Shooting a bag in AOW

[Buoyant1]

we learned how to rig and use a lift bag in the Search and recovery part of my AOW, but I learned to shoot a bag on a fun dive with one of the instructors this past year.

We both had nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon in August he wasn't involved in any of the classes that were being held that weekend, and neither of us had any plans so we figured what the heck!

He asked what I wanted to do, and I wanted to hit a few spots in our local quarry that I hadn't seen, and maybe mess with my safety sausage, so I knew how to work with that. Great opportunity to learn I figured!

I actually wish that one of the agencies would create a course that bridges the gap between garden variety recreational and basic tech diving. Something that gives you tips and techniques that you normally don't learn unless you seek these techniques. (shooting bags, alternative kicks, alternative gear configurations etc.) I read a lot of the material here, and I think there are a lot of people that would benefit, that aren't apt to take a DIR course or a serious tech course.

I'm always asking the guys in my local group for tips on things, but if it was in one package, it would be great.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I actually wish that one of the agencies would create a course that bridges the gap between garden variety recreational and basic tech diving. Something that gives you tips and techniques that you normally don't learn unless you seek these techniques. (shooting bags, alternative kicks, alternative gear configurations etc.)

TDI's Intro to Tech is exactly what you describe.

 

[String]

Was going to say NAUI and TDIs courses are exactly that. They fill the same niche as GUE.

All 3 of those attempt to teach more advanced "basic" techniques before starting to mess with multiple bottles, decompression etc.

 

[nereas]

Was going to say NAUI and TDIs courses are exactly that. They fill the same niche as GUE.

All 3 of those attempt to teach more advanced "basic" techniques before starting to mess with multiple bottles, decompression etc.

I don't see GUE on your list of badges earned, String, so how can you speak for them at all?

I don't see NAUI there either.

I only see:

BSAC,PADI,TDI

And you have not gotten very far in TDI, at that.

 

[RJP]

I actually wish that one of the agencies would create a course that bridges the gap between garden variety recreational and basic tech diving. Something that gives you tips and techniques that you normally don't learn unless you seek these techniques. (shooting bags, alternative kicks, alternative gear configurations etc.) I read a lot of the material here, and I think there are a lot of people that would benefit, that aren't apt to take a DIR course or a serious tech course.

Why do you need an agency to to create such a course? Talk to an instructor and ask him to put a course together for you. Don't need a c-card at the end of it to be valuable.

That said, you could take Wreck Diver course with my LDS (held up at Dutch) and they would teach you baq shooting, alternate kicks, tec gear config, running line, etc. Might be a sort of "tec light" kind of thing.

 

[CLEAR BLUE]

I learned to shoot a bag in my AOW course because I chose the Search and Recovery dive. PADI has you do the deep and navigation dives and the other 3 are up to you. Our instructor usually wants us to do the altitude dive because we are always diving at altitude here. Otherwise, it depends on what you feel you want to learn. I thoroughly enjoyed the Search and Recovery.

 

[Buoyant1]

Why do you need an agency to to create such a course? Talk to an instructor and ask him to put a course together for you. Don't need a c-card at the end of it to be valuable.

That said, you could take Wreck Diver course with my LDS (held up at Dutch) and they would teach you baq shooting, alternate kicks, tec gear config, running line, etc. Might be a sort of "tec light" kind of thing.

Basically, I've learned most of that on the fly, by asking questions, and for tips over the past 4 years. I pick my LDS "guru's" brain constantly. (he probably wishes that he doesn't have an Iphone I send him so many emails)

But I'm looking at it as something that people coming up behind me can get in to, and not have it like I did as I was learning (well I'm still learning, and not proficient by any stretch) With the amount of "la la" courses out there, you'd think that there would be something that DID teach that stuff, but not in an over the top fashion that doesn't WANT to go "hog" wild! (pun intended) But someone mentioned a TDI course, that's good to know!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

But I'm looking at it as something that people coming up behind me can get in to, and not have it like I did as I was learning (well I'm still learning, and not proficient by any stretch) With the amount of "la la" courses out there, you'd think that there would be something that DID teach that stuff, but not in an over the top fashion that doesn't WANT to go "hog" wild! (pun intended) But someone mentioned a TDI course, that's good to know!

Intro to Tech

This is a great course. It covers all of the things you listed ... buoyancy, trim, air sharing drills, bag/DSMB deployment, team skills, situational awareness, gas planning, various gear configuration options for improved/streamlined diving, valve drills if you're in doubles (but doubles are NOT required).

 

[Buoyant1]

Intro to Tech

This is a great course. It covers all of the things you listed ... buoyancy, trim, air sharing drills, bag/DSMB deployment, team skills, situational awareness, gas planning, various gear configuration options for improved/streamlined diving, valve drills if you're in doubles (but doubles are NOT required).

I'll have to check out the link when I get home, for some reason my companies "websense" filter is flagging that site as "phishing"

(TDI isn't affiliated with PADI is it??? I'M KIDDING!)

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I'll have to check out the link when I get home, for some reason my companies "websense" filter is flagging that site as "phishing"

(TDI isn't affiliated with PADI is it??? I'M KIDDING!)

For those who may be interested here are a few more links related to the course. These are instructors I've taken courses from in the past and highly recommend. They both are TDI tech instructors and they teach the course regularly.

Rick Kruzel, Great Lakes Tech Diving

Duane Johnson, Precision Diving

There are of course other highly qualified instructors also teaching this course. You can search for instructors in your state who teach this course via the TDI website if you are interested.