Counter-Errorism in Diving: Applying Human Factors to Diving

This episode looks at how diving accidents are often explained in simple ways that blame individuals, instead of exploring the deeper systems and pressures that shape what really happens. It explains that investigations are not just about facts, but about meaning, comfort, and fear after someone has died, which often leads to stories that focus on “human error” instead of learning. Using real examples, it shows how simple explanations may feel reassuring, but they don’t make diving safer. Real prevention comes from understanding how people, training, culture, pressure, equipment, and organisations interact in complex ways. The key message is that safety doesn’t come from finding someone to blame — it comes from changing the conditions that shape decisions and behaviour, so future dives are genuinely safer, not just easier to explain.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/what-is-the-purpose-of-an-investigationLinks: Dekker’s four competing purposes: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1463922X.2014.955554Fatal maritime collision investigation: https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/collision-between-ro-ro-passenger-vessel-scottish-viking-and-prawn-trawler-homeland-off-st-abb-s-head-scotland-with-loss-of-1-lifeNon-fatal maritime collision investigation: https://dmaib.com/reports/2014/kraslava-and-atlantic-lady-collision-on-1-november-2014Blog about Linnea Mills: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/linnea-mills-death-hf-systems-lensIf Only… documentary: https://www.thehumandiver.com/ifonlyLearning from Emergent Outcomes course: https://www.thehumandiver.com/lfeoReferences:Dekker: The psychology of accident investigation: epistemological, preventive, moral and existential meaning-making. 2015. Another link. https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/items/d0de2c1f-08f8-43b2-9d30-2a4ff6baea09/fullMAIB Report: https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/collision-between-ro-ro-passenger-vessel-scottish-viking-and-prawn-trawler-homeland-off-st-abb-s-head-scotland-with-loss-of-1-lifeDMAIB Report: https://dmaib.com/reports/2014/kraslava-and-atlantic-lady-collision-on-1-november-2014A fellow graduate from Lund University wrote about this “Why do we ask why? Finding meaning after a violent loss.”Tags: English| Learning, Incidents & Just Culture

This blog explains why hiding mistakes in diving training and leadership is dangerous, and why honesty builds safer, stronger teams. Using real examples from military service and diving, it shows that when leaders admit errors, teams learn faster, trust each other more, and make better decisions. When mistakes are hidden, people stop asking questions, small problems become normal, and serious risks grow over time. The article introduces the idea of psychological safety — creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up, admit mistakes, and challenge unsafe actions without fear. It argues that real credibility comes from honesty, not pretending to be perfect. By encouraging openness, shared responsibility, and learning instead of blame, dive teams can prevent accidents, improve performance, and build a culture where safety, trust, and learning come first.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/the-hidden-cost-of-never-show-weakness-why-hiding-instructor-errors-undermines-dive-safetyTags: English| Sense-making, Decision-making, & Psychology

This episode explores the link between diving, mental health, and trust, showing that anxiety, depression, and therapy are common parts of normal life and are also present in the diving community. Many divers hide mental health challenges or medication use because they fear judgment, exclusion, or losing opportunities, which actually makes diving less safe. The key message is that safety underwater depends more on trust between people than on equipment, and that honesty and psychological safety in a dive team allow divers to support each other properly. The episode explains that common treatments like antidepressants are not the real risk — the real danger comes from silence, stigma, and poor communication. It also highlights how diving can improve mental wellbeing, helping people feel calm, focused, and connected. Overall, the message is simple: openness about mental health is not weakness — it’s responsibility, professionalism, and an important part of keeping each other safe underwater.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/diver-s-depression-it-s-time-to-tackle-stigma-and-taboosSourcesSt Leger Dowse, M. et al. (2019) – Diving and mental health: The potential benefits and risks from a survey of recreational scuba divers.A study of 729 recreational divers in the UK shows that divers have similar levels of mental health problems to the general population, with as many as 90% reporting an improvement in their well-being thanks to diving.Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine JournalMorgan, A. et al. (2019) – Can scuba diving offer therapeutic benefit to military veterans…An analysis of the Deptherapy UK program for veterans, confirming the therapeutic effects of diving in the treatment of PTSD and psychological trauma.Disability and Rehabilitation JournalSoldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba (SUDS) – How Scuba Diving & SUDS Help War Veterans.Description of a therapeutic program in which diving helps war veterans regain their mental and physical balance.sudsdiving.orgUndersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) – Diving Medical Guidance to the Physician (2023).The latest medical guidelines on diving, psychotropic drugs, and mental health.uhms.orgWorld Health Organization (WHO) – Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders: Global Health Estimates (2022).Epidemiological data showing that approximately 25% of adults worldwide experience mental disorders.who.intGascon, M. et al. (2015) – Mental health benefits of long-term exposure to blue spaces.A review of research on the positive effects of aquatic environments (“blue spaces”) on mental health.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthWhite, M. P. et al. (2010) – Blue space: The importance of water for preference, affect, and restorativeness ratings.A study confirming that being in a water environment has a strong relaxing effect and reduces stress. Journal of Environmental PsychologyTags: - english andrzej górnicki

