On Fri, 07 Jun 96, "Sean T. Stevenson" <ststev@UV*.CA*> wrote:
>George,
>
>	Many of the discussions on this list pertaining to the outstanding
>results of the WKPP deal explicitly with diving technique, equipment,
>etc.  In your opinion, how important are the management considerations
>in conducting these dives?  Setting out guidelines for team members
>regarding equipment, coordinating and planning the surveys to be made,
>logistics, etc.

                 Sean, this is a good question that most can not really see the 
obvious answer to. That is the fact that the dives always seem to go off 
flawlessly. This is the result of all of the planning and the insistance on 
teamwork, conformity, and training. In the past, where some were allowed to do 
their own thing, bad things happened. I don't tolerate it, and neither will the 
current teammembers.
  
                  Let me give you an example. We mixed Exley in on one of his 
first dives with us without insisting on certain gear changes and other things. 
He ruined the dive. From then on, he configured our way, and used our same mix. 
He was such a nice guy, that we did not want to offend him at first, but then
he 
was not offended at all, and gladly did it our way, but then he was a differnet 
type alltogether.
 
>  How do you go about ensuring that team members are in
>optimal physical condition to do these dives?  How much time is spent
>on a particular dive objective, outside of in-water time?  and how much
>of the WKPP success do you attribute to efficient planning and
>management?   Incidentally,  how many people are currently involved in
>the project?
>
                   We make a doctor sign off on a list of specific conditions 
that I have composed ( real doctor, not some cave diving doctor). Then , we ask 
the member to find some form of cardiovascular exercise to do regualrly, and we 
ask them to keep the weight down. We then check everyones gas conmsumption. 
Interestingly, I can beat a non-fit , experienced cave diver , by as much as
120 
cubic feet of gas on a 30 minute dive at 300 feet. Hoovery and slobbery can not 
be hidded from us, and the deco usually weeds out the good fakers. We also 
reserve the right to urine test and take hair samples if we have any reason to 
suspect substance abuse or prescrition drug use - this realy pisses off some 
people, and I love it. 

                   We have up to 70 people involved in our project, about 40 
divers, of which 18 are gas divers, and a handfull do what i do. I would like
to 
increase all of these numbers , but i am afraid that is is getting too hard to 
catch up , so to speak, and we will have to hope that the people we have spent 
the most time with come through for us on the big stuff. So far they have 

                   I spend a ton of time on planning and worrying, but remember 
I had an amazing teacher, Bill Gavin, and the only thing I do differently than 
he did is use more people, so we can do it all in one day each time, but then
we 
did not have as many players back then 

                    If you look at Simon, from England and his dive planning, 
you will recall that he was able to save a toxed diver ( I think the wreck ws 
Starfish) - this is the kind of effort everyone should be making. If we all
used 
simplicity of gear and teamwork we would not be reading so many horror stories 
on here. Sean, thanks for asking this good question- G

>-Sean


>
>
>This Message Was Sent With An UNREGISTERED Version Of PMMail.  
>Please Encourage Its Author To Register Their Copy Of PMMail.  
>For More Information About PMMail And SouthSide Software's Other 
>Products, Contact http://www.southsoft.com.
>
>
>

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]