and recovery operations, often for law enforcement or emergency services. The video focuses on training exercises for these teams to enhance their skills in a controlled environment before applying them in real-world scenarios.

💡Pool Drills

Pool drills are practice sessions conducted in a swimming pool to simulate underwater conditions. These drills are crucial for divers to hone their skills safely before executing them in open water. The video describes setting up an underwater pool circuit with various stations for different skills.

💡No-Mask Swim

A no-mask swim is a skill where divers practice removing and replacing their dive masks underwater. This is important for public safety divers to master as it can be a life-saving technique in case of mask failure. The video emphasizes the importance of this skill and its inclusion in the pool circuit.

💡Cutting Tools

Cutting tools are essential equipment for divers to cut through various materials such as ropes or webbing during underwater operations. The video mentions different types of cutting tools like fixed blade knives, medical shears, and seat belt cutters, and their use in a cutting station during the pool drills.

💡Marker Buoy Deployment

Marker buoy deployment is the process of using a small buoy to mark a specific location underwater. This skill is crucial for divers to communicate the location of an object or area of interest to surface teams. The video includes a station in the pool circuit dedicated to practicing marker buoy deployment.

💡Body Bagging

Body bagging refers to the procedure of placing a recovered body into a body bag for transport and preservation of evidence. The video describes practicing this skill in a pool using PVC dummies to simulate the process and manage the body bag underwater.

💡Evidence Recovery

Evidence recovery involves the careful handling and collection of items underwater to preserve any trace evidence. Divers practice placing items in evidence containers while ensuring they do not compromise the integrity of the evidence, as mentioned in the video.

💡Knot Tying

Knot tying is a fundamental skill for divers, used for securing lines or making emergency repairs. The video includes a station where divers practice tying specific knots underwater, which is challenging and requires precision and familiarity with the knots.

💡Lift Bag Deployment

Lift bags are used by divers to lift heavy objects from the bottom to the surface. The video describes a station in the pool circuit where divers practice using lift bags to bring weighted items to the surface, preparing them for potential future scenarios.

💡Gear Exchange

A gear exchange involves divers swapping or sharing equipment underwater, which can be necessary in emergency situations. The video mentions this as a skill that, while not directly related to regular public safety diving operations, builds confidence and familiarity with handling gear underwater.

Highlights

Introduction to setting up an underwater skill circuit for public safety pool dive.

Expansion on pool skills beyond the usual watermanship test and basic scuba skills.

Diagram layout of the underwater pool circuit for team members to follow.

Description of the shallow and deep ends of the pool and their significance.

Importance of practicing mask removal and replacement regularly.

Guidance through the circuit using a rope anchored to the pool bottom.

Use of q cards to remind divers of skills at each station.

Cutting station with various materials and tools for divers to practice.

Marker buoy deployment as a skill station for divers.

Body bagging practice in low or no visibility conditions.

Use of PVC dummy for body bagging to withstand dive training conditions.

Evidence recovery station for handling and preserving trace evidence.

Knot-tying station to practice underwater knot skills.

Out of air drill to test air sharing skills.

Lift bag deployment practice for future potential needs.

Gear Exchange to increase diver confidence in handling gear underwater.

Underwater gear up drill for divers to start fully geared from the pool side.

Entangled diver station to practice solving entanglement issues.

Confined space escape as a new addition to the pool dive training.

Final thoughts and call to action for viewers to check out additional resources.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello and thank you for clicking to

