SH315: The Insurance Illusion

This blog compares two diving emergencies at the same dive centre to show why technical competence alone is not enough. In the first incident, a diver survived, but the instructors struggled to coordinate because they had only received a basic introduction to Human Factors in Diving. Roles were unclear, communication became fragmented and attention narrowed to the immediate problem. Before the second incident, the centre had changed how it worked: instructors had completed HFiD: Applied Skills, and the Course Director had made Human Factors part of everyday operations. When a student suffered a fatal heart attack during the second dive, the instructors were able to divide responsibilities, protect the other students, communicate clearly and follow a plan they had already practised. The outcome was tragic, but the response was professional and disciplined. The two incidents show that training does not guarantee a good outcome, but it can influence how well a team adapts when things go wrong. Human Factors skills such as leadership, followership, communication, workload management and shared mental models need to be practised before they are needed, and supported by the wider organisation. They also help teams make sense of an incident afterwards, creating a clearer account of what happened and why decisions made sense at the time. The key lesson is that there is no time to become coordinated during an emergency: teams can only rely on the coordination they have already built. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/technical-skills-are-not-enough-you-need-applied-human-factors Links: Dr Laura Walton’s Fit To Dive: https://www.fittodive.org/pages/dive-trauma-resource-index Tags: THD-English| THD-Learning, Incidents & Just Culture| THD-Education & Content Type

This episode explores how social media shapes the way the diving community responds to serious incidents. When an accident happens, discussions can quickly move from sympathy to certainty, with people assigning blame and explaining what the victims or divers “should” have done before the facts are known. The problem is that social media rewards strong emotions, certainty and disagreement, while complex, context-rich explanations are less likely to attract attention. This can turn real people into simple characters and discourage divers from sharing their own mistakes and near-misses for fear of being criticised. The result is that some of the experiences with the greatest potential for learning may never be shared. The episode argues that accountability and standards still matter, but that understanding should come before judgement: instead of asking who was at fault, we should ask what conditions influenced the decisions people made and how the situation made sense to them at the time. The next time a diving incident appears online, the challenge is to consider whether our contribution is helping the community understand what happened, or simply adding to the cycle of outrage and certainty. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/asking-better-questions-be-curious Tags: THD-English| THD-Learning, Incidents & Just Culture| THD-HFiD-Conference

When should a diver call off a dive, even when everything seems to be going well? Using the 1996 Everest disaster as a starting point, this episode explores why we often celebrate people who reach their goals while overlooking those who make the difficult decision to turn back. In diving, fatigue, minor equipment problems, rushed briefings and tension within a team can seem manageable on their own, but these warning signs can build up over time. The money, time and effort already invested in a trip can also make it harder to walk away, while previous successful dives may lead us to believe that taking the same risks is acceptable. The episode explains why knowledge alone is not enough and how divers can make better decisions by agreeing on clear exit criteria before entering the water. It also explores the importance of psychological safety, so people can say “I’m not diving today” without facing pressure or criticism. Ultimately, a good decision should be judged by the information available at the time, not by whether the dive happens to end safely. Knowing when to turn back is a skill that needs to be practised, and sometimes the best dive is the one you never make. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/quit-while-you-stil-can Links: Escalation of commitment: https://archive.org/details/entrapmentinesca0000broc Tags: THD-English| HITS-Decision-making

In this episode, Brent Webb explores the idea that Human Factors should be more than a collection of concepts or courses—it can become the “operating system” of an organisation. Drawing on his experience running Scuba Adventures in Plano, Brent explains how psychological safety, Just Culture, systems thinking, debriefing and curiosity have become part of the way the business operates, influencing how staff handle mistakes, customer complaints, disagreements and everyday decisions. He reflects on how his own Human Factors journey began in 2022, when he realised that his behaviour under pressure could affect those around him, and how this led to a focus on personal growth alongside scuba diving. Brent also describes why successful events and near-misses are worth debriefing, using a recent lost-buddy situation as an example of how reflection can identify gaps before they become problems. The episode concludes by looking at the role of leadership in turning Human Factors from something written down into something people actually experience, with every interaction either reinforcing or undermining the organisation’s culture. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/human-factors-as-operating-system Links: Join us at next years conference: https://www.hf-in-diving-conference.com/ HFiD Products: https://www.thehumandiver.com/your-learning-journey Scuba Adventures, Plano: https://www.scubaplano.com/ “If Only…” Documentary: https://www.thehumandiver.com/ifonly Tags: THD-English| THD-Education & Content Type| THD-HFiD-Conference

In this episode, Connor Tate shares her experience of attending the Human Factors in Diving Conference while struggling with imposter syndrome as a researcher with limited diving experience. Despite understanding the science behind stress and decision-making, Connor discovers the difference between studying these concepts and experiencing them first-hand when a mask-clearing problem at depth triggers the early signs of panic. With the calm assistance of an experienced diver, she completes the dive and later reflects on how the experience connects directly to their research into detecting stress underwater. Through structured debriefs, practical training and an environment where people can discuss mistakes without blame, the conference demonstrates the value of psychological safety, teamwork and learning from experience. Connor also discovers that these lessons apply beyond diving, using human factors tools to improve communication and accountability at work. Ultimately, the experience shows that everyone has something valuable to contribute, regardless of their level of experience, and that progress comes from being willing to learn, reflect and be better than yesterday. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/am-i-enough Links: Join us at next year’s Gathering: https://www.hf-in-diving-conference.com/ Tags: THD-English| THD-Education & Content Type| THD-HFiD-Conference