Divemaster Gear Exchange

[TMHeimer]

Here is the information on the float from the PADI Instructor Manual, 2011 Edition, Page 40:
Watermanship
Before Open Water Dive 2, have student divers demonstrate that they can comfortably maintain themselves in water too deep in which to stand by completing a 10-minute swim/float without using any swim aids.
At some point before certification, have students complete a 200 metre/yard continuous surface swim or a 300 metre/yard swim with mask, fins and snorkel.

Again, this is what the Standards say. If at ANY time you have a questions about whether or not your Instructor was adhering to standards, talk to PADI. They can tell you what the Standards are for a particular skill. If what your Instructor is doing significantly varies from that, then you need to tell them about it.

What do you think about the choice of 200 swim or 300 mfs swim? Though the 200 is not timed like the DM 400, you need to have at least a decent form and some "in shape" swimming muscles. The 300 is so easy you could do it backwards. Although the standards are followed, some instructors require the 200, others the 300, still others give students a choice.

 

[TMHeimer]

IMO there are a number of things throughout the DM course that don't directly relate to any scenario. From having to swim 400 meters without fins (you're gunna do that to rescue someone?--how easy will that tow back be?-rescue course teaches always have mask, fins, snorkel ready at all times)--to: Raising a motor that weighs 100 lbs. from 100 fsw. Like any in depth course, such as a college degree, you will probably use maybe 20-30% of the whole that you learned. But it's all good & interesting stuff--and stuff you just have to do to complete the course.

 

[Rascally Rabbit]

What do you think about the choice of 200 swim or 300 mfs swim? Though the 200 is not timed like the DM 400, you need to have at least a decent form and some "in shape" swimming muscles. The 300 is so easy you could do it backwards. Although the standards are followed, some instructors require the 200, others the 300, still others give students a choice.

The OW requirements are very basic and just to see that the student is comfortable in water deeper than they can stand in. If I knew then what I know now I would have made things easier on myself from the start. Notice unlike the DM requirements the 300 does not require face down swimming and using the snorkel to breath just having the equipment. So a student could in fact use the fins flip over on there back and spit out the snorkel to do a very easy 300. Or just swim the 200 on their back at a nice easy pace.

 

[OkiMike]

Ah, I remember this skill! I got paired with someone my size though his fins were massive (his feet were like 2 inches bigger). Then, after passing, the teacher commented that the smallest girl in the class didn't have a buddy and since I'd "seemed" the most comfortable to her, she wanted me to do it again.

The moral of the story: Be good but not TOO good.

Several months prior, I participated in a NAUI Master Diver dive session where one of us had to be fully kitted waiting at 20 fsw while the other had to freedive down wearing only a wetsuit and holding breath, we had to do a full gear exchange (including weightbelt) while breathing off a single reg leaving the formerly kitted diver unweighted and sightless, and we had to further swim 50 feet horizontally in this fashion before surfacing. And the whole drill had to take less than 9 minutes or so. Once completed, we had to do it all again, switching places so we both got a chance.

My buddy (an instructor) laughed when it was all over and remarked how when he went for his instructorship, his instructor would lay out single AL80s weighted to the bottom without regs and he had to do swim a course underwater wearing only a weightbelt (and no mask!) going from tank to tank, turning on the valve, and taking breaths off the tank valve!

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Hey don't get me wrong. I get THAT. The whole idea is to load as much stress on the divers as possible. Christal clear.
But from what I've seen theres usually 2 levels with skillsets.In this case the initial one of demonstrating your ability to cope under stress-perhaps even to demonstrate leadership skills if your training partner is struggling.
The second one of being able to actually do the job.
I'm struggling to understand where that specific skill could be usefull at any point.
Hey don't get me wrong in any way, its not a criticism. Its an inexperienced diver trying to see senario's

I have had a new diver's inflator hose separate fomr their bc. It did not come unscrewed, it tore loose. Because I was with his group, and didn't want him to lose the dive he paid for(though it was his own gear), I stopped nad we traded kits. Not fins or mask, of course, but kits.

During it all, he said he was OK and easy with it, because I was so calm and relaxed through it. This simple version can be stressful for many. But I had practiced and demonstrated the harder complete versions enough that this case was nothing. That makes learning the stressor exersize valuable to a dm.

Your customers and students will always follow your lead. You need to prepare for more than is likely.

 

[Frosty]

I have had a new diver's inflator hose separate fomr their bc. It did not come unscrewed, it tore loose. Because I was with his group, and didn't want him to lose the dive he paid for(though it was his own gear), I stopped nad we traded kits. Not fins or mask, of course, but kits.

During it all, he said he was OK and easy with it, because I was so calm and relaxed through it. This simple version can be stressful for many. But I had practiced and demonstrated the harder complete versions enough that this case was nothing. That makes learning the stressor exersize valuable to a dm.

Your customers and students will always follow your lead. You need to prepare for more than is likely.

In the real world though (when its not instructor/student) wouldn't the diver concerned just terminate their dive?
Again sorry in no way being critical -Call me spongebob because I'm like a sponge trying to absorb all this new info.

 

[Vicksburg Diver]

The gear swap was my favorite portion of the water skills. Had a blast and just went slow. I saw where someone earlier commented that they basically performed a "free ascent" in their OW through SSI. I can't imagine them teaching that in OW but whatever floats their boat. I thought Rescue Diver cert made me a better diver but I was way wrong...DM bascially completes your entire skill set with emphasis on monitoring others, both above and below the surface.

Congrats !

 

[raftingtigger]

I saw where someone earlier commented that they basically performed a "free ascent" in their OW through SSI. I can't imagine them teaching that in OW but whatever floats their boat.

Don't know if they still do it, but when I took SSI Senior Diver in 1973 we did a buoyant ascent (drop your weight belt and go). I remember it well - I had 12# and that was probably too much, the rest of the class had 20-30# on. They all had to haul themselves down the anchor line to retrieve their belts and I swam down without touching the line.

Also on the nostalgic vein... I have heard a lot of comments on how current OW is faster and less through than in the past. Well I haven't yet seen a current OW class in action but when I got my full OW certification in 1971 we did 1 (one) skin dive, and 1 (one) scuba dive. To the best of my recollection the pool work was about the same amount as currently.

I'm looking forward to working with my 'kids' during their training over the next 4 weeks, working with them is part of my DM training.