The Human Diver

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The Human Diver is an educational organisation whose goal is to improve the knowledge, practice and attitudes relating to human factors, non-technical skills, psychological safety and a Just Culture in diving

Good situation awareness isn't just about noticing what's happening around you.It's about understanding what it means an...
24/08/2026

Good situation awareness isn't just about noticing what's happening around you.

It's about understanding what it means and anticipating what might happen next.

This blog explores the link between situation awareness and mental models, the internal "scripts" we build through experience, reflection and structured debriefs. These mental models help us recognise patterns, make better decisions and respond more effectively when something unexpected happens. Without them, we may see a problem but fail to understand its significance until it's too late.

The best divers don't just build technical skills.

They build the capacity to think ahead.

Read the full blog here: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/situation-awareness-and-mental-models-making-it-easier-to-the-do-the-right-thing

Imagine reading the recommendations at the end of an investigation."Provide additional training.""Remind divers to follo...
23/08/2026

Imagine reading the recommendations at the end of an investigation.

"Provide additional training."
"Remind divers to follow the procedure."
"Increase supervision."

None of those recommendations are necessarily wrong.

But recommendations are only as good as the understanding that sits behind them.
If we haven't explored why people made the decisions they did, what information they had available, or the conditions they were working in, then our recommendations are often aimed at the outcome rather than the system that produced it.

That's why two investigations into similar events can produce very different learning.

One focuses on correcting people.

The other focuses on understanding performance.

The quality of an investigation isn't measured by how many recommendations it produces. It's measured by whether those recommendations help people and organisations learn.

That's exactly what LFEO (Learning From Emergent Outcomes) Applied Skills has been designed to explore. If you already have a foundation in human factors and want to develop the investigation-and-learning layer, this course provides practical tools you can apply immediately to investigations, debriefs and safety discussions.

There are only a limited number of spaces remaining.

Online: 15–18 August 2026
In person: 21–22 September 2026 (Instructor: Gareth Lock)

You can find out more here: https://www.thehumandiver.com/lfeo or please send us a message if you have any questions.

There are some dives you never forget.Not because they were your best, but because they leave you wondering what really ...
23/08/2026

There are some dives you never forget.

Not because they were your best, but because they leave you wondering what really happened. Years later, with more experience and a Human Factors perspective, those same events can tell a very different story.

In this deeply personal blog, the author revisits the biggest mistake of their diving career. Rather than looking back with blame or hindsight, they explore the decisions, assumptions and conditions that shaped the outcome, and why understanding those factors has become one of the most valuable lessons they've ever learned.

Our greatest learning rarely comes from our perfect dives.

It comes from having the courage to reflect honestly on the ones we'd rather forget.
Read the full blog here: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/my-biggest-mistake

NEW PODCAST EPISODE: SH307: 1. The 2026 HF in Diving Conference - What Did You Miss?This episode explores how a restorat...
22/08/2026

NEW PODCAST EPISODE: SH307: 1. The 2026 HF in Diving Conference - What Did You Miss?

This episode explores how a restorative just culture can help the diving community respond to incidents in a way that promotes learning rather than blame. Instead of focusing only on who broke the rules, it looks at who was harmed, what they need, and how trust can be rebuilt while addressing the wider conditions that contributed to the event. The discussion covers the impact on everyone involved, the role of accountability, compassion, and forgiveness, and why repairing systems is more effective than simply punishing individuals. It also introduces Professor Sidney Dekker's Restorative Just Culture Checklist as a practical tool for turning difficult events into opportunities for meaningful learning and safer diving.

Listen here: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/f9e3ff10-fb64-4145-965e-6929cfd6329b/

Human Factors is often thought of as a course, a workshop or a collection of tools.But what happens when it becomes some...
22/08/2026

Human Factors is often thought of as a course, a workshop or a collection of tools.
But what happens when it becomes something much bigger?

After speaking at the Human Factors in Diving Conference, Brent reflects on how Human Factors has become the operating system behind his dive business. Not something customers see, but something that influences every conversation, every decision and every opportunity to learn.