This episode looks back on a big year for Human Factors in Diving and shares what The Human Diver community has achieved, along with what’s coming next. It highlights how real change in diving doesn’t come from new gear or technology, but from learning, reflection, and improving how people think, communicate, and make decisions. The episode celebrates global training programmes, online courses, podcasts, blogs, and free resources that have helped thousands of divers grow their skills and awareness. It also looks ahead to new projects, including international events, new learning programmes, and wider access to training in 2026. The core message is simple: progress comes from consistent learning, honest self-reflection, and small daily improvements — being better than yesterday, not perfect today.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/a-review-of-2025-looking-forward-to-2026-2597Links: Courses: HFiD: Essentials, HFiD: Applied Skills, Masterclass seriesHF in Diving ConferenceLearning from Emergent Outcomes (LFEO)Ambassador network (sign up here: https://www.thehumandiver.com/partner-mandated-instructor-application)YouTube channelGet in touchTags: English| Learning, Incidents & Just Culture

This episode looks at a real cave diving tragedy and uses it to explain how accidents often happen because of human thinking, not just broken rules or bad equipment. Instead of focusing on blame, it shows how choices made underwater can seem logical at the time, even when they lead to disaster. The episode explores key ideas like awareness, decision-making, teamwork, leadership, and psychological safety, and explains how stress, distraction, group pressure, and complex plans can affect how people think and act. It also highlights why good briefings, open communication, and honest debriefs matter, and why teams must feel safe to speak up and challenge decisions. The main message is that safer diving comes from understanding human behaviour, learning without blame, and building strong teams that plan well, communicate clearly, and adapt when things don’t go as expected.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/analysis-from-a-human-factors-perspective-cave-double-fatality-calimba-2004Links: Blueprint for Survival: https://nsscds.org/blueprint-for-survival/Identifying lessons and learning from them vs blame and punishment: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/blame-or-learnonline resources that have a compendium of reports on cave diving fatalities:CREER https://creer-mx.com/accident-incident-analysis/NSS-CDS https://nsscds.org/accident-analysis/IUCRR - https://iucrr.org/more/accident-analysis/incident-reports/Jenny’s blog “Incompetent and Unaware”: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-dunning-kruger-effect-incompetent-or-competent-and-unawareYouTube channel: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/hf-for-dummies-part-1-human-factorsTags: - english accident analysis cave diving lanny vogel

This episode explains that real teamwork in diving is much more than just staying close to your buddy. Using a real incident where a diver tried to handle a serious problem alone, it shows how this can create new risks for the whole team. The key idea is that strong teams are built through clear roles, planning, and communication, not luck. When everyone knows who is responsible for things like navigation, monitoring the group, managing equipment, or handling problems, dives run more smoothly and safely. The episode highlights how assigning roles before a dive, confirming them in the briefing, and learning from them in the debrief helps reduce confusion, stress, and mistakes. The main message is simple: good teamwork doesn’t happen by accident — it is created through clear planning, shared responsibility, and learning together after every dive.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/teamwork-in-diving-the-power-of-clear-roles-task-divisionLinks: Blogs about leadership: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-leadership-creating-the-space-for-others-to-be-heardhttps://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-diving-professional-leadership-is-not-optionalhttps://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-leadership-and-followership

This episode tells the story of a calm, well-planned dive that still ended with an unexpected case of decompression sickness, and uses it to explore how people react when things go wrong. Even when the dive was conservative, the team experienced, and everything seemed to be done “right,” a diver still became unwell — showing that not all risks can be controlled or explained. The episode looks at our natural need to find someone or something to blame after accidents, and how this search for causes often comes from fear, not facts. It explains how people try to protect their sense of safety by creating simple explanations, even when reality is uncertain and complex. The core message is that true safety in diving doesn’t come from believing we can control everything, but from accepting uncertainty, staying humble, learning from events without blame, and building resilience, awareness, and reflection into every dive.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/desperate-need-for-blameResources: Dekker, S., ’t Hart, P. (2010). Judgment and decision making in complex systems.Mezulis et al. (2004). A meta-analytic review of self-serving attribution bias.Baumeister (1999). Self-concept, self-esteem, and self-deception.Reason, J. (1990). Human Error.Dekker, S. (2014). The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error'.Skinner, E. (1996). A guide to constructs of control.Rotter, J. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.Lerner, M. (1980). The Belief in a Just World: A Fundamental Delusion.Hafer & Bègue (2005). The Belief in a Just World and Reactions to Innocent Victims.Ross, L. (1977). The intuitive psychologist and his shortcomings.Jones & Harris (1967). The attribution of attitudes. Tags: English| Sense-making, Decision-making, & Psychology

This episode explains how Non-Technical Skills (NTS) and Human Factors in Diving (HFiD) only work when they become part of everyday diving culture, not just a course or a checklist. Real safety comes from how divers think, communicate, make decisions, and work as teams, not just from technical skills or equipment. It highlights the importance of shared language, reducing hierarchy, encouraging people to speak up, honest debriefs, and creating psychological safety so divers feel comfortable asking questions and raising concerns. For teams and dive centres, this means building strong technical foundations, teaching communication and decision-making skills, talking openly about risk versus reward, and making reflection and learning part of daily practice. The key message is that safer diving comes from habits, culture, and behaviour over time — not one-off training — where teams learn together, support each other, and keep working to be better than yesterday.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/the-practical-ways-of-bringing-hf-nts-into-divingLinks: Last weeks blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/would-you-speak-up-to-the-commanderBehavioural Marker SchemeBuilding psychological safety blogs: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-1Nic Emery’s blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-are-we-pretending-not-to-knowDEBrIEF framework: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debriefTags: English| Operations & Procedures

