Emergency contact route
Know who calls emergency services, coastguard, resort management, DAN or chamber advice. Check phone, radio or satellite options.
Diving Safety & First Aid
Dive Emergency Action Plan
A practical checklist-style guide to help divers think clearly before an emergency happens.
Why an emergency action plan matters
A good dive emergency action plan is not a document for a folder. It is a simple, usable plan that helps real people act quickly when stress, weather, distance and uncertainty are all working against them.
The best plans are short enough to use, specific to the site and checked before the first dive. For travelling underwater photographers, the plan should cover both the dive operation and the practical reality of cameras, boats, shore entries and remote locations.
What to check before diving
These are the questions worth asking before the incident happens.
Oxygen and first aid
Confirm where the oxygen kit and first aid kit are kept, who is trained to use them and whether the cylinder is full.
Evacuation route
Know the fastest realistic route from the dive site to shore, clinic, hospital, airport or chamber pathway.
Role allocation
One person leads the response, one manages communications, one monitors the casualty and one gathers dive information.
Information capture
Record times, depths, gases, ascent details, symptoms, oxygen use, fluid intake, medical history and medications if known.
Group control
Stop further diving, account for everyone, manage equipment and keep non-essential people away from the casualty area.
A simple handover structure
When help arrives, give a short structured handover: who the casualty is, what happened, when symptoms started, what first aid has been given, current condition, relevant dive profiles and any known medical issues or medication.
For dive travel, photograph the local emergency numbers and keep them offline on your phone. Do the same with insurance, DAN membership, passport details and the resort or boat emergency procedure.
Important safety note
This page is for information only. It is not medical advice and it does not replace professional medical care, formal first aid training, oxygen provider training, rescue training or local emergency procedures. Always get professional training and follow the advice of qualified medical and diving professionals.