Water / underwater · SAG-AFTRA
Any production with underwater performance, dump-tank effects, water cannons, swimming pool work, or open-water boat / scuba sequences. Bulletin #16 is the safety document under Avatar: The Way of Water-class underwater work and any rain-effect or storm-sequence dump.
Context
Underwater work has the longest pre-production training window of any working stunt category — performers progress from breath-hold instruction through contained-pool rebreather training to open-water work over weeks or months before principal photography. Bulletin #16 codifies the 1:1 safety-diver-to-performer ratio at every working depth, the topside dive-master's authority over surface intervals, and the hyperbaric-trained medic on standby. The bulletin's recreational dive-table cross-reference governs consecutive takes — even with shallow-water work, performer fatigue and CO₂ build-up are tracked against published limits.
Requirements
Editorial summary of the bulletin's load-bearing requirements. The canonical PDF is the authoritative source — these are the surface points referenced in production safety briefings.
Every working performer has a dedicated safety diver at the working depth, plus a topside dive-master coordinating overall.
A medic with hyperbaric / dive-medicine training is on standby for the duration of any water work.
Consecutive takes are gated against recreational dive-table surface intervals to manage fatigue and CO₂ build-up.
Rebreathers are bench-tested with a calibrated CO₂ monitor before each performer use. Failure mode is loss-of-consciousness without warning.
Cold-water dumps of meaningful volume are heated to skin-safe temperature; even brief exposure to cold dumps produces hypothermia risk.
Governs
Rigging glossary entries whose work is governed by this bulletin. Click through for the mechanism breakdown.
water
Purpose-built underwater shooting tank — the rig under Avatar: The Way of Water and Wakanda Forever's underwater work.
water
Large-volume controlled water release used for storm sequences, hull breaches, and engineered tidal moments — see Master and Commander, Kon-Tiki.
References
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