Using AEDs in Small Boats

Last month, we wrote about a woman diver who died in the Azores while trying unsuccessfully to climb back into a rubber boat. One of our readers took issue with our saying, "Few small boats, if any, carry defibrillators, which might be dangerous to use in wet conditions."

While applauding that we suggested an AED (automated external defibrillator) was essential life-saving equipment, she advocated the carrying of such devices in all boats, however small, citing the DAN article from August 2025, "Shocking Misconceptions About AEDs."

The benefits of the timely application of an AED are undeniable. DAN states that survival rates can leap from between 5 and 9 percent to around 30 or 40 percent. Time is of the essence since a completely stopped heart is unlikely to be restarted.

AEDs are now widely available in public places throughout the Western world, and come with step-by-step instructions that will allow an untrained person to use one.

Any diver who has climbed back into an inflatable boat will know that the floor will be awash with the water that has drained from wetsuits and other diving gear. These boats also lack floor space and a steady surface, which means other divers will need to evacuate the vessel back to the water. So, using an AED might represent a danger to others on board.

DAN seeks to assuage this worry of wet conditions: "Studies show that being in a wet environment is not a concern if the pads are well-adhered to the chest. Drying the chest before applying the pads results in better adhesion."

It does mean a supply of dry towels should also be included with emergency equipment.

"You can use an AED when the injured person is on a dock or boat if you make sure the pads are not touching the metal [or wet decking] when delivering a shock. The electrical shock can move further across the body rather than just across the chest, so be especially careful that no one is touching the injured person. The current travels between the pads along the path of least resistance; however, not to the ground."

You can access the DAN article here.