Task loading in Scuba diving

Scuba diving

Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....

 is a term used to refer to a multiplicity of responsibilities leading to an increased risk

Risk

Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...

 failure on the part of the diver to undertake some key basic function which would normally be routine for safety underwater

Underwater

Underwater is a term describing the realm below the surface of water where the water exists in a natural feature such as an ocean, sea, lake, pond, or river. Three quarters of the planet Earth is covered by water...

.

Common examples

Common examples of activities which can cause task loading are:

• underwater photography
  Underwater photography
  Underwater photography is the process of taking photographs while under water. It is usually done while scuba diving, but can be done while snorkeling or swimming.-Overview:...
  
   or videography
  Underwater videography
  Underwater videography is a video production, the branch of underwater photography concerned with capturing underwater moving images either as a recreational diving or commercial documentary, or filmmaking activity.-Limitations:...
  
  
• underwater search and recovery
  Underwater search and recovery
  Underwater search and recovery is the process of locating and recovering underwater objects by divers. Although most underwater search and recovery is done by commercial divers as part of professional marine salvage operations, search and recovery diving is also frequently undertaken as part of...
  
  
• underwater mapping
• diving in environments requiring use lights
  Flashlight
  A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
  
   or guide reels (such as night diving
  Night diving
  Night diving is a type of recreational diving which takes place in darkness. The diver can experience a different underwater environment at night, because many marine animals are nocturnal....
  
  , wreck diving
  Wreck diving
  Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
  
   and cave diving
  Cave diving
  Cave diving is a type of technical diving in which specialized equipment is used to enable the exploration of caves which are at least partially filled with water. In the United Kingdom it is an extension of the more common sport of caving, and in the United States an extension of the more common...
  
  ) or other additional equipment
• use of drysuits
  Dry suit
  A dry suit or drysuit provides thermal insulation or passive thermal protection to the wearer while immersed in water, and is worn by divers, boaters, water sports enthusiasts, and others who work or play in or near cold water. A dry suit normally protects the whole body except the head, hands, and...
  
  
• driving a Diver Propulsion Vehicle
  Diver Propulsion Vehicle
  A diver propulsion vehicle is an item of diving equipment used by scuba and rebreather divers to increase range underwater...
  
   (DPV)
• diving in cold water
• breathing narcotic gas mixture

Task loading represents an elevated risk when a new activity is undertaken by an inexperienced diver. A diver learning how to use a drysuit, or starting underwater photography, will need to dedicate considerably more attention to the proper functioning of the new and unfamiliar piece of equipment which leads to the elevated risk of neglect of other responsibilities. Those risks will naturally diminish with time and experience.

Common examples of routine functions that can be overlooked as a result of task loading are:

• monitoring air supply properly
• maintaining buddy contact
  Buddy diving
  Buddy diving is the use of the buddy system by scuba divers and is a set of safety procedures that are intended to improve divers' chances of avoiding or surviving accidents in or under water by diving in a group of two or three divers...
  
  
• maintaining proper buoyancyThis is identified in most training courses as a common failing amongst new underwater photographers and underwater videographers
• monitoring depth and time (no-decompression limits)

Task loading is often identified as a key component in diving accidents

Diving hazards and precautions

Divers face specific physical and health risks when they go underwater or use high pressure breathing gases. Some of these conditions also affect people who work in raised pressure environments out of water, e.g...

, although statistically it is difficult to monitor because divers of differing levels of experience can cope with a more complex array of tasks and equipment. Whilst simply getting used to using a drysuit can call for great levels of attention in an inexperienced diver, it would be a routine piece of equipment for an experienced technical diver

Technical diving

Technical diving is a form of scuba diving that exceeds the scope of recreational diving...

to use, whilst carrying a camera and also penetrating a cave or wreck at depth or using a DPV.