What is the best depth?

What is the best depth or the most preferred depth for practicing skills and does it change for certain skills? Do any of you find that you tend to prefer a particular depth or no? Or is there a training class out there that states at what depth you should practice skills? I am curious.

For instance. I want to do more skills practice dives but more means the pool is probably where it will take place because of the convenience of just going and getting in. However, the dive shop pools for instance are only 8 - 14 feet deep and I am wondering if certain skills really are applicable at these depths. Example, maintaining buoyancy while practicing my nemesis kick (the backwards kick LOL). Okay, just accomplishing my nemesis kick will do for now. I know that other skills such as OOA and mask removal can be practiced at shallow levels but it isn’t just doing the skill over and over it is doing it correctly and maintaining buoyancy and trim.

Anyway. What do you do or know about depths best suited for practicing skills? R

I prefer to do skills practice in the same/similar conditions as I dive.

To take your buoyancy work as an example, I primarily dive in salt water with relatively poor vis. When I practice skills, I have a local protected cove that serves the purpose well. The different density of the S/W makes doing buoyancy work in a pool less useful (for me) as it does not apply to 95% of my dives.

I also like practicing maintaining a certain depth without being able to see the bottom clearly. It's too easy to cheat in a nice clear pool. If I always dove in clear water, this wouldn't be an issue for me.

You can make the same comparasins with many skills, