A few ideas on how to improve OW training

[MXGratefulDiver]

You are right that training probably doesn't emphasize buddy pair formation enough. But it's real simple the training should consist of this "swim next to your buddy side by side, shoulder to shoulder no more than 2 feet apart, not one in front of the other single file, not one above the other, but side to side only, got it?" But I'm not a dive professional so what do I know.

How far apart is determined to some degree by visibility. If vis allows it, I tell my students that if they each stretch out an arm toward the other, they should be able to touch fingertips. This allows space to maneuver ... anything closer and they'll be kicking each other ... particularly when they attempt to change direction. However, if vis is so bad that spacing needs to be closer in order to maintain visual contact, then get closer, slow down, and deal with the occasional bump from your buddy.

Yesterday I took a recent OW grad out for his first dive post-OW. It was a perfect storm of gnarly conditions ... plankton bloom had vis so low that above 20 feet we couldn't see each other unless we were practically touching. Below that it opened up to a reasonable 6 to 10 feet or so. Also, a 14-foot ebb followed by a 13-foot flood gave us some current to deal with ... even during so-called "slack".

He did fine ... we just got low and went slow ... it wasn't a long dive (26 minutes), but he came out with a smile on his face ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TMHeimer]

Those things that you are proposing are ok, however, many of those comes with the first 20 dives.
I think it's not possible to get good enough and self aware divers out of the first OWD course. To do this a course should take a year and check out dives should be more than 10. The brand new diver has to dive under suppervision or in easy enviroments for the first 15~20 dives. Part of this is responsability of the LDSs not allowing a brand new diver do a complex dive (deep, low vis, currents, choppy waters and a long list of etceteras). Another part is responsability of the dive school, where the brand new diver should be completelly aware that this is the beginning. And a final part is responsability of the diver itself, considering that he is the main responsible for his own life and security. Every dive school should emphasize this concept.
I appreciatte a LDS that request all my C-cards and dive log, to see if I'm qualified to do the dives I want to do and if I dived at least in the past 3 months.
I also appreciatte a dive school who emphasizes that diver´s security is first and a safe diver enjoys the dive. A dive school that emphasizes that the dive rules are there to be stictly followed, not like crossing a red light, as a way to be able to enjoy the next dive.

Yeah, I was thinking along those lines as well. But I do like the idea of marker lights for each buddy pair, even in a small group like 4. It may also be of assistance to instructors and DMs to quickly pair buddies for skills. In fact, that's not a bad idea for certified divers on charters. Particularly with instabuddies.

 

[diveprof]

I tell students when the vis is low, we do NASCAR diving - "if you ain't rubbing, you ain't racing"

 

[300bar]

Yesterday I took a recent OW grad out for his first dive post-OW.

He did fine ... we just got low and went slow ... it wasn't a long dive (26 minutes), but he came out with a smile on his face ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

And THAT Sir is why I love teaching

 

[farsidefan1]

you guys are hard core When vis is under 20 feet, well I dunno, except for my open water certification dives that has never been a problem. I seek out warm water with pretty good vis (50 feet). Next though I'm going muck diving in Indonesia. Might have to reevaluate

 

[t4e]

how about don't take students in low viz, and if that is not an option then change the certification from OW to M(uck)W

 

[Teamcasa]

Here in SoCal, the kelp can sometimes force a single file configuration but a pre-dive chat on how to form back up is a must.

One other way to improve the OW training would be to clearly explain that this cert is just an invitation to keep learning.

 

[supergaijin]

My opinions are from a 'tropical instructor' and this is my wish list.

I would like to see a re-think on the (PADI) Scuba Diver-OW-AOW requirements and their requirements and limits- especially related to depth.

Scuba Diver should be the resort/vacation course to take as opposed to OW. It should include all the skills of the normal OW but not the dive planning portion- so basically CW 1-5 and Knowledge development 1-3. A skin-dive is required. Depth limits should remain at 12m and groups size limited to 4pax per DM/Instr.

OW should require a minimum 4 hours underwater in OW and a minimum of 6 OW dives as opposed to the standard 4, and a ratio of 4:1 again. For additional skills requirement I would like to see a skin-dive including underwater duck dive before the first OW dive, neutral buoyancy skill circuit, at 12m, SMB use, more gas management, more compass work, more rescue course for self and buddy, and a requirement that divers with less than 50 dives limit their first diving day to 12m max. OW divers shouldn't be able to dive independently of a DM until OW II.

AOW should be renamed to OW II and require the normal 5 adventure dives but no deep dive. A neutral buoyancy skill circuit at 15m is required with a pass/fail criteria. Dive planning should be required based on local conditions. Rescue skill are reinforced and expanded. A minimum of 25 logged hours underwater. Again a first diving day depth limitation of 12m

OW II + Deep should be a minimum 3 dive specialty course with a clear pass/fail. It should include a set of basic skills based on the OW course at a minimum depth of 25m and with a ratio of 2:1. Divers should be limited to less than 20m on their first dive of a vacation.

Again, this is based on my experiences as a tropical diving instructor and doesn't reflect considerations towards temperate water conditions.

 

[DevonDiver]

Instructors should be teaching techniques appropriate to the local environment. Environments, and associated procedures, do vary - hence such issues are not covered as mandatory within generic 'global' course materials.

Some instructors neglect teaching appropriate techniques and procedures for the specific environment - providing only the bare minimum 'by-the-book' tuition that is supported/defined by the 'generic' materials and minimum standards contained in the training course.

Also bear in mind that most commonly-available, scuba programs are of a modular nature. The Open-Water course consists of nothing more than the basic skills to operate safely underwater. In line with most modular systems of education, there may be a presumption that the student will continue to develop their education - thus allowing greater refinement and scope of technique to be introduced, in line with the progressing development of their capability to absorb and ingrain more complex skills, procedures and theories.

Some expectation management is required by students who enroll on a (relatively) cheap, 4-dive, entry level course and expect to be taught 'everything' to be an expert diver during the scope and duration of that training. To achieve that expectation, the training would need to be considerably longer in duration and broader in scope - thus more expensive. The alternative, as suggested, is to view such training as modular - and accept that progressive development through multiple cheap/short courses is what is being offered.

 

[g1138]

DukeAMO, I think your first couple suggestions files under buying equipment to solve a skill issue.

Rather than loading divers with more equipment to solve buddy loss, focus on improving their skills. Specifically for this problem: diver awareness, diver water comfort, and buddy contact.
Buddy contact btw, isn't just arms touching distance. It's also knowing where your buddy is located, having a gist of how they're feeling, and staying within eyeshot of them. Sometimes we (dive professionals) oversimplify it by saying "stay within touching distance".