Checklists: What's NOT on a Checklist is Important
Online Jul 17, 2020
Written by Capt Michael Carr
Checklists do a lot for you, they help you perform all required tasks and in the appropriate sequence. Checklists ensure you have all appropriate and necessary equipment and supplies. What they also do is help you “Get Your Head in the Game”. What does that phrase mean? It means you are thinking about your preparation, tasks, planning and execution. Diving checklists help us think about everything regarding an upcoming dive; from our NITROX mix to the upcoming weather. Checklists help us focus our mental efforts on the dive, to consider more than just the items on the checklist. Checklists motivate us to FOCUS on diving operations. I use checklists for almost everything. Just looking at a checklist helps focus your attention on the upcoming effort.
Do you have water and food for the day, do you need to fuel your vehicle and should you depart a few minutes early to fuel, do you have rain gear, do you know the route from home to boat, and do you have an alternative route, etc. In making checklists for diving operations you will be amazed at the number of items, tasks and actions which will come to your mind. Checklists evolve, as you replace gear, increase your capabilities, and meet new dive buddies you will find your checklists require modification and become refined.
Checklists help you with specific items but also help you FOCUS, get your Head in the Game, and make diving safer and more enjoyable.
