seaangel
Guest
I recently was on a dive trip with my LDS and we had several new divers with us. I enjoy diving with this group because those with lots of experience have helped me to improve my diving skills. We ususally are divided into two groups with those making their very first ocean dives or first dives since certification with the instructor and his assistant instructor, and the advanced divers or experienced divers with those that have had experience diving boats and ocean dives. Occassionally, we get some in the group that have misrepresented themselves and their experience level turns out to be much the same as someone that has never been in the ocean. Typically, our dives are not difficult ones or deep on the first tank. But, when you are diving drift dives and the currents are sometimes not predictable they can be challenging, especially if the seas are running 4-6ft swells and the wind is up.
Now that I have set up this scene is what followed: One of the divers from the instructors group could not get down with the group. We do our giant stride off the boat and are negative drop down immediately and meet at the bottom to follow the DM with the float ball. She could not get down, so she did signal the boat the Big OK and then held up her clenched fist for pick me up. ( over and over like morse code I might add) The Capt. manuevered the boat and we helped her on, added more weight to her and she then joined our group. When we dropped down she was side by side with my buddy and I , when Wham! I get slapped by her hands, I look over at her and she is doing the breaststroke with her hands and arms, and kicking along. I tapped her shoulder, signaled look at me, and re-clasped my hands underme showing her no hands and arms. Then, I just was cruising with the current no hands, arms or finning. I was about every fourth breath doing a very slow frog kick just in a very slow relaxed method. She looked at me, shrugged her shoulders and then took off looking like a guppy swimming around.
My question is how do you help a new diver understand that the hand sculling or finning and kicking in a drift is not necessary! Actually that using hands to swim whenever is not necessary while diving. Most of the new divers use up their air faster on these dives and from what I have observed they are usually overweighted, flailing through the water to try and keep themselves from sinking, thus using more air.
It became clear to me over the weekend that she and her husband were very confident that they know alot about diving, and are self sufficient. They plan to do trips together to the Keys, etc. Which I think is great, but there did not seem to be any interest in learning how to improve skills from those with more experience.
What are your thoughts and suggestions?
Now that I have set up this scene is what followed: One of the divers from the instructors group could not get down with the group. We do our giant stride off the boat and are negative drop down immediately and meet at the bottom to follow the DM with the float ball. She could not get down, so she did signal the boat the Big OK and then held up her clenched fist for pick me up. ( over and over like morse code I might add) The Capt. manuevered the boat and we helped her on, added more weight to her and she then joined our group. When we dropped down she was side by side with my buddy and I , when Wham! I get slapped by her hands, I look over at her and she is doing the breaststroke with her hands and arms, and kicking along. I tapped her shoulder, signaled look at me, and re-clasped my hands underme showing her no hands and arms. Then, I just was cruising with the current no hands, arms or finning. I was about every fourth breath doing a very slow frog kick just in a very slow relaxed method. She looked at me, shrugged her shoulders and then took off looking like a guppy swimming around.
My question is how do you help a new diver understand that the hand sculling or finning and kicking in a drift is not necessary! Actually that using hands to swim whenever is not necessary while diving. Most of the new divers use up their air faster on these dives and from what I have observed they are usually overweighted, flailing through the water to try and keep themselves from sinking, thus using more air.
It became clear to me over the weekend that she and her husband were very confident that they know alot about diving, and are self sufficient. They plan to do trips together to the Keys, etc. Which I think is great, but there did not seem to be any interest in learning how to improve skills from those with more experience.
What are your thoughts and suggestions?