What analysis is required for currents greater than 1 knot during dive planning?

When considering dive planning in environments with currents greater than 1 knot, conducting an Operational Risk Management (ORM) analysis is essential. This analysis helps divers assess potential hazards, including the effects of strong currents on diver safety, team dynamics, equipment handling, and overall dive execution.

Strong currents can significantly impact the dive operation, increasing the risk of diver separation, experiencing unexpected drift, and complicating the ascent and descent times. By performing ORM, the dive supervisor can evaluate various factors, such as diver experience level, dive site safety measures, ascent protocols, and communication strategies, to mitigate risks associated with strong currents.

On the other hand, although environmental impact analysis, oxygen management analysis, and diving depth analysis are important in specific contexts, they do not directly address the unique challenges posed by currents exceeding 1 knot. These analyses might focus on other diving conditions, but they don’t evaluate the operational risks created by swift water movement in terms of safety and logistics during the dive. Thus, ORM stands out as the necessary analytical approach for ensuring proper planning and risk management in the face of strong currents.