Why human factors, gas planning, and panic matter more than gearCorinna Davids and Adam Wood dig into the real causes of scuba incidents and why the biggest risks usually come from human factors, not equipment. They cover the Swiss cheese model, gas management, CO2 buildup, panic, medical honesty, rescue readiness, and why extended range training can make even recreational divers safer.Adam brings experience from SSI professional development and extended range diving, while Corinna adds the quality and compliance perspective from incident reporting and instructor oversight. If you want a practical conversation about how divers get into trouble and how to prevent it, this one is packed with useful takeaways.Key topics In this episode, Corinna and Adam explain the Swiss cheese model and how a chain of small issues can turn into a serious incident.Adam shares that diving research is limited by funding, so much of the learning comes from incident reports, technical divers, and real-world experience.They discuss normalization of deviance and confirmation bias, including the danger of repeating a slightly risky dive until something finally goes wrong.They push back on the idea that gear is usually the main problem, noting that most equipment is safe when assembled, checked, and used correctly.They identify out of gas situations as a major cause of fatalities and stress that gas planning should happen before the dive, not only during it.Corinna and Adam talk through how current, stress, colder water, poor trim, and depth can increase breathing rate and gas consumption much faster than divers expect.Adam explains how CO2 buildup can trigger panic, narcosis, and worse outcomes, especially when combined with effort, poor trim, or tiredness.They make the case that extended range training is not only for going deeper, but also for improving understanding, redundancy, and safer recreational diving.The conversation covers rescue realities, including how physically exhausting rescues and prolonged CPR actually are in real incidents.They stress the importance of honest medical disclosure, instructor awareness, and speaking up early when a diver feels uncomfortable, anxious, or unwell.Swiss cheese model - incidents usually happen when several small failures line up.Normalization of deviance - repeated rule breaking starts to feel normal until it catches up.Confirmation bias - assuming something is safe because it worked before.Rule of thirds - in overhead environments, one third out, one third back, one third reserve.“Nobody wakes up in the morning and says you know what I want to do today? I want to do the worst job possible and injure myself.”“It’s not the hard equipment, it’s the squishy bit in the middle.”“We need to realize that we can’t assume that we could be rescued.”Check gas earlier and more deliberately, not only once the dive is already underway.Do honest buoyancy and weighting checks in the actual conditions you dive in.Treat CPR, rescue drills, and emergency response as skills that need regular repetition.Disclose medical conditions clearly and get re-cleared after any significant health change.Speak up early if something feels wrong, uncomfortable, or panic-inducing.Consider extended range or foundations training to strengthen core diving judgment and control.
