Split from DM in training thread

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jbd

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I think Jetwrench recieved some very good answers to his questions about becoming a DM. Then the thread "finned out to left field" as Jetwrench noted:) Still a good discussion about bouyancy control being taught in OW classes.

I noticed that a few instructors commented that they have started following Mike Ferrera and others lead, and are teaching students to stay off the bottom from the beginning.

One thing I have noticed this year at Falling Rock Quarry is that the viz is not as bad as it used to be on weekends where there are OW cert's being done. Yes it still gets mucked up a bit, just not as bad. While I still poorly skilled divers there they are becoming fewer and farther between and even with some of them you can tell they made an honest mistake and tried to correct it before the stirred things up.

I think that through websites like this and others, bouyancy control has become the buzzword and more people are paying closer attention to it.

I do have to agree with Mike F and others who have noticed that students will learn bouyancy control skills quicker and easier if they see it and hear it from the beginning.
 
I've been DM'ing for a few months, now. And each time, the same thing happens. I keep trying helping the students being horizontal and repeating that diving is not a vertical sport...

The thread about the instructor/students ratio got me thinking. It's obvious that you can teach to more students if they're all standing at the bottom and it takes less time to have them work on the other skills before they can master (or at least get a better sense for) buoyancy. On top of it, I just don't see how four ow dives are sufficient to get there since so little time is spent on actually diving (after you went through all the other basic skills).
 
That's true. 4 dives is usually not enough for people to really get the hang of buoyancy some get it right away, but I teach my students to keep off the bottom from the beginning and when I compare the progress of those students allowed to kneel or touch on the bottom compared to those that are not allowed the difference is remarkable.

I also do some land drills similar to that we did in the DIRF course to help the students "feel" where the body is when you have good trim. That helps a lot as well, and I get good feedback from the students about it. I was wondering how it would go when I first started teaching everything neutrally buoyant, but they get so much more out of it, they progress much faster and personally I think the divers are turning out better than those who use the bottom as a safety blanket. Since OWD1 is just experience based, I use the entire dive to practice good trim and neutral buoyancy. Then dives 3-4 usually work out very well.
 
DIR Tec Diver once bubbled...
I also do some land drills similar to that we did in the DIRF course to help the students "feel" where the body is when you have good trim.

Can you elaborate on these land drills?

One thing my instructors did was scrimp on the weight from the beginning. At first I thought it would be easier if they gave me more weight, now I appreciate learning to dive with minimal weight and keep working on taking off more.
 
I beleive DIR Tec is talking about either a dry cg drill, or all the laying around on the ground doing fin kicks.

During DIR-F they put you on the ground and have you pick your head up as though you are in the water in a horizontal position to the the "dry" fin-kicks.

The dry cg drill, you lay your torso on a chair in good horizontal position....then tuck your chin to your chest while bringing you feet closer to your butt to go down....or extend your feet back, and lift your head to go up

here's a pic of some baffoon laying on a chair to begin the dry drill

http://www.fifthd.com/AndrewG/web photo's done/0603_kentucky/pages/P1010024.htm
 
We use the dry land drills as well. It helps students to be able to feel the correct position in the water. It's also much easier to correct gross errors in finning technique on land.

Big-T mentioned cg (center of gravity, I assume). Too few instructors teach the mechanics of trim. The concept is simple but without having it taught to you you're left to discover it on your own. That could take a very long time.

Shoot, this is knowledge that instructors aren't given and they
certainly are never required to demonstrate their mastery of it.
 
ever remember that "buffoon" in the picture. He was in my DIRF class:)
 
whats important is that there are more instructors and DM's trying to get new divers horizontal in the water and properly weighted. Granted it will take time but at least things are starting to move in the right direction. Things will improve when this group of new divers turns out their share of new instructors who have always dove horizontal and with good control.
 
jbd once bubbled...
whats important is that there are more instructors and DM's trying to get new divers horizontal in the water and properly weighted. Granted it will take time but at least things are starting to move in the right direction. Things will improve when this group of new divers turns out their share of new instructors who have always dove horizontal and with good control.

I hope you're right. I guess time will tell. But I'm affraid some monetary considerations may keep this "new" breed in the minority.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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