This episode explores why real learning in diving is harder than buying new gear or following checklists. It explains how divers, like firefighters and oil and gas workers, often struggle to change habits, question tradition, and speak up in teams, even when something feels wrong. The problem isn’t a lack of training or information, but culture — things like hierarchy, fear of blame, and not feeling safe to challenge more experienced people. The key message is that safer diving doesn’t come from more equipment or more rules, but from better communication, shared learning, honest debriefs, and strong non-technical skills like teamwork, awareness, and decision-making. Real change only happens when these behaviours become everyday habits, not one-off courses, and when teams create an environment where people feel safe to learn, ask questions, and improve together.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/would-you-speak-up-to-the-commanderLinks: If Only… documentary and workbook: https://www.thehumandiver.com/ifonly2026 HFiD: Conference: https://www.hf-in-diving-conference.com/Nic’s blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-are-we-pretending-not-to-knowScuba Adventures, TX: https://www.scubaplano.com/TekDeep Asia: https://tekdeep.com/author/marccrane/Part 2: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-practical-ways-of-bringing-hf-nts-into-divingTags: English| Operations & Procedures

This episode looks at the limits of planning and equipment in technical and cave diving, and explains why true safety comes from adaptability, not control. Using a powerful real-life cave diving story, it shows how even the best plans can fail, and how survival often depends on calm thinking, core skills, and the ability to solve problems when things go wrong. The key idea is that risk can’t be removed from diving — it can only be managed — and focusing only on gear and procedures can create a false sense of security. Real safety comes from strong fundamentals, simple systems, realistic training, and learning how to stay calm and think clearly under pressure. The message is clear: the safest divers aren’t the ones with the most equipment or the most detailed plans, but the ones with the skills, mindset, and resilience to adapt when the unexpected happens.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/top-tips-for-technical-cave-divers-decision-making-to-manage-risk-we-have-to-be-exposed-to-uncertainty-and-harmTags: English| Education & Content Type

This episode challenges the idea that more experience automatically means safer diving. Using research from aviation and real diving examples, it shows that what really matters is not how many dives you’ve done, but how you see and understand risk. Two people can face the same situation and make very different choices, not because of skill, but because of how dangerous it feels to them. The key message is that experience without reflection can lead to complacency, where risky behaviour starts to feel normal. Safer divers are the ones who think about their decisions, talk openly with their team, learn from near-misses and “no-go” choices, and keep questioning what feels routine. True competence comes from awareness, reflection, and honest communication, not just time underwater or the number of dives in a logbook.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/top-tips-for-technical-cave-divers-situation-awareness-risk-perception-is-a-critical-skill-experience-doesn-t-equal-judgementLinks: Normalisation of deviance blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/normalisation-of-deviance-not-about-rule-breakingDrinkwater, J. L., & Molesworth, B. R. C. (2010). Pilot see, pilot do: Examining the predictors of pilots’ risk management behaviour. Safety Science, 48(10), 1445–1451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2010.07.001Tags: English| Education & Content Type

This episode explores how everyday conversations between divers, even simple small talk, play a powerful role in building trust and safety. It introduces the idea of the “Communication Triangle,” showing how teams move from polite, surface-level talk to deeper, more honest communication that allows people to speak up, share concerns, and admit mistakes. Using real diving examples, it shows how accidents are often caused not by lack of skill, but by people not feeling safe enough to say something. The core message is simple: strong diving teams are built through open communication, trust, and psychological safety, where everyone feels able to speak honestly. When divers move beyond politeness and build real connection, decision-making improves, learning grows, and safety becomes a natural result.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/top-tips-for-technical-cave-divers-psychological-safety-and-just-cultureTags: English| Education & Content Type

Technical diving often looks like it’s all about planning, rules, and equipment, but the biggest risk factor is still the human. This episode explores how “Performance Influencing Factors” (PIFs) like fatigue, stress, environment, team pressure, and mental overload can affect even experienced divers, sometimes without them realising it. Using a real dive story, it shows how small human issues can stack up and lead to mistakes, even when procedures are followed. The key message is that safe technical diving isn’t just about good gear and checklists, it’s about self-awareness, teamwork, honest communication, and planning for human error. When divers understand their limits, support each other, and build safety margins into every dive, they don’t just dive better — they dive safer.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/top-tips-for-technical-divers-performance-influencing-factors-even-the-best-of-us-are-only-humanLinks: Showing vulnerability: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-challenge-of-psychological-safetyNormalisation of Deviance: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/normalization-of-deviance-risk-how-socially-accepted-drift-can-impact-your-divingTags: English| Education & Content Type

