Practical Skills

Here follows the special drills that are practiced during the course Cave Diver and Mine Diver.

S-drill

  • The leader for the dive explains in chronological order what will be done during the planned dive
  • S-drill is made in the water according to SwedTech Diving standards
  • Control of the backup lights is added

Gas switch

  • If a stage is being used for gas logistics or as a penetration tool a gas switch is added at 6 meters according to SwedTech Diving standards

Finning techniques

  • Be able to use and vary the different swimming techniques as the circumstances of the dive demands

Stage as a tool to cover longer distances

  • Decide the rule of third for the gas of the team, both in the staged and the back mounted cylinders, before starting the dive
  • Always start the dive breathing from the stage cylinder. Gas switch is done at the surface or at 6 meters according to SwedTech Diving standards
  • Use the calculated amount bottom gas from the stage cylinder
  • Signal the team to switch to the twinset.  Make sure that the stages are stowed correctly.
  • Add five minutes to the dive time. The calculated dive time is the same as leaving a stage on the guide line
  • Stow the stage cylinder while swimming inwards without losing contact to the team or the guide line
  • At the calculated time +/- 2 minutes the stage is attached to the guide line close to a tie off with two locks around the p-clip. Diver #1 clips his cylinder first followed by diver #2 and #3
  • Make sure that the valve of the cylinder you leave is properly closed and note the time when you clip the cylinder to the guide line
  • The team dives on until someone in the team used the planned amount of gas in the twinset and the dive is turned. Note the time for the turn and calculate the time the team should be by the first stage cylinder
  • On the way out diver #3 first reaches his stage followed by diver #2 and #1
  • Staging of the stages is done during the swim out without losing contact to the team or the guide line
  • After everyone in the team has picked up the stages diver #1 is signalling the team and gas switch is done following the SwedTech Diving standard
  • If possible, breathe from the stage all the way out of the system

Connection to a guide line

  • Make a primary time off in open water. Give room for the others in the team to verify the tie off. Wait for OK
  • Make a secondary tie off approximately an arm’s length away from the primary tie off. Give room for the others in the team to verify the tie off. Wait for OK
  • Lay all the line to the permanent guide line with appropriate tie off’s. Preferable as close to the bottom as possible
  • Let the reel cross the permanent guide line within a few cm and after that lock the reel with its screw. Cross if possible the permanent line approximately 100cm into the system
  • Spin the reel two laps around the permanent guide line
  • Lock the reel on the laid line with two locks around the p-clip. Give room for the rest of the team to verify the connection

Turn points

  • Clearly show practical application of turning a dive based on time, gas pressure or other by “thumbing” the dive
  • The team confirms this by “thumbing” back
  • The team exits the system

Hand signals

Hand signals are done according to SwedTech Diving standards

Valve manoeuvring

  • In physical contact with the roof in a cave-like environment the student should simultaneously show a behaviour in controlling the ability to close and open all valves

“Complete” diver

  • Show a simultaneous behaviour by always strive to return to be a “complete” diver as a result of the chain of i.e. stopping a free flowing regulator

Attaching a marker on the guide line

  • Find the marker on the tail and remove it
  • Face your team and hold the marker on the guide line to illustrate the marker as tied in
  • Place the marker, if possible, on the inside of other markers on the guide line
  • The team will verify the marker by signalling OK with the torch over the marker
  • Tie the marker to the guide line and mark the time

Permanent three way crossings – Navigating over a permanent three way crossing

  • The leader of the dive ties in a personal marker according to standards on the guide line
  • Attach the marker 50cm before the centre of the three way crossing
  • Mark the time when the navigation decision was made

Navigating home thought a three way crossing

  • The first diver to arrive at a three way crossing determines the way out and signalling according to SwedTech Diving standards the hand signal for exit to the closest team member
  • When the signal is replied the diver passes over on the outside of the tied in marker
  • The procedure is repeated until the last diver in the team has verified the teams way out
  • The last diver passing over the three way crossing visually verifies the rest of the team is on the right side and on the way out
  • Remove the marker and put it back on its “tail” with swimming out

Place and Prioritise problems on a guide rope.

  • From page 44 of the workbook.