It's a powerful reminder that culture isn't created by policies or presentations. It's created by the way we show up every day.

Read Brent's full reflection here: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/human-factors-as-operating-system

If you'd like to experience these conversations for yourself, join us at The Gathering 2027. Spend a week diving, learning and sharing ideas with people who are passionate about making diving safer through Human Factors.

Find out more here: https://www.hf-in-diving-conference.com/thegathering-2027

We often hang on to choices because of what we’ve already invested. Time money training plans or comfort, even when thos...
22/08/2026

We often hang on to choices because of what we’ve already invested. Time money training plans or comfort, even when those choices no longer make sense.

That invisible pull is known as the sunk cost bias, and it shows up in diving far more often than we realise.

This blog breaks down why this bias influences how we think and act underwater how it can lead us to stick with plans that aren’t working and why understanding it helps us make clearer smarter decisions on the day.

If you’ve ever wondered why letting go feels harder than it should this is a great read.
https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/sunk-costs

Every dive tells two stories.The first is usually easy to describe. Where we went. What we saw. The decisions that were ...
21/08/2026

Every dive tells two stories.

The first is usually easy to describe. Where we went. What we saw. The decisions that were made. The outcome.

The second story is often much harder to see. It is the story of the assumptions we made, the information we noticed or overlooked, the conversations we had, the pressures we experienced, and the conditions that shaped our decisions.
Understanding that second story is where Human Factors becomes valuable.

Rather than asking simply, "What happened?", we ask a different question: "How did it make sense?" That question changes the conversation. It moves us away from blame and judgement and towards understanding, learning and improvement.

The HFID Applied Skills course has been designed to help participants experience these ideas through immersive scenarios, practical application and structured debriefs. It bridges the gap between understanding Human Factors and applying them where they matter most.

If you're interested in exploring the story behind the story, we'd love to welcome you on a future HFID Applied Skills course. See more details below;

https://www.thehumandiver.com/applied-skills

It’s tempting after an incident to look back and say of course that’s what happened as if the story was clear all along....
21/08/2026

It’s tempting after an incident to look back and say of course that’s what happened as if the story was clear all along. But hindsight makes everything seem obvious, even when it wasn’t in the moment.

This blog explains why our brains fill in gaps after the fact, how that influences what we think we should have seen, and why understanding this matters for real learning in diving. It’s not about blame. It’s about seeing how assumptions shape our thinking and why real understanding takes effort.

If you want a different way to think about how outcomes shape our interpretation of events and how to avoid falling into hindsight traps read the full blog below

https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/joining-dots-is-easy-if-you-know-the-outcome

The most valuable part of any conference isn't just the presentations.It's the conversations between sessions, the stori...
20/08/2026

The most valuable part of any conference isn't just the presentations.

It's the conversations between sessions, the stories people are willing to share and the opportunity to learn from experiences that are different from your own.

One of the things we're most proud of is bringing together people from different countries, disciplines and backgrounds, all with the same goal of making diving safer.

Thank you, Erik, for sharing your experience.

We all learn in training that anyone can call off a dive at any time for any reason, yet when you actually reach the wre...
20/08/2026

We all learn in training that anyone can call off a dive at any time for any reason, yet when you actually reach the wreck or feel the dive isn’t right, it feels much harder to do than it sounds. That’s because our decisions aren’t just technical; they’re shaped by the people around us, the pressure of expectations, the fear of letting others down and even the feeling of loss when something we anticipated doesn’t happen. In‑group pressure, fatigue and the psychology of risk all play a part in why we keep going even when our gut says stop.

This blog unpacks the human factors behind decision‑making underwater and shows that calling a dive isn’t a lack of skill or bravery, it’s a complex choice shaped by social and cognitive forces. Recognising these influences and normalising open, supportive communication can make it easier for divers to actually act on their safety instincts next time.

Read the full blog here: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/why-is-it-so-hard-to-thumb-a-dive-or-end-something-that-you-have-committed-to

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