Underwater emergencies: how to think and act
Protocol for thinking and acting in underwater emergencies and the importance of calmness in critical moments.
In the moment of an emergency underwater, those who have been trained act correctly, and those who have not been trained act in panic.
Emergency STOP system
S - Stop
Stop any random movement and steady yourself. Physical panic is the first step to disaster.
T - Think
What happens? What options are available? You always have seconds to think, even in an emergency.
O - Observe
Where is your partner? What's your air condition? What is the real danger?
P - Plan and Proceed
Decide the next step and implement it calmly.
Common emergencies and their solutions
Running air
Don't panic. Give a signal to your partner, ask for his spare air, and rise together in a natural rhythm.
Your partner is lost
Stay in place for one minute, looking visually, then go directly to the surface.
Take off the mask
Close your eyes, place your mask in both hands, put it back in place, and blow off the water.
An emergency-trained diver makes a potential disaster a manageable situation.