Temporary three way crossing – Installing a temporary three way crossing

  • The team ties a personalized marker on the inside of the existing marker on the guide line
  • A spool is prepared within the team and the leader ties it to the marker
  • Under supervision from the rest of the team, the leader fills the gap from the guide line the team is on to the new guide line and creating a temporary three way crossing
  • The team leader prohibits the spool from unreeling by locking the spool with the p-clip 5cm after crossed guide line. The spool is after this twisted two times around the guide line and then locked with the p-clip back to the line
  • Finish the installation by letting the rest of the team verifying by signalling OK over the locked spool with the torch

Uninstalling a temporary three way crossing

  • The diver that first pass over a jump on the way home determines the teams way out and signals the way out according to SwedTech Diving standard hand signals for exit to the next team member
  • When the signal is answered the diver pass over the marker and turns to the last diver in the team
  • The last diver in the team over the installation collects the spool
  • The spool is returned to the divers left pocket
  • Signal the correct way out of the system to the rest of the team. When the signal is confirmed the marker is removed from the guide line
  • The removed marker is returned to its tail while swimming out

Find a lost guide line without visual reference

  • Stop where you are and take out your safety spool
  • Explore the floor for a suitable fastening point for a primary tie off
  • Make a secondary tie off approximately 50cm from the primary tie off
  • Start by swimming along the floor and search for the lost guide line from what you guess is the right direction. Observe the angle you swim in regards to the line between the primary and secondary tie off
  • If the guide line is not found after reeling out the full spool, return to the secondary tie off and search in another direction
  • Repeat the two previous items until guide line is found
  • Prohibit the spool from unreeling by locking the spool with the p-clip 5cm after crossed guide line. The spool is after this twisted two times around the guide line and then locked with the p-clip back to the line where you came from

Lost team member

  • Note time, depth and consumed gas in Bar where the separation was discovered
  • Multiply the consumed gas by two and subtract this number from the actual gas pressure in the twinset. The difference is maximum pressure in Bar you can use for the search. Determine the gas pressure and time you and the rest of the team MUST start your exit, with or without the remaining team member
  • Determine which way is in and out of the cave
  • Turn the team outwards and start the search swimming home

Towing of a paralysed diver

  • Achieve neutral buoyancy on the paralysed diver
  • Clip the primary torch in the goodman grip and stow the cord under the long hose and waist strap to get the beam of light point forwards
  • Signal the rest of the team to abort the dive
  • Position yourself on top of the paralysed divers twinset and tow the diver by holding on to his wing
  • Strive to keep the diver as neutrally buoyant as possible
  • Make sure that the paralysed diver has his regulator in his mouth all the time

Repairing a broken guide line

  • The diver that first discovers the broken guide line tells the team to stop
  • Note the direction of which the broken guide line points
  • Take a spool and attach to the broken part of the guide line
  • Swim in the direction that the broken line seems to point and search for the other end on the floor
  • When the other end is found this is tied together with the line from the spool to create a continuous guide line
  • All this is done under the supervision from the rest of the team

Diver entangled in the guide line

  • Lay still and get the rest of the teams attention
  • Ask for help
  • Hold on the guide line leading to the exit
  • If necessary cut yourself lose after ensuring yourself that the rest of the team is behind a tie off on the way out from where you are cutting yourself lose
  • Cut the guide line
  • If time and gas allows, repair the cut guide line according to standards
  • If time and gas allows you can continue the dive, if not the dive is aborted

Navigating without visual reference

  • Stop when you feel there is a three way crossing
  • Hold the line steady with one hand leading the team to the crossing
  • The other hand is searching along the lines for the teams REMs that shows the way out
  • When you by feeling on the found markers have identified your teams REMs, you place yourself on the outside of the marker and await touch contact from the rest of the team to continue the swim outwards

Completing a circuit

  • As the leader of the team you place a REM pointing outwards on the guide line you expect to loop back on
  • Note the time and consumed gas up to this point and let the team verify the tie off
  • Swim over the marker into the system
  • When you yet again reach the marker you previously placed, you can dive beyond it and directly home if gas and time allows

Collecting line data

  • Collection of line data for a given area is started with at least three tie off’s before the given route
  • Note the depth for the tie off according to your depth gauge
  • Note the angle between this and the next tie off compared N based on a 360° compass
  • Measure the distance between the first and the secondary tie off and note this
  • Repeat the items above until collecting the line data for the given route

Completing a traverse

Dive 1:

  • Note time and consumed gas when the dive is finished
  • The leader of the dive marks the turn point with a personal maker pointing towards home
  • The team verifies the marker

Dive 2:

  • Calculate the gas pressure the team the team must have to reach the last dives turn pint to complete the traverse
  • Dive, if gas and time allows, until the team reach the marker from the last dive
  • When the marker is reached the leader makes the rest of the team aware of this
  • If gas allows and the leader agrees to, he swims over the marker to complete the traverse. If anyone in the team disagrees, the dive is ended as usual