I guess I need to rephrase that. It should be a big part of it. If that's not the focus of the course then it's not a worthwhile course. The skills are easy. It's the planning that needs to be taught.
Big Plans and Big Disappointment
- Thread starter ucfdiver
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OP
ucfdiver
Contributor
When I first got my scooter I talked with several instructors and it seemed like the DPV courses were extremely hit or miss, with most only teaching you how to dive Ginnie. The main selling point was that you need a DPV card to dive at Ginnie. which seemed like an odd reason for a class (typically you sell a class based off what you learn, not what you talked a landowner into requiring). After thinking about it, I decided to talk to divers whom I looked up to and ask them to practice skills and explain how they plan a dive to me. I wish Tyler Moon were still around. 3 different DPV students of his had nothing but praise for the course he taught.
I'd love to hear how our planning compares to the official agency way to plan that dive.
There is no "official" agency way of planning scooter dives. The standards state what needs to be taught and what needs to be evaluated, at a minimum. That goes for all courses. I don't teach any course to the minimum. All the minimums state is gas management. Internships and/or experience is what gives an instructor the curriculum.
OP
ucfdiver
Contributor
Can you share the minimum? I can't seem to find any official course outlines. Just curious, mainly.
I did - "Gas management". Another agency calls it "air management". And another "gas planning".
They don't get more specific than that.
They don't get more specific than that.
LiteHedded
Contributor
that's weird. do they not give you a specific way to teach it? like in a stage class do they prescribe thirds vs half +200? or do they leave it up to the instructor?
just curious. i was taught 1/2+200 but I dunno if that's the standard or not. my instructor wasn't afraid to call bull**** on something that didn't make sense
like james I'm just curious
Nothing specific. Not even for stage diving. It's instructor dependent. Personally, for stage, I discuss the issues concerning both 1/3s and 1/2+200 and let the student decide. While I tend to use one method more than the other, there are caves in which one method is more suitable than the other. There's no ONE right way to accomplish the ultimate goal of getting out of the cave alive.
limeyx
Guest
The "Class report" From Daniel Riordan's Cave DPV workshop that I read was pretty impressive. That course seems to be pretty comprehensive, starting with relatively straightforward dives and ending with multi-scooter multi-stage dives and "scenario" dives.
I am not sure if it's yet (or going to be) an official class or if you can get it in Florida but it does seem to teach to a very high standard from what I could see.
LiteHedded
Contributor
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