Gareth Lock & Mike Mason - Human factors in diving

Gareth Lock and Mike Mason return to the Scuba GOAT podcast to discuss the latest in human factors in diving. Gareth invited me to complete the "Essentials of Human Factors in Diving" remote training package, followed by a 2-day face-to-face course at Dive Centre Bondi. This course explores Human Factors' significance in the dive industry and its role in improving safety and day-to-day processes before, during, and after diving.

Through The Human Diver training programs, Gareth has paved a clear path for the scuba diving industry and individual divers, regardless of their experience and qualifications. The Human Diver isn't aimed at favoring any specific training agency but focuses on optimizing divers' performance. Accidents, whether minor or major, can be minimized by discussing sensitive topics, acknowledging errors in judgment, and maintaining honesty with ourselves.

This is my review following The Human Diver training I received:

"I have just completed the "Essentials of Human Factors in Diving" pre-learning for an HF course that I am excitedly attending later this week. The ‘Essentials’ is delivered remotely via online bite-sized tutorials. It is a little over 3 hours long in total, and as a 17-year military veteran turned 10-year multi-agency dive professional, I firmly believe that it should be included in ANY recreational diver training course, from try dives through all training programs and all agencies, to the top of the qualification tree and here’s why… 

We are taught from a very young age that there is a ladder of authority in all that we do. When we entered schooling that authority figure was a teacher and as such, there is an expected level of respect from the bottom up which ultimately prevents us from questioning the teacher. 

The same expected hierarchy occurs as we enter the workforce and beyond. It is therefore of no surprise that when we return to the learning environment, we are naturally holding back on questions and dampening down doubts or nerves for fear of perceived reprisal or embarrassment. 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. 

Next time we’ll do it differently. 

What if… 

Just a few old phrases that are common and really have no place in our sports vocabulary. The Human Diver shines a light on such antiquated quotes, promptly kicks them in the bin and opens the door to a modern, safer, and more transparent diving environment. If you are considering becoming a diver, if you have been