Dive Planning

Dive planning in Gulf waters is relatively straight forward involving small boat trips to designated spots.

At DSDC protocol dictates that with boat trips of up to 2 hours divers come with their equipment, put it on the boats at the launch site and get changed and assemble once over the dive site.

Safety planning, weather information, boat equipment is all taken care of by the relevant DM who may or may not ask for assistance.

Personal dive planning is very much down to the individual and buddy pairs however it may be of use to know that most club dives involve some 50 to 60 minutes under water including deco.

To help you plan your dive, especially gas consumption, we attach on the left hand side dive profiles from the popular sites that DSDC go to. Use these to assess the depths you may be at for your dive duration and make sure you bring enough gas with you!

Notes for Visitors and New Members at DSDC

At DSDC we have become very conscious of Divers who have good qualifications but are not used to doing their own dive planning and / or being responsible for themselves underwater.

We notice that this inability to plan is mainly arising with divers who have been with the commercial diving companies. Diving with these companies mostly means that everything is organised for you including your time underwater which is monitored and controlled by an underwater guide.

Doing your own dive planning and being responsible is a requirement at DSDC.

There are no guides at DSDC.

You have to prepare properly.

Hand in hand with this and having reviewed the training regimes of most agencies DSDC do not believe it is acceptable to expect to come diving without fundamental diving equipment inclusive of tables and timing devices or computers. We think it is obvious but we are conscious that in the cases where we have made a fuss divers have rushed out to the shops on a Thursday and turn up on a Friday with items that they don't really know how to use. We don't think that this makes sense or falls under 'proper planning'.

Please be aware that at DSDC there is a minimum requirement that as well as the obvious basic equipment and scuba gear divers also have timing device/tables or computer AND a delayed surface marker boy and reel (this is EACH and not between a buddy pair) before going in the water.

There are extremely good reasons why divers MUST comply with this at DSDC.

We ask divers to realise that Dive Marshals have recently been put into unacceptable situations through ill planning by individuals. Obviously this is something we must avoid - and ensure Dive Marshals are being supported by the club and indivdual Divers are being safe.

It is very embarrassing and creates a great deal of ill feeling whene a Dive Marshal is not comfortable and has to prevent a diver from entering the water. Please don't let this be you.

Fortunately there is a very simple solution to the above if you think you may fall into this category. On a Monday when you sign up for your dive trip please discuss your circumstance with the Dive Marshall who is doing the organising and guidance will be given.

Everyone starts somewhere, just be candid about your equipment, abilities and experience please.