Bali Diving is a secure sport if you follow the rules, avoid taking unnecessary risks, and always dive with a buddy. But that does not mean you will never see difficulties during a dive. Learning; how to anticipate and solve problems is part of becoming an adaptive diver.
Anticipative Equipment Problems
Equipment rarely fails during a dive, but still, you should take great care when assembling, storing, and servicing your gear. Ultimately, this is what keeps you alive underwater, so it is quality spending time and money on keeping it in perfect working order.
Acknowledged "what if" situations before a dive, and think through how you will deal with the failure of any element of your gear
Do you have a spare if your friend is not close? Your regulator should always have an enterprise second stage to use as a backup in case your main second stage fails.
Free and Resilient Ascents
If you run out of air, find your buddy and follow the procedure below: If you cannot find your partner, you will need to make a rapid "free ascent" by finning to the surface. It can be assisted by ditching your weights, but be ready for a sudden increase in airiness. Breathe out calmly during ascent to prevent lung injury. If you have a bit of air left, you can make a more controlled "buoyant ascent." Let some air into your BC to kick-start your ascent, and angle your head back to watch for the surface.
Repeatedly, breathe out during the ascent, and control your ascent rate by venting air from the BC. Do not rise faster during exhaled bubbles. Your buddy will need to be found, and, as you have ascended without safety stops, you will need to be organized for DCS and go for near Bali dive shop.
Creating Emergency Lifts
If your friend is unconscious or injured, then keep their regulator in their mouth and perform a buoyant lift to get them to the surface. It means holding on to your buddy's belt as you ascend, using their BC to adjust buoyancy for both of you. Alert any boat cover once at the surface. If your friend is not breathing, artificial ventilation (AV) may be required until medical help arrives.
Overcoming Panic
If you feel a panic situation, alert your friend, stop moving, and steady your breathing. If your friend panics, assure them with hand signals but observe them from a safe distance since a flailing arm can knock your regulator from your mouth or injure you. When they have calmed down, hold their hand or arm, make sure their regulator stays in place, and remain close until normal breathing goes on.
