1. Assist the loading of the main boat and the chase boat(s). Be sure that you have verified which safety diver will be on each boat so that the appropriate gear is loaded onto the correct boat.
2. Verify all safety divers and surface support crew have a timetable for all dive teams. Write down appropriate decompression schedules.

1. Help each member clip on decompression bottles. Each team member will ask you for the bottles in the correct order. Clip them on and verify the clip position with the diver.
2. Let the diver know that they are clear to enter the water, that is, that no one is below them in the water.
3. Once the diver is in the water, hand them scooters and/or video equipment.
4. Once the team descends, be sure the main boat skipper has recorded the decent time.

Repeat for each team.

Safety divers should be ready to go within 15 minutes of their team descending.

The safety diver for a team should enter the water at the same time the planned bottom time is ending and descend to the appropriate meet depth, usually 70ft. or 120ft depending on the first decompression gas switch. Make adjustments in timeframe for deeper meetings or longer deep decompression profiles. On dives to 250fsw or shallower it will only take the divers approximately 15-20 minutes to travel from bottom depth to 70fsw.

1. Kit – Up and take the appropriate safety bottle, usually a stage of EAN 50 (70 ft.) or 35/30 (120 ft.)
2. Let the boat captain know you are descending, and note the time for the team.
3. Confirm that the extra Oxygen bottle is hanging at 20 ft. and has gas.
4. Descend to the meeting depth and stop. It is imperative that all non-deep safety divers do not incur a decompression obligation. JOB NUMBER ONE IS COMMUNICATION WITH THE SURFACE.
5. Observe whether or not all team members are on the line. Give each diver an OK sign and observe that an OK is returned.

• If team is all OK, you may opt to take the first round of gear (See Tending a Decompressing Team in the next section). Next, wave goodbye to each team member and signal you are surfacing. Surface to the boat, and report, and hand off any gear.
• If team is not OK, tend to any immediate needs, such as gas sharing, etc. If your continued presence is required to allow the dive team to safely complete their dive, then stay with the team.
• If entire team is not present, and no immediate emergency requires your attention, IMMEDIATELY begin your ascent and report to the boat captain that all or some of dive team is off the ascent line.

1. If situation is normal, Re-descend and tend dive team as they are decompressing. If there are problems, such as a team or team members not on the ascent line, get instructions from boat captain.

Ask each member if they wish to hand off equipment. Normally, scooters & video first, then decompression bottles. Do not ride scooters or breath bottles that have been handed off to you.

• Make sure trigger is pinned so the scooter cannot start accidentally (Always carry extra scooter trigger pins).
• Unclip scooter from diver.
• Have diver clip scooter to you and verify scooter is clipped. If you wish the scooter to be clipped to a particular location, let diver know.

• Verify which bottle is to be handed off.
• Stow regulator and/or rebreather drive hose.
• Turn bottle off.
• Unclip bottle from diver.
• Have diver help clip the bottle to you. Indicate to diver whether you want to nose-clip the bottle or clip it normally to both d-rings.

Return to the surface with each load. Do not carry more than you can handle. Have the surface support assist you in handing off the equipment to the boat.

Once the team surfaces, assist each member by unclipping any leftover decompression bottles and equipment. Carry equipment securely over to boat & surface crew. Assist each diver taking off gear in the water.

Remember that the surface is a potentially dangerous part of the dive, given the uncertainty of wind, current, and waves. Be alert and cautious as you approach the boat, which may bounce up and down or swing unpredictably. Also, remember that the boarding ladder is likely to be on the same end of the boat as the propeller and make sure the boat captain is aware that you are approaching the boat so he can stop the engine and lock the propeller in gear.