This episode looks at the idea that all technical divers are leaders, even if they don’t see themselves that way, because their experience, behaviour, and decisions influence others in the water. Leadership in diving isn’t about giving orders; it’s about building trust, staying calm, communicating clearly, and creating an environment where everyone feels safe to speak up. The discussion explains how leadership roles in technical diving can change during a dive and highlights key qualities of good leaders, such as technical competence, good decision-making, strong situation awareness, and leading by example. It also shares practical tips, like fostering psychological safety, being consistent with procedures, understanding and explaining the reasons behind decisions, and always trying to improve. The main message is simple: as a technical diver, you are a role model, and by being the diver you would want to follow, you can help your whole team dive more safely and effectively.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-technical-cave-divers-leadershipTags: - english cave diving human factors lanny vogel leadership psychological safety technical diving

This episode explores why teamwork is a critical survival skill in technical diving, not just a nice extra. Using a real training story where a teammate caught a dangerous mistake during an emergency drill, it shows how even well-trained divers can fail under pressure and why a strong team can prevent small errors from becoming fatal. Technical diving involves higher risks, more complex equipment, and smaller margins for error, which means no diver, no matter how self-reliant, can be their own backup for everything. Effective teams plan dives together, position themselves deliberately, use clear and layered communication, manage ego and authority, practise emergencies as a group, and debrief honestly to improve the next dive. The key message is simple: great gear matters, but a cohesive, well-practised team is just as important, because in technical diving, your team is part of your life support.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/Top%20Tips%20for%20Technical%20Divers:%20Teamwork%20-%20It%27s%20more%20than%20a%20back%20up%20planTags: mike mason teamwork

This episode looks at why communication in technical and cave diving often fails, even between skilled and experienced divers. Using two real dive stories, it shows how serious risks can come from small breakdowns, such as mislabelled gas bottles or missed signals during a valve problem, and how teams often rely on assumptions rather than confirmation. A key message is that sending a message does not mean it has been understood, especially when stress, task overload, poor visibility, hierarchy, or equipment get in the way. Communication in diving is not just hand signals or words, but also lights, behaviour, technology, and the environment itself. To reduce errors, teams need clear briefings, shared mental models, closed-loop communication, and honest debriefs that explore what really happened, not just whether the dive ended safely. Improving communication is about slowing down, checking understanding, and creating a team culture where questions and challenges are welcomed before small issues turn into big ones.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-technical-cave-divers-communicationTags: - english communication gareth lock teamwork

This episode explores how instructor decisions in diving are shaped long before an accident happens, often by habit, pressure, and past success rather than careful thought. Using real-world accounts from a fatal training dive in poor visibility, it shows how instructors often rely on fast, instinctive decision-making that usually works but can fail when conditions are complex, rushed, or risky. When dives end without incident, messy decisions often get hidden behind a “successful outcome,” which can lead to normalising higher levels of risk over time. The key message is to separate luck from skill, challenge assumptions, and judge decisions by how they made sense at the time, not just by the outcome. Simple tools like pausing to ask why you’re acting, what you expect to happen next, and whether the risk matches the benefit can slow thinking and improve safety. Reflective debriefs and open sharing of near-misses help instructors learn, adapt, and make better decisions before small issues line up into serious harm.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-decision-making-the-big-ones-not-the-little-onesLinks: Learning in the Heat of the Moment: An Interview With Sabrina Cohen-Hatton‘Storytelling to learn’Tags: - english decision-making gareth lock instructors top tips

This episode looks at a common teaching challenge: when a student can complete the required skills but still isn’t ready to be certified. Through a personal story, the author explains how the missing piece was situation awareness — the ability to notice what’s happening, understand what it means, and think ahead. The student was using so much mental effort just to manage basic skills like buoyancy and trim that there was no capacity left to track their buddy, navigation, or decompression. The key lesson is that learning and performance are limited by mental capacity, and when students are overloaded, awareness drops. Instructors can help by building basic skills slowly, watching for signs of overload, using debriefs to understand where attention was focused, sharing their own experiences, and remembering that instructors can lose awareness too. Developing situation awareness takes time, practice, and the right focus — and recognising this helps instructors support students more effectively.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-instructors-situation-awarenessTags: - english jenny lord situation awareness situational awareness

This episode explores why calling a dive can be harder in practice than the famous “any diver can end any dive” rule suggests, especially for instructors under time, money, or reputation pressure. Using a real cave-diving example, the blog shows how small equipment issues and disrupted routines created warning signs that the team wasn’t ready, even though nothing had gone seriously wrong yet. The dive was safely called, and the team later recognised how important psychological safety was in making that decision feel acceptable and supported. The key message is that psychological safety — feeling able to speak up, admit mistakes, or stop without fear of criticism — is essential for safe and effective training. Instructors play a major role in creating this by staying calm under pressure, reacting constructively to small problems, and leading by example when it’s time to call a dive.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-psychological-safety-and-the-thumb-ruleLinks: Some previous blogs about psychological safety:https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/HFforD-part-10-psychological-safetyhttps://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-if-just-culture-and-psychological-safety-is-not-enoughhttps://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-challenge-of-psychological-safetyhttps://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-we-get-wrong-about-psychological-safety-in-divinghttps://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-psychological-safety-just-culturehttps://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-1 - Part one of a four-part series.Tags: - english cave diving human factors lanny vogel psychological safety teamwork top tips training

