Skills Test Games/Challenges

JahJahwarrior · Nov 17, 2009

Looking to help reinforce good diving skills with the members of the dive club I am president of on a dive this weekend.

The first thing we thought of was having divers swim through a series of hula hoops without touching them to demonstrate good bouyancy control.

What else can we do without putting bad divers in danger? For example, we are nervous about having divers do things without masks on, because we don't know how divers will react to something like that. Participation would be completely, 100% voluntary, but we still don't want to have anyone get hurt, and we don't trust any certified diver to actually be a competent diver, unfortunately.

What games do you all do to help reinforce good diving skills?

dkktsunami · Nov 17, 2009

Maybe a compass course - from point A to B to C back to A. Would be more useful in a lake or other water where visibility was less than perfect.

mselenaous · Nov 17, 2009

Hoola hoops are always great. I like using squares made of pvc pipe.
here's a few more ideas:
Try relay races with an egg and spoon. (need to hold the egg down and push it forward with the spoon).
Shared-air drills/relays (of course in shallow water).
Search and recovery drills using lift bags and search patterns.
Set up a scavenger hunt using navigational & mapping skills.
Underwater pumpkin or watermelon carving and easter egg hunts (using numbered golf balls).

Have fun!

gypsyjim · Nov 17, 2009

I have seen many bouyancy courses that use PVC triangle, very similar to your Hula Hoop idea. Spaced apart, a different levels, so you adjust your bouyancy by breath control only. Or swim over, and then jacknife, and pass threw without touching. All a lot of fun, but make sure you have "spotters", to avoid or quickly resolve any possible entanglements.

Fun and games, as you develop better skills!

MXGratefulDiver · Nov 17, 2009

In relatively shallow water (15-20 feet), suspend a bucket about three or four feet off the bottom. Drop golf balls on the bottom at various spots in the vicinity of the bucket. Have the divers pick up a golf ball without touching the bottom and place it in the bucket without losing buoyancy control. Bonus points for not breaking trim and for using only breathing control.

One that I use in AOW is a navigation course consisting of six flags. The first five contain only a heading to the next flag. The last flag just says "Home". The objective is to find all six flags, then get back to your starting point from the last flag.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

billamp · Nov 17, 2009

We have also used a "blind" search by blocking the inside of a mask with a bandanna or piece of cloth stuffed inside.

ScubaTerp · Nov 17, 2009

If you're worried about your divers performing poorly without masks on then maybe you should emphasize that skill in a controlled environment first.

A relay race would be interesting.

You could also play a game like underwater basketball using a toypedo and circles of PVC pipe as goals.

Skills Test Games/Challenges

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JahJahwarrior

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mselenaous

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