Diver Training: Kick-up the intensity, or not?

[DCBC]

How many of you would find increasing the intensity of your diver training beneficial? Regardless of certification Agency, would increased difficulty enhance or detract from your training experience?

For those who don't know me, I'm an "old school" Instructor with a background in Navy and Commercial Diving. Many of my students take my course because they wish to either follow a similar career, or just want a challenge. To give you some parameters of the Basic Program (50-65 hours), the applicant must pass an in-water evaluation that consists of a:

- 400 M swim;
- 25 M underwater swim;
- tread water 2 minutes (arms and legs);
- tread water 2 minutes (arms only, legs crossed);
- tread water 2 minutes (Legs only, hands out of the water;
- 10 pound weight belt recovery (18')
- 15 minute survival float.

This is done in a continuous fashion (without pause). If an applicant fails to complete one or two segments, they may continue with the confined water training, but must successfully redo the test before progressing to OW.

The program is divided into 5 sections (plus an optional session):

1/ Fins, Mask and Snorkel

Divers become proficient with this equipment while increasing in-water fitness. This includes: mask clearing, surface dives, entries, kicks, doff and don (in 18' of water).

2/ SCUBA

Divers become proficient with this equipment while increasing in-water fitness. This includes the same skills undertaken with FMS. From the beginning of the class, emphasis is placed on good buoyancy control. This is tested later in the course with "the Gauntlet" (a set of underwater hoops at various depths that Students must negotiate). To get through the last hoop, the Student must take off his SCUBA to fit through a smaller opening. Other aspects of this class include: emergency swimming ascent (CESA), sharing air, buddy breathing, doff and don (with a blacked-out face mask), station breathing (movement between 5 SCUBA stations which will be shared by a number of other students).

3/ SCUBA Rescue

Areas covered include: the diving casualty, first-aid/cpr, diver recovery and transport, tired diver, panic reduction, surface & sub-surface rescue

4/ Lectures/Examinations (Text used: U.S. Navy Diving Manual)

During the first 3 sections, Students learn about: diving equipment/selection/maintenance, diver physiology, physics, Boyle's, Charles, Dalton's, Henry's laws, properties of breathing gases, harmful aspects of each gas (partial pressures), etc., etc., decompression, tide charts, dive planning. There are separate examinations for general knowledge, decompression, tide tables and dive planning (including the calculation and projection of gas consumption at various depths RMV/SAC).

Chamber Ride (Optional Session)

Students attend a simulated dive in a decompression chamber. This is usually done between 100 and 130 FSW.

5/ Open Water Dives

This is usually done over two weekends. It includes an ocean surface swim (1000 yards), Skin Dive (FMS) and a minimum of 5 open water dives (usually 7 including two boat dives). It includes an emergency swimming ascent from 50 FSW.

Anyway, I'm sure I missed something, but this was only to give an idea of the training intensity. Primarily, the goal is to turn-out a competent diver who can operate effectively in a Buddy team, independent of an Instructor/DM. The OW training conditions are harsh: waves average 4-5 feet, surface entry through rocks, surf, current and at times poor visibility. Water temperature can be below 32 degrees F.

For most people, a course of this type is overkill, but for a few people it provides what they want. How about you? If a similar program were available in your area, would you be interested in taking your training up a notch?

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Increased difficulty would enhance the experience for me.
I wish this was the norm.

Cheers,
Mitch

 

[Ken T]

My boot camp was done in the Army

I think that this would appeal to a few people, in the same way that GUE fundamentals or tech diving appeals to a few.

But, not to the majority of people researching their first diving experience.

I am curious what your drop out rate is?

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

 

[Steve_C]

I would not be interested. For a rescue diver I could see the point.

Some of the extra rigor is fine. I like the extra information.

My own experience is that often times the best buddies are not those who can easily swim 1000 yards in 5 foot seas but those with good awareness and dive skills who will stick to our agreed on dive plan and enjoy what is around us.

To me it is supposed to be fun. It is not a sporting event.

 

[DCBC]

I am curious what your drop out rate is?

The evaluation phase is offered free of charge. There are some people who decide at the onset, that this isn't for them. I still require a diving medical from every student. Of those that register, I've had two people who moved out of the area that didn't finish the course, one who was injured at work (who didn't come back at a later time) and two who developed medical issues. I've only had one failure that I can recall; as we will work with the student as long as it's required (a 72 year old man even completed the program). Additionally, there have been a few that I've given referrals to for vacation purposes.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm all for improving the effectiveness of dive training ... but unless you're training Navy seals, I think your approach is overkill for beginner divers.

I'd start by increasing the training standards for instructors ... and making sure they have actually mastered the diving techniques they're supposed to teach before they get certified to do so.

I think a reasonable approach to improved training for most entry-level students would be to increase the amount of confined-water time and the number of OW dives required ... providing time for more repetition of basic skills, as well as an increased focus on buoyancy control, buddy skills, dive planning and self-reliance. In other words, rather than trying to do it all, focus on producing divers with sufficient competence and confidence in their fundamental skills to safely plan and execute dives on their own right out of OW.

I think that's what most agencies profess to do ... although in reality only a minority of instructors manage to actually do it. I think a lot of that is due to the increasing use of "zero to hero" instructors who haven't really learned how to dive, but can regurgitate what they read and follow a checklist rather well ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rongoodman]

I would have no interest. I think the heavy emphasis on skills in a class such as Fundies would have much more relevance to what I do. Had the emphasis been on open water swimming and snorkeling as in the "good old days" when I started, I wouldn't have given diving a second look(and missed out on a lot of beautiful caves because of it).

 

[fjpatrum]

I'd have to say, though I like the idea of the training, committing the 50-60 hours would be very difficult for me. I did my PADI OW during 2 or 3 (can't remember) classroom sessions and a weekend of confined water dives. If I had to commit to more time than that I probably wouldn't have been able to do it.

 

[DCBC]

In other words, rather than trying to do it all, focus on producing divers with sufficient competence and confidence in their fundamental skills to safely plan and execute dives on their own right out of OW.

I certainly don't try to initially do it all Bob. I don't think that's possible in the time allotted. Like you, I offer other courses as well.

The focus of my initial training program is good buoyancy, personal competence, team diving skills, fitness, dive planning and increased confidence. I think the latter has become a victim of many current programs. Confidence building is a focus of Navy and Commercial training. Given the fact that a potential panic situation can present itself at any time (to a diver taking his OW, or to a Navy SEAL), I find merit in confined water training that helps the diver cope with anxiety.

 

[Hickdive]

If you HAVE to deploy divers to do a job, be it military or commercial then this kind or program makes sense because the job cannot wait until the weather and sea conditions are kind.

However, recreational divers (i.e. those not being paid to be there) have no need for these particular skills or attributes because they can and should walk away from conditions they cannot cope with rather than be all gung-ho about it and pressing on regardless. The time taken on jumping through hoops would be much better spent on mastering the skills they do need which I think are sometimes approached as box ticks instead.

However, I am aware that you're operating in a rather different social environment than mine; so good luck with the business.