Gilboa Scuba Patrol??

[dcostanza]

The purpose behind the platform is to give the students conducting their "deep dive" a place 'to land" without having to go all the way to 120' if something goes FUBAR. It's 120' where we put the anchors...

The platform is suspended at 65' which will allow the students a place to check the box indicating that they did a "deep dive". They can drop onto the platform,conduct drills and then begin their ascent. Having a "platform" beneath the students should go a ways to reducing the stress that the student's are feeling knowing that if something goes wrong now (or for the next couple of weeks until it is completely in place) there is nothing stopping them from hitting 120'. Narc'd, stressed/panic stricken and cold (since most of the students are in a wetsuit) I initially was curious how it would help but after this weekend, understand better Mikes logic for doing this.

Don

 

[netmage]

I don't quite get the logic of picking 65ft. for satisfaction of deep dive class requirements. You can get to the tubes over on the shallow side at 66ft. The gentle slope of the descent from the far dock would be a trastically different profile (and temperatures!) than say straight down to the new platform. Why not force instructors to do their deep dives there?

I do agree having a "way station" on the descent to check bearings, verify everyone is ok is a good idea.

Just thoughts.

 

[dcostanza]

netmage
"I don't quite get the logic of picking 65ft. for satisfaction of deep dive class requirements. You can get to the tubes over on the shallow side at 66ft. The gentle slope of the descent from the far dock would be a trastically different profile (and temperatures!) than say straight down to the new platform. Why not force instructors to do their deep dives there?"

Good comment... I asked Mike about that very thing Saturday and it didn't dawn on me (until he told me) that access at present is quicker to the diver on the deep side than by "the tubes " where there would be quite a swim/trek to get to the diver if there was an incident.

Don

 

[MikeFerrara]

I'll keep doing the AOW deep dive the way I always have. I go in on the instructors dock, stop at one of the shallow platforms (or similar area), to make sure every one looks good and then continue on to the tubes. You can hit about 70 ft just past the tubes. If everything goes well we go to the edge of the wall and head toward the bus. The edge of the wall slopes up and we stay at the same depth for awhile giving students a great view of the wall. We see lots of fish, which you don't over by the deep dock, and for most (sometimes all ) of the dive I have a hard bottom and plenty of visual references.

I don't use the deep dock with students unless it's an Advanced Nitrox class. Even then the other side works well because there are good places to do shallow water skills.

 

[Brad B]

So what, are we are gonna have roving Scuba Nazi's telling us where we should or should not be. Observing bubbles from a kayak and a DM on each buddy team? You gotta be a Democrat! I am sorry Diveski01 but your comment "Protect them from themselves" pretty much sums up your entire BS post. Take care of yourself and your buddy and don't worry about me. If some DA decides to slip over "the wall"and die they are just another candidate for the Darwin awards. And I, quite frankly, am pleased every time the human gene pool gets adjusted for the better. I spearfish, dive solo and muck around in no vis with lots of Alligators and none of that should concern anyone else on this board as long as they aren't out there with me. If they are that is their choice. As far as the Ski Patrol idea goes I don't know what its like now, but back in the day what most of us did was drive up the night of a storm, crash in our cars after partying pretty much all nite, gear up, smoke a few/drink a few and then go find the good powder while making sure the in-bounds runs were safe for the tourists who arrived at 9:00. Bottom line is you don't need to worry about the abilities of anyone but yourself and those you are directly responsible for.

 

[MikeFerrara]

dcostanza once bubbled...
netmage

Good comment... I asked Mike about that very thing Saturday and it didn't dawn on me (until he told me) that access at present is quicker to the diver on the deep side than by "the tubes " where there would be quite a swim/trek to get to the diver if there was an incident.

Don

That's true if you go streight to the platform and streight back up again. That's probably what those classes are doing anyway but it doesn't make for much of a dive.

 

[dcostanza]

Mike,
I'm not an instructor (you already know that) but what you indicated makes very good sense, " keep a hard bottom beneath them"... I couldn't believe the number of students in wetsuits and al80's going off the deep side this weekend. It's not the student's fault...they show up where their instructor tells them to show up... I question the instructors logic and motivation though...


Don

 

[MikeFerrara]

Don't get me wrong...I understand the logic. Mike shouldn't have to tell the instructors how to teach and if he did he had better be right. In light of the fact that some will choose to do AOW classes there the platform is probably a good thing. The truck was handy when it was suspended at 80 ft.

 

[wreckchick]

I'm a little confused ... First off, at what point should a student be able to dive with no bottom and be confident and safe without someone worrying about them sinking to the bottom? I would think that the AOW class would be a pretty good place to let students experience NOT having a hard bottom to fall back on.

Rachel

 

[dcostanza]

biscuit7
"First off, at what point should a student be able to dive with no bottom and be confident and safe without someone worrying about them sinking to the bottom?"

My guess would be when they learn to control themselves in the water column and not bounce off the bottom (good understanding of buoyancy and trim). That alone will go a long way to the diver maintaining control of themselves and thus being able to manage in water that is "deep". For students doing their first "deep dive" in AOW, unless they have had A LOT of dives between OW and AOW and are dialed in with their buoyancy/trim, that is not the time to experiment without a "safety net"...