Crew Training
Safety: The #1 Priority
All of our boats' crews maintain peak performance skills for all conceivable emergencies including Man Overboard, Lost Diver Searches, Fire at Sea and more. It is company policy that all of our ship's personnel perform these exercise drills on EVERY trip, while our guests relax.
Due to the remoteness of Cocos Island, safety is an absolute priority at all times. This we have always understood, and no other dive operation takes it more seriously or is more prepared for all eventualities.
Your safety is our first priority, period. Our Captains are fully qualified and hold internationally recognized seafaring licenses. Many of our crew are Medic First Aid Instructors or are trained for basic first aid and as DAN O2 providers.
We take utmost care to hire and train only the most highly skilled personnel. As critical crew components, our skiff pilots have the experience and the know-how to keep track of our divers. Head counts are done methodically and our dive-masters and skiff operators quickly learn the names and faces of all of our guests. With full knowledge of local conditions, they are prepared to search and locate divers even in the most extreme circumstances.
Certifications
The captains of each vessel, as well as the crew are responsible for mastering the
International Maritime Organization’s (LINK to http://www.imo.org/en/Pages/Default.aspx) categories of safety:
- Firefighting and Fire Prevention
- Survival at Sea Techniques
- CPR
- Personal Security and Social Responsibility
The Certification is granted when a crew member has successfully completed each of the above categories and has passed a health and wellness check. The IMO certification represents just a fraction of the safety measures that are integrated into every facet of the trip.
Nautilus GPS
We provide all guests with our safety kit that includes an extra-large orange dive sausage, a powerful storm whistle and a special safety light.
We also provide the Nautilus Lifeline device to all passengers -- the units must be tethered to each diver's BCD. When activated, the alarm is triggered aboard our vessel and the specific coordinates of the diver's location are communicated. The Lifeline automatically communicates not just with our Undersea Hunter vessels, but also with every modern marine VHF radio within a 12-mile range.
These units also transmit the Marine International Distress Signal that is monitored by all ships and coast guard vessels. This is a revolutionary diver locator device: it has taken existing technology (VHF radio GPS) and custom-designed it specifically for scuba divers.
Please watch this video for more info about how to use the Nautilus GPS.
Diving Procedures
Our goal is to introduce you to varied and exciting dives. Generally, we have two dives scheduled for the morning, 8 AM and 11 AM and another dive after lunch, around 2.30 PM. This schedule can vary depending on events, circumstances and opportunities that may present themselves. Our motto is never turn your back on a magnificent bait-ball, which can appear at almost anytime.
Dive Briefing
We conduct a short dive briefing with white-board diagrams before each dive. Here the dive master will explain the site's dive strategy and highlight the points of interest of that particular dive. All dives are lead by the same dive master who did your briefing. The buddy-system is obligatory. A 60-minute maximum dive time is enforced.
Best Diving Practices
Since the nearest hyperbaric facility in San Jose is 36 hours away, it is imperative that we maintain safe diving practices within the recreational diving limits. Thus, decompression dives are not permitted and a maximum depth of 115 feet or 35 meters is imposed. To increase safety and bottom time while maintaining safe non-decompression dives, the use of Nitrox becomes essential. DAN O2 Emergency kits are present on all of our skiffs as well as on the mothership.
Cocos Island Emergency Evacuation Plan
Our passengers must have valid Divers Alert Network insurance to provide coverage in the event of an accident. Cocos Island is a very remote area and the cost involved in evacuating a diver is very high. The D.A.N. policy is a vital protection to have. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need assistance with obtaining dive insurance.
A short-term cancellation insurance policy is wise to obtain from your travel agent in case of unexpected changes in your plans. Accident, medical and baggage insurance are also recommended.
Paramedic Services
Cocos Island National Park staff is now equipped with paramedic services. In case of an incident, park rangers are available to come to the Sea Hunter or the Argo and deliver medical care, or to transfer the patient to the facility at Wafer Bay.