This episode looks at why students — and instructors — sometimes struggle in dive training, even when the skills seem simple, and explains how performance is shaped by more than just ability. Factors like fatigue, stress, cold, time pressure, anxiety, social expectations, and difficult conditions can all affect how people think, learn, and perform. When these pressures stack up, students may panic or stall, and instructors may rush, lose patience, or make poor decisions. The key message is that good instruction means recognising these performance influences early, managing what you can, and adapting your teaching and self-care to match the situation. By slowing down, checking in, normalising mistakes, managing comfort and stress, and using thoughtful debriefs, instructors can create safer, more effective learning environments where both students and teachers perform at their best.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-performance-influencing-factorsLinks: Blog about having difficult conversations: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-communication-the-difficult-kindTags: - english fatigue mike mason performance influencing factors performance shaping factors stress

This episode explores why people in diving often don’t speak up, even when something feels unsafe, and why being “heard” matters just as much as being allowed to talk. Using a real boat-diving story, it shows how authority gaps, hero culture, social media status, and tight-knit groups can silence both new and experienced divers. Research highlights that people stay quiet mainly because they fear looking bad or upsetting others, not because they lack knowledge. Titles, reputation, and tribal loyalty can make unsafe decisions hard to challenge, while weak feedback systems hide problems rather than fix them. The key message is that safety depends on leaders actively creating spaces where speaking up is worthwhile, not risky, by listening with curiosity, lowering power barriers, valuing informal conversations, and rewarding honesty over conformity. In diving, real learning starts when people feel they belong, can question decisions, and know their voice will truly be heard.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-leadership-creating-the-space-for-others-to-be-heardLinks: One of the studies by ReitzGareth’s MSc research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRXqeQvRFK0&t=4sLinnea Mills caseBrian Bugge caseTags: - english gareth lock instructors leadership psychological safety top tips

This episode looks at what happens when a dive “team” isn’t really functioning as a team, using a real training story where strong individual skills weren’t enough to prevent things going wrong under stress. The key lesson is that the problem wasn’t technical ability, but poor teamwork: misaligned goals, weak communication, low trust, and a lack of shared awareness. Research shows that what really makes teams perform well is not personality, confidence, or experience, but social intelligence – the ability to read others, notice stress or confusion, ask good questions, and adapt when plans change. These team skills matter just as much as buoyancy, gas planning, or drills, especially in demanding environments like technical diving. The episode explains why teamwork must be taught and practised deliberately, not assumed, and offers practical ideas for instructors and divers: train teamwork on purpose, model good team behaviour, debrief the whole team, pay attention to emotional cues, and redefine success as how well the team worked together under pressure. In short, safe and effective diving depends on strong teams, not just strong individuals.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-teamworkLinks: Team Players: How Social Skills Improve Team Performance study by Ben Weidmann and David DemingMore 'Top Tips for Diving Instructors' blogsGuy’s blog about teaching teamwork: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/HF_Into_ArchaeologyDEBrIEF model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debriefTags: - english communication gareth lock instructors teamwork top tips

This episode explains why the diving industry struggles to learn from fatalities and argues that the problem is not one bad decision or one person, but the whole system. Using the death of 18-year-old diver Linnea Mills as an example, it shows how normal people, doing what made sense at the time, can be caught by gaps in training, supervision, equipment, communication, and emergency planning. The focus is on moving beyond neat, blame-based “first stories” and instead telling messier “second stories” that explore context, pressure, trade-offs, and gradual drift away from safety margins. The episode looks at ideas like normalisation of deviance, weak feedback loops, authority gradients, and the gap between what rules say should happen and what really happens on dives. The key message is that safety improves when we change conditions, not just criticise people: by building psychological safety, matching supervision to the real task, checking equipment properly, planning for emergencies that fit the location, learning from near misses, and raising standards above the bare minimum. Learning from tragedy requires courage, honest stories, and system-level change, but it is possible—and it starts before the next dive.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/we-don-t-learn-from-diving-fatalities-and-here-s-whyLinks: Webinar about Linnea Mills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu4tc8gtNio&t=3sNo learning focused investigation process in diving: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/learning-reviews-in-divingCompliance can give an illusion of safety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNhmxz2_adcWhat conditions made it harder to do the ‘right’ thing and easier to do the ‘wrong’ thing?Creating the conditions and space for speaking up: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-leadership-creating-the-space-for-others-to-be-heardHaving difficult conversations as an instructor: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-communication-the-difficult-kindTEDS open question acronym: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/communications-ask-better-questionsPsychological safety blogs: Blog 1. Blog 2. Blog 3. Blog 4. Blog 5.Debrief model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debriefDiving Talks video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNhmxz2_adcChild welfare changes: https://www.collaborative-safety.com/collaborative-safety-reading-packetTags: - english gareth lock safety safety culture system safety

