SH208: The Lost Fin: A Lesson in Situation Awareness

In this episode, we dive into the story of a diver’s lost fin to explore the challenges of decision-making, task fixation, and situation awareness underwater. Through the lens of a training dive gone awry, we uncover how both students and instructors can fall into cognitive traps, focusing narrowly on immediate tasks while losing sight of broader risks. Highlighting the importance of structured debriefing, reflective discussions, and the DEBrIEF model, we discuss how understanding "how it made sense" in the moment can lead to better mental models and a culture of learning in diving. This tale is a reminder that diving isn’t just about technical skills—it’s about building awareness, fostering teamwork, and learning from every experience.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-lost-fin-a-lesson-in-situation-awarness

Tags:  English, Andrzej Górnicki, Debrief, Decision-Making, Hindsight Bias, Situation Awareness