U/W Boyancy course and nav course

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TwoBitTxn

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TexasMike and I are working on designing an U/W boyancy and an U/W boyancy/navigation course. Here is what we kinda have in mind.

The swim thrus will be 4' square PVC turned on a diamond with a concrete block on the bottom and a float on the top.

The boyancy course will have about 6 laid out in a pattern with one each one being visible from the previous. Probably about 5-6' apart. Each one at a different depth with depths varying in the 15-25' range.

The nav course will basically be the same thing but spaced further out. The course directions will be given to the divers on the surface and they will start on a platform, following the course directions back to the starting point.

This will be placed in a quarry (hopefully) with a max vis of probably around 15-20 feet with average about 5-10 feet. It has some deep parts but a really COLD thermocline (60*F or below) around 25-30 feet.

Just looking for feedback, comments, suggestions.

Thanks

Tom
 
Sounds good for the bouyancy control...

As for the navigation, my old instructor used a "carrot". He left a bottle of wine at the end of the course. If you were "dead on" you found it. Not being much of a drinker though, I still have the un-opened blootle in the frige! (hic)

:tease:

BTW, he used the same bottle for my search and recovery dive too!
 
Sounds like a great idea. I can't add anything other than when you try it out let us know how it works.

Butch :peace:

ps you could always try putting a towel over thier heads while performing this procedure. LOL
 
What a great idea Tom!
I would love to try it, though here in the sound current might be an issue. I can see my swim throughs tacked over at 45degrees or better. I guess we could practice in Lake Washington. Maybe it could be a timed event.

-kate
 
Tom,

Your course sounds interesting. You may want to take a look at the bouyancy obstacle course that thay use for the scientific diver authorization course at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos Texas.

The course is challenging because of the required bouyancy skills and demonstration of precise control. This is demonstrated with skills beyond swimming through hoops. As an example, some other skills include hovering, raising and lowering without disturbing light silt and using too much hand waving. Having diverse obstacles makes the course challenging and fun.

Good luck on your course development.
 
And the rest of you....

Daylight, I would love to see the aquarena course. I have seen a picture of a diver swimming thru one of the hoops but that is it. That is kinda where I got part of the idea.

There is another quarry around here that has a "diamond reef course" which is basically what I am setting up, except the vis is worse there and its alot shallower.

Tom
 
For bouyancy the hoops are good but as daylight mentioned, precise control is important. In the past, we have used a corner post of a platform with slates attached at different levels. Each student has to hover at each level and write their name on the slate without holding on to anything. It's hell on the handwriting but provides an added task while hovering perfectly still. Imagine a photographer having to hover perfectly still while focusing the camera and maintaining depth. I'm sure you could expand on the details.

I like navigation courses. A prize at the end is always good incentive!
 
I guess one thing I forgot to mention...

These are to be permanent fixtures at the site. I am planning on building them, sinking them, and donating them as a gift from the Texas Swamp Divers. I agree a cookie at the end of the Nav course would be nice but....if an instructor wants to add it for a class more power to him/her.

Tom

 
Tom-

I belive there are comercialy available such instruments. It will probobly be up for sale at dema, so you can pick on it, buy some or make yourself. It has a video with suggested exercises and it is built ina way that it can be easily folded and taken away.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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