Many dive instructors are facing a growing challenge: some students believe that paying for a course means they are guaranteed a certification card. This can lead to difficult conversations when an instructor decides a student needs more time to reach a safe and confident level, even if they attended all sessions and tried hard. This episode explores why clear communication is essential, especially before a course begins, so students understand that they are paying for training, not an automatic qualification. It explains the importance of describing why standards exist, using kind and supportive language, staying firm but empathetic, and normalising the idea that people learn at different speeds. By setting expectations early, explaining decisions clearly, and being honest and caring in tough moments, instructors can protect safety, maintain trust, and help students see certification as something earned through readiness, not something bought.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-diving-instructors-communication-the-difficult-kindTags: - english communication instructors mike mason

This episode explores how the diving community responds when something goes badly wrong and why the choice between blame and learning really matters. Drawing on three university research projects, it explains that after serious incidents people look for meaning through justice, learning, and sometimes punishment, and that visible learning can itself be a form of justice. The episode looks at why divers often struggle to share honest stories about near misses and accidents, including fear of judgment, legal worries, and online criticism, and why sharing clear, context-rich stories is essential for real safety improvement. It also explains that accountability is not just about finding fault but about choosing fair, forward-looking ways to improve systems, training, and teamwork. The key message is that diving becomes safer when we replace silence and scapegoating with open storytelling, curiosity, and accountability that focuses on learning and change rather than blame.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/asking-why-telling-stories-and-owning-accountability-lessons-for-divingLinks: The three theses: Møller (2023), Lock (2024), Parris (2025)Summary of Lock’s thesis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRXqeQvRFK0&t=3sChanging the language to help learning: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/change-your-language-change-the-worldDEBrIEF model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debriefThe documentaries ‘If Only…’ and ‘Just a Routine Operation’Tags: English, Gareth Lock, Incident Reporting, Just Culture, Psychological Safety

This episode looks at how many decisions can happen during a single dive and why decision-making is often harder underwater, especially for new divers. Using a real-world wreck dive story, it shows how focus on a goal, strong currents, stress, and missed checks can slowly lead to poor outcomes, even when basic skills are sound. The discussion explains how pressure, mental overload, common thinking biases, limited experience, and social influences can affect the choices divers make without them realising it. It also introduces simple, practical tools—like clear dive plans with decision points, pausing to reassess when stressed, regular scanning of key information, and honest post-dive debriefs—to help divers recognise problems earlier and make safer decisions. The key message is that good decisions are a skill that can be learned, and every dive is a chance to improve judgment and dive more safely.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-decision-makingTags: English, Beginners, Cognitive Biases, Decision Making, Gareth Lock

In this episode, we explore situation awareness, a key skill that helps divers notice what’s happening around them, understand what it means, and anticipate what might happen next. Using a personal story from a first open water dive, we show how beginners often rely on instructors to manage the “big picture” and don’t realise how much awareness is needed until they dive on their own. The episode explains why situation awareness is harder for new divers, introduces the simple three-step model of perception, understanding, and prediction, and shares practical tips to build this skill from the very start, such as good dive briefings, clear communication, staying curious, managing stress, and learning from debriefs. The key message is that situation awareness is a skill anyone can develop, and improving it makes diving safer, calmer, and more enjoyable.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-situation-awarenessLinks: Blog about dive briefings: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/Why%20are%20dive%20briefings%20important%3F%20How%20to%20deliver%20them%20effectivelyBlog about debriefing: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/debriefing-a-challenging-dive-a-real-life-experienceBlog about communication: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-communicationTags: English, Beginners, Mike Mason, Situation Awareness, Situational Awareness

In this episode, we follow Paul, a diver who joins an unfamiliar group and stays silent when he feels unsure, leading to stress, separation from the team, and a risky situation underwater. His story shows how being part of a group doesn’t automatically mean being part of a team, especially when people don’t feel comfortable asking questions or speaking up. We explore the ideas of psychological safety and just culture, and why they matter in diving, so that everyone can raise concerns, admit mistakes, and learn without fear of blame or embarrassment. The episode also shares practical ways divers can support each other, encourage open communication, and challenge unsafe behaviour, helping teams become safer, stronger, and better together.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-psychological-safety-just-cultureLinks: Blog about Performance Influencing Factors: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-performance-influencing-factorsTags: English, Beginners, Just Culture, Pedro Paulo Cunha, Psychological Safety, Teamwork

This episode looks at Ellie’s first overseas dive trip, where she discovered that being “ready” on paper doesn’t always mean performing well in real life. Even though she knew her skills, a rushed boat, unexpected changes, stress, and small mistakes left her overwhelmed and unsure underwater. We use her experience to explore why divers don’t always act the way they intend, using the WITH/TWIN model to explain how the environment, individual limits, task load, and human nature all shape performance. You’ll hear practical tools for managing stress, spotting error traps, asking better pre-dive questions, and debriefing the human side of a dive. The message is simple: safe diving isn’t just about technical skills — it’s about understanding what affects your performance so you can learn, adapt, and be better than yesterday.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-performance-influencing-factorsLinks: HALT: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/stress-a-challenge-we-all-facePACE model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/navigating-the-authority-gradient-pt2SBAR model: https://www.ihi.org/library/tools/sbar-tool-situation-background-assessment-recommendationDebrief model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debriefTags: English, Beginners, Gareth Lock, Performance Influencing Factors