watch this video my name is Brett

halderson and this video is about how we

set up an underwater skill circuit for a

public safety pool dive there are a few

online examples of pool drills that

Public Safety dive teams use to keep

their skills honed in 2017 our team

decided to expand on what we were doing

for pool skills we have been doing the

usual watermanship test and basic scuba

skills we wanted to increase our time in

the pool and enhance our techniques

prior to using them in Open Water

scenarios we have put together an

underwater pool circuit for the team

members to follow see the attached

diagram the diagram is what we had laid

out in the pool the left side of the

diagram is the shallow side of the pool

about 4 to 7 ft and the right side of

the diagram is the deep end of the pool

12 to 14 ft the area between the two

vertical DOA lines is that area of the

pool where there is the greatest depth

change from shallow to

deep there are a few things I would like

you to keep in mind as you watch this

video the footage is from a training we

did in December of 2018 we have members

from three or four different dive teams

training in the pool and each team has

different equipment techniques and skill

levels the primary focus of this video

is to describe the underwater skills

stations we set up in the pool the

equipment and techniques used by each

diver is unique to their own

team the divers start out in the shallow

end of the pool at the top left of the

diagram they then follow the line which

is a rope anchor to the bottom through

the circuit they do skills at the

following stations a nass swim a cutting

station marker buy

deployment body

bagging evidence

recovery the ever popular notot

station and out of a drill lift bag

deployment and Gear

Exchange there are three stations on the

diagram that aren't along the Rope

circuit those are the underwater gear up

drill entangled diver and confined space

Escape I use the underwater gear up

drill and the entangled diers station as

something for the divers to do as we're

getting the skill circuit set up the

confined space Escape was new for

December's pool dive in the future I may

include this along the Rope circuit or I

may keep it separate as another option

for divers to do while the rest of the

pool circuit is being set up it usually

takes about 30 minutes for four of us to

set up the Rope skill circuit

underwater the first stage of the

underwater circuit is a no Mass swim

this is a simple but important skill for

divers to know well it's surprising how

many dive teams do not practice removing

and replacing their dive masks

regularly this is a dive skill that we

want our divers to

master one thing to point out note is

that all pool skills are performed by

teams of two divers one diver performs a

skill and the other diver is a safety in

case something was to go wrong like I

mentioned earlier divers are guided

through the circuit by a rope anchored

to the bottom of the pool we use weights

anchors and pulleys to keep the Rope as

close to the bottom of the pool as

possible we also have q cards zip tied

to the Rope to remind divers what skills

need to be performed at each station

I'll include a link to those cards

is

our cutting station consists of a 5G

bucket with three different types of

material for cutting the materials are

polypropylene rope small nylon cord and

heavy duty scuba webbing you can choose

whatever materials work best for you our

dive team members have three different

cutting tools on them they have a sheath

fixed blade knife on their upper left

chest area they have a medical shears

and a seat belt cutter attached to their

spare mask pouch their spare MK pouch is

attached to the BCD belt in front of

their right hip the goal for this

station is twofold first the divers are

reminded that some cutting tools are

better than others at cutting different

materials second the diver are required

to return the cutting tool to its sheath

after cutting something and before

making the next cut they also have to

cut each type of material with each

cutting tool for our team members since

they have three cutting tools and three

types of material to cut they are making

nine cuts and each cutting tool is being

drawn from a sheath three

times this repetition makes the divers

more trained in finding and retrieving

their cutting tools

[Laughter]

let's go

marker buy deployment is an easy skill

to master but a diver has to do it a few

times to get beyond the usual pitfalls

associated with using a small reel this

is one of the skill stations required

for resetting for the next dive team

once the main diver performs a skill the

safety diver resets the station for the

next dive team to perform

body baking underwater is a cumbersome

task especially in low or no visibility

doing this in a pool allows the divers

to get used to managing the body bag

underwater and finding a technique to

get the body inside this is a skill that

often takes multiple times to begin to

master we found a PVC dummy works well

for our dive training they hold up well

to the type of abuse we put them through

they're relatively cheap and they're

easy to build I will be creating a video

for making a training man can like this

in the near future

our evidence Recovery Station has divers

taking a piece of evidence in this case

a pry bar and placing it in an Evidence

container for transport team members are

expected to handle the item to preserve

any trace evidence such as fingerprints

biological matter or residue this

station also gives a diver's experience

in opening and sealing the evidence

container

underwater our not station is just a few

6ft lengths of rope on a PVC pipe frame

the divers are challenged to tie a bowl

in 2/2 in a figure8 on a bite and a

sheet Bend this is probably the least

favorite station on the dive circuit

once our divers are able to master the

knots underwater this will just be

another station on a circuit and not

something they would rather skip

the out of drill gives divers the

opportunity to test their skills and

equipment by supplying air to another

diver while swimming a short distance

this is also another opportunity for

full face mask divers to remove and

later replace their masks underwater

we haven't used lift bags during any of

our actual call-ups but it's always

possible we will need this skill in the

future so we have a lift big station

along our circuit it gives our divers

the opportunity to use a lift big to

bring a weighted item to the surface

doing this in the shallow end allows us

to do the major portion of the skill

while still being able to reset the

station quickly

the final skill along the circuit is a

Gear Exchange this isn't a skill that

would directly apply to anything our

divers would do on a regular call out

but it increases the divers confidence

in handling their gear underwater it is

somewhat challenging and something

different that may benefit them on a

future

dive I have been on training Dives where

a diver became entangled in line and had

to remove his BCD to get untangled prior

to continuing the training

[Music]

[Applause]

one of the stations outside of the skill

circuit is the underwater gear up drill

divers begin on the side of the pool

with their equipment sitting on the pool

bottom their mask if using a half mask

and their fins are clipped into the BCD

straps the tank knob has been turned on

to charge the regulator lines and then

turned off for our pool dive there is a

bridge that spans across the center of

the pool the diver performing the skill

in our training is jumping from that

bridge the diver jumps in and grabs

their gear there is one or two breasts

in the charge lines but the diver must

open the tank valve to get more air

divers are warned not to hold their

breath if as a last resort they must go

to the surface the equipment is in

approximately 7 ft of water and there's

a safety diver nearby to assist as

needed once the diver establishes the

air apply they proceed to D all over

their dive gear again similar to the

Gear Exchange I described earlier this

doesn't apply directly to Public Safety

diving but it challenges the divers by

putting them in an unfamiliar situation

with a problem to solve this is also one

of the stations that takes very little

effort to set up I'll have divers begin

at this station while a few of us are

setting up the skill circuit

is

I

the untangle diver station begins with a

diver at the end of a rope and entangled

in a net or a series of cords a safety

diver then comes down the Rope to

provide additional error and solve the

entanglement solving the entanglement

may involve cutting a diver out of the

entanglement or just pulling the

entanglement off of the diver the divers

then surface together I know there are

many different ways for dive teams to

have extra a available for their divers

and there are Arguments for each method

this is a method we are currently using

use whatever method works best for your

team

[Music]

the final station is a confined space

escape this is a recent addition to our

pool dive we are not advocating divers

use a skill to enter confined spaces but

should a diver find themselves in a

situation where their only Escape is

through a confined area we want them to

have the previous experience in removing

their gear to fit through a restriction

in order to escape the

situation the tool we are using is a

55-gallon drum liner with the top and

bottom cut off it's possible for a small

diver to make it through with their full

gear on most divers will have to remove

their BCD to fit through the restriction

[Laughter]

thank you for watching this video I'll

have links to the diagram and Q cards in

the description below take care and safe

diving