Sidemounting kid with 4 tanks, NO mask and NO fins...

[gearhound]

Don't focus on the age. Focus in the skills.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

So what are you looking for...applause? You are already defending yourself..

---------- Post added September 20th, 2013 at 11:37 PM ----------

Would I put my 16 year old son, or if I had one grandson, through that? What the hell for? What are you trying to prove?

This is crazy! If "you people" see a problem with THAT video, please don't ever take a look at mine.. What the hell was objectionable about the video? The kid was harassed with a flooded mask or was given an opportunity to discover that he can move underwater without fins? Seriously, what POSSIBLE criticism could be leveled against this video?

I might be a hard ass and say that he should have been able to demonstrate how to clear a flooded mask while holding two tanks.. not sure how to do that, maybe just bend an elbow and hold the mask top? The videographer stepped in and (off screen) gave him a hand (I would have made him do it on his own), so what tiny criticism I can come up with is on the other end of the spectrum!

 

[FoxHound]

looked like just a load of fun to me.

i know when i was 16 id want to be loaded down with as much as you could throw at me to prove i could do it.

just need to relax and enjoy the vid

 

[Jax]

Agree! Hell, at MY age, that looks like a load of fun!

 

[mmadiver]

So what are you looking for...applause? You are already defending yourself..

---------- Post added September 20th, 2013 at 11:37 PM ----------

Would I put my 16 year old son, or if I had one grandson, through that? What the hell for? What are you trying to prove?

Damn if you have issues with that don't ever watch a Navy Dive School video of 18 year old kids getting the crap kicked out of them underwater.

 

[divad]

What are you trying to prove?

What are you trying to disprove?

 

[DevonDiver]

...he should have been able to demonstrate how to clear a flooded mask while holding two tanks.. not sure how to do that, maybe just bend an elbow and hold the mask top?

1. Clip tanks together using cylinder bolt-snaps.

2. Hold with one hand

3. Use other hand for other necessary functions (i.e. clearing the mask)

 

[bluemed]

So what are you looking for...applause? You are already defending yourself..

---------- Post added September 20th, 2013 at 11:37 PM ----------

Would I put my 16 year old son, or if I had one grandson, through that? What the hell for? What are you trying to prove?

It was the kids wish to see if he could do that, it was his "reward" after finishing the sidemount course...can you imagine the comfort level he has reached on one tank? Yes, I am proud of him..

---------- Post added September 30th, 2013 at 07:19 AM ----------

Don't focus on the age. Focus in the skills.

I hope you can see that there is no lack of skills....give it a try, do you have these skills?

---------- Post added September 30th, 2013 at 07:34 AM ----------

It does come across that this post could be a bit of a troll but I don’t think that was the intent and none the less the video says a lot, well done to Bluemed on a good end product, his son looks a hell of a lot better than most of the sidemount divers I see and he deserves credit for that.

Let’s all remember most standards are there for either safety purposes or to give minimum standards to be applied in the training. Most good instructors go well over and above these minimum standards without breaching the safety standards.

Does use 4 tanks in shallow water breach safety standards?
Not in my mind, if the student is capable and supervised.

Does it go above the minimum standards?
Yes.

Is that a bad thing?
No, it’s actually a very good thing.

Skills such as no fin back finning and skills without a mask are actually very good to build multi-tasking abilities and techniques. Keeping awareness during multiple problems tend to be a skill hard to promote while sticking directly to standard course outlines.

With regards to which is most important, the training or the equipment I’d have to agree with the training. That said if you use the right equipment it makes the learning a hell of a lot easier and actually allows the instructor to give better information to their students, particularly on gear configuration.

Thank you, this is the way I see it as well

---------- Post added September 30th, 2013 at 08:43 AM ----------

Ok, I see people don't understand what this is about,

Owen is not my son but a young diver I met a couple of years ago.
he did his PADI "PPB" PeakperformanceBuoyancy speciality with me, my version of that.
I teach what I teach, whatever agency and for me that is ; No more sitting on the bottom, NO more kicking up the sand, NO more holding onto the rocks, put your snorkel in your pocket, all skills done swimming or hovering, NO more flutter kick and No more follow me because I am the Instructor...so swimming through hulahoops is out of the question.

Everyone that is in the diving business or diving for a while knows that the level of divers, Instructors and courses is low or at least questionable, to say at the least.
In my opinion this is due to the low level of standards, Instructors and Instructor trainers and course directors in general this is why I changed sides and became a UTD instructor a few years ago.

During his PPB Owen had a hard time but really enjoyed the learning and started to practice back home and got interested in this way of diving.
(Nowadays you can see lots of videos on the internet....)

last month he came over for 3 weeks of diving and training, this clip was shot on the last day of his stay.
It was his wish to dive with 4 bottles, and see if he could..in all honesty, he wanted 6 ;-)
Before this movie Owen did is UTD Essentials of REC with me and his UTD Sidemount Mini, and plenty of diving ofcourse, so for the ones
worried about breaching standards, well now you know.
The clip was shot in not more than 2 meters of water.
I would never want to risk having an accident with a 16 year old...we have had many many many chats about that !
I put all this extra time in myself, (compared to the Normal 20 minute requiste , swim around a bit and the few skills courses) in order to get these "better" divers, so believe me I don't want to have any 16 year old drowning on me.

He takes pleasure out of improving himself and being tested to the limit,....true ; usually people want to see fish, but not him.

Personally, I am happy with the end result, Owen has become a very competent 16 year old diver (still..only 16,), it shows all of us that
there is something different out there, another way of training and diving, another concept.

I hope you can see this as well, if this 16 year old can do this, why can't I do this, or can't my instructor do this ? or the course director ?
Is it necessary ???...maybe not....but,..... having great skills is not a good thing?
The advantage of having great skills is not to be underestimated, the end result is a safer, more aware and more competent diver, again, all this results in having more fun and THAT is the reason why we dive !

 

[gearhound]

.

---------- Post added September 30th, 2013 at 07:19 AM ----------


I hope you can see that there is no lack of skills....give it a try, do you have these skills?

-
I hope you can see this as well, if this 16 year old can do this, why can't I do this, or can't my instructor do this ? or the course director ?
Is it necessary ???...maybe not....but,..... having great skills is not a good thing?
The advantage of having great skills is not to be underestimated, the end result is a safer, more aware and more competent diver, again, all this results in having more fun and THAT is the reason why we dive !

ot to be underestimated, the end result is a safer, more aware and more competent diver, again, all this results in having more fun and THAT is the reason why we dive[/QUOTE]

Sorry if you took my comment the wrong way. I was totally supporting you. I wish divers of all ages would take the time to refine their skills (and yes, I can do these skills).
My comments were directed at the people that were criticizing this video, specifically DevonDiver. He should take a look at his own house (and videos) before he starts criticizing others.

 

[bluemed]

ot to be underestimated, the end result is a safer, more aware and more competent diver, again, all this results in having more fun and THAT is the reason why we dive

Sorry if you took my comment the wrong way. I was totally supporting you. I wish divers of all ages would take the time to refine their skills (and yes, I can do these skills).
My comments were directed at the people that were criticizing this video, specifically DevonDiver. He should take a look at his own house (and videos) before he starts criticizing others.[/QUOTE]

Ok, read it wrong, cheers for that ! ;-)