This episode explores what happened when an inexperienced diver, John, assumed he was “just meant to follow” his far more experienced buddy, Shona- and how a simple sea dive turned stressful when expectations weren’t shared. Their miscommunication shows that good teamwork in diving isn’t automatic: leaders need to notice when teammates are struggling, and followers need to speak up, ask questions, and stay involved in the plan. We look at how beginners can build both leadership and followership from day one through curiosity, clear expectations, simple pre-dive questions, and short debriefs. The story highlights that safe, enjoyable dives come from shared mental models, mutual accountability, and the courage to communicate- no matter how new you are.Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-leadership-and-followershipLinks: Debrief model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debriefTop Tips for Beginner Divers- Teamwork: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-teamworkDive briefings: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/Why%20are%20dive%20briefings%20important%3F%20How%20to%20deliver%20them%20effectivelyPsychological safety: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/HFforD-part-10-psychological-safetyTags: English, Beginners, Communications, Followership, Gareth Lock, Leadership, Teamwork

In this episode, we look at how two new divers learned the hard way that being a true buddy team takes more than just diving side by side. A simple dive on a house reef became stressful when assumptions replaced communication, and neither diver had agreed on roles, pace, or what to do if something went wrong. Their experience shows that teamwork doesn’t happen automatically—it’s built through clear plans, shared expectations, and honest conversations before and after the dive. We explore how new divers can avoid “assumed coordination,” develop a shared mental model, and grow stronger as a team using practical tools like pre-dive role discussions, simple communication habits, quick debriefs, and psychological safety. Effective teamwork helps divers stay connected, learn together, and enjoy safer, more relaxed dives.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-teamwork   Links: Debrief model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/debriefing Building psychological safety: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-challenge-of-psychological-safety   Tags:  English, Beginners, Brief, Debrief, Gareth Lock, Teamwork

In this episode, we look at how a simple miscommunication during a fun dive turned into confusion, and why clear planning and shared understanding are essential for safe and enjoyable diving. Because you can’t talk underwater, communication has to start at the surface, and most problems come from assumptions, unclear plans, or people being too nervous to speak up. We break down practical tools to avoid this—like agreeing on the dive plan, using shared hand signals, confirming understanding, carrying a slate, and doing short debriefs after each dive. Good communication builds confidence, strengthens teamwork, and prevents small misunderstandings from turning into big issues.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-communication   Links: Shared understanding: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/lost-in-translation Blog about psychological safety: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-challenge-of-psychological-safety Ask questions: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/communications-ask-better-questions   Tags:  English, Briefing, Communication, Communications, Mike Mason, Teamwork

In this episode, we explore how easy it is for divers to drift into unsafe habits when risky behaviour seems to have no consequences, especially in small or high-performing cave and technical diving teams. A real example from a cave rebreather class shows how a simple shortcut- only a few metres and seemingly low-risk- could have broken a key rule of always maintaining a continuous guideline. Even when a team is skilled and conditions look perfect, small deviations can become normalised and lead to bigger risks later. We talk about why psychological safety, honest communication, and clear team standards are essential for spotting drift, challenging unsafe ideas, and learning from each other.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-blog-normalisation-of-deviance-in-rebreather-cave-diving   Links: Normalisation of deviance: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/normalisation-of-deviance-not-about-rule-breaking Psychological safety: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-we-get-wrong-about-psychological-safety-in-diving   Tags:  English, Cave Diving, CCR, Decision Making, Lanny Vogel, Normalisation of Deviance, Teamwork

In this episode, we finish exploring the “Dirty Dozen” human factors that contribute to mistakes in diving by looking at fatigue, lack of assertiveness and norms. These factors influence how divers think and behave, and they can increase risk if they aren’t recognised and managed. Fatigue can reduce focus and reaction time, lack of assertiveness can stop people from speaking up when something feels wrong, and unsafe norms can develop when teams skip important steps simply because “nothing went wrong last time.” We discuss how to address these issues through tools like HALT and PACE, building psychological safety, supporting each other as teammates, and challenging negative habits within dive communities. The goal is to create an environment where divers can speak up, look out for each other and make safer decisions together.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-4   Links: Part One: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-1 Part Two: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-2 Part Three: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-3 Error Producing Conditions: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/hf-for-dummies-part-9-error-producing-conditions Building psychological safety: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-1 PACE tool: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/navigating-the-authority-gradient-pt2 Negative norms need to be recognised: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-are-we-pretending-not-to-know Normalisation of drift vs pushing boundaries: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/drift-vs-advancement-how-do-we-push-limits-safely   Tags:  English, Fatigue, Human Error, Jenny Lord, Performance Shaping Factors

In this episode, we continue exploring the “Dirty Dozen,” a set of human factors that can lead to mistakes in diving, by looking at pressure, lack of awareness, and lack of knowledge. These factors affect divers of all levels because they shape how we think, act, and make decisions underwater. Pressure—whether from time, money, or other people—can push divers into taking risks or rushing, while lack of awareness can cause them to miss important changes in their surroundings. Lack of knowledge, including not knowing what you don’t know, can lead to poor decisions or unsafe actions, especially in new environments or with unfamiliar equipment. We also discuss practical ways to manage these issues, such as improving skills so tasks become automatic, sharing responsibilities within the team, building a supportive culture, asking open questions, and staying curious about the “why” behind procedures.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-3   Links: Part One: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-1 Part Two: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-2 Part Four: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-4   Tags:  English, Communication, Fatigue, Jenny Lord, Performance Shaping Factors, Situation Awareness, Stress

