Episode

SH257: Top Tips for Technical/Cave Divers: Performance Influencing Factors - Even the best of us are only human

Podcast
Counter-Errorism in Diving: Applying Human Factors to Diving
Published
Feb 28, 2026
Duration seconds
611
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://www.thehumandiver.com/
Audio
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/8a0521e5-0922-49ed-b92a-9b381d68a355.mp3
JSON
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Markdown
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Summary

Technical diving often looks like it’s all about planning, rules, and equipment, but the biggest risk factor is still the human. This episode explores how “Performance Influencing Factors” (PIFs) like fatigue, stress, environment, team pressure, and mental overload can affect even experienced divers, sometimes without them realising it. Using a real dive story, it shows how small human issues can stack up and lead to mistakes, even when procedures are followed. The key message is that safe technical diving isn’t just about good gear and checklists, it’s about self-awareness, teamwork, honest communication, and planning for human error. When divers understand their limits, support each other, and build safety margins into every dive, they don’t just dive better — they dive safer. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/top-tips-for-technical-divers-performance-influencing-factors-even-the-best-of-us-are-only-human Links: Showing vulnerability: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-challenge-of-psychological-safety Normalisation of Deviance: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/normalization-of-deviance-risk-how-socially-accepted-drift-can-impact-your-diving Tags: English | Education & Content Type