In Part 2 of this blog, we delve into three more of the "Dirty Dozen" human factors—stress, complacency, and lack of teamwork—and explore their impact on diver performance and safety. Stress, whether acute or chronic, can reduce awareness and decision-making ability, while complacency often arises in routine tasks, lowering vigilance. A lack of teamwork, meanwhile, undermines coordination and increases risks during emergencies. Practical countermeasures like using checklists, fostering psychological safety, and setting clear team goals can help mitigate these issues, creating safer and more effective dive environments. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-2   Links: HALT Model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/stress-a-challenge-we-all-face Becoming a team: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/practical-application-of-teamwork-in-diver-training Building Psychological Safety blog series: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-1 UNITED-C: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/Why%20are%20dive%20briefings%20important%3F%20How%20to%20deliver%20them%20effectively Part 1: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-1 Part 3: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-3 Part 4: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-4   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Human Error, Human Factors, Jenny Lord, Teamwork

This week’s episode explores the interplay between human factors and system design in diving safety, using the “Dirty Dozen” as a framework to highlight key risks like poor communication, distraction, and lack of resources. While this list simplifies complex issues, it underscores how systemic challenges and individual behaviors intersect to create safety risks. The episode dives into practical countermeasures, emphasizing the need for teamwork, thorough preparation, and robust support systems to mitigate errors. By unpacking the context behind the Dirty Dozen, we aim to help divers and teams enhance safety, improve operations, and foster a culture of accountability and resilience. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-1   Links: LinkedIn Post from Gareth Lock: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/garethlock_mca-dirty-dozen-graphic-activity-7328740642400931840-tzS4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAELqPcBwf1_VKIPpplosn5XZ02d6xlOzRs HFiD Applied Skills classes: https://www.thehumandiver.com/hfid-training-2025 Our brains process words faster than we can transmit or receive them Checklists blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/designing-checklists-that-work-slowing-down-to-get-it-right Normalisation of Deviance blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/normalisation-of-deviance-not-about-rule-breaking Part 2: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-2 Part 3: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-3 Part 4: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/reframing-the-dirty-dozen-part-4   Tags:  English, Communication, Gareth Lock, Human Error, Human Factors, Jenny Lord

This blog by Pedro Paulo Cunha explores the critical role of leadership in dive safety, highlighting how a toxic leader at a dive resort created a culture of fear, harassment, and stress that compromised both staff well-being and guest safety. Through the story of an experienced instructor facing verbal abuse and misconduct, the piece underscores the importance of psychological safety, just culture, and accountability in high-risk environments. It reveals how poor leadership eroded team confidence, increased errors, and damaged the operation’s reputation, offering valuable lessons for divers and managers alike. Leadership isn’t about rank but about fostering trust, communication, and resilience—qualities essential for safer and more effective dive operations. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/instructor-toxicity-why-one-bad-apple-spoils-the-bunch   Tags:  English, Just Culture, Leadership, Pedro Paulo Cunha, Psychological Safety, Teamwork

Andrzej Gornicki reflects on the challenges of teamwork and organisation in diving operations, sharing lessons from his experience running a dive centre. Through real-life stories, he highlights how logistical oversights and errors—like forgotten equipment or missing supplies—can be mitigated with clear protocols and checklists. However, simply having checklists isn’t enough; they need to be embraced by the team. By involving staff in creating their own task-specific checklists and placing them strategically, Andrzej fostered accountability and improved efficiency. This episode dives into the balance between organisation, teamwork, and experience, showing how small changes can make big differences in safety and performance. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-do-you-mean-the-damn-box-is-missing-again   Links: Introducing checklists in diving: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/risk-management-in-diving Amazon link ‘The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right’   Tags:  English, Andrzej Górnicki, Checklists, Leadership, Teamwork

Psychological safety is more than a buzzword—it's a critical team skill in high-risk environments like diving. Often misunderstood, it's not about being nice or avoiding discomfort, but about fostering an environment where team members feel safe to speak up, question, and learn without fear of judgment. Through real-life examples, including a gas switch error during a dive, this episode explores the transformative power of psychological safety in improving communication, accountability, and team performance. Dive into how candid conversations, challenging feedback, and a culture of learning can make dive teams safer and stronger. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-we-get-wrong-about-psychological-safety-in-diving   Links: If Ony… documentary: https://www.thehumandiver.com/ifonly YouTube presentation on the Linnea Mills Blogs about PS from the Human Diver Outcomes are a function of technical skills, context, skill/luck, and non-technical skills Youtube video This article was written based on an HBR article by Professor Amy Edmondson & Michaela Kerrissey, "What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety" (Harvard Business Review, May–June 2025)   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Leadership, Psychological Safety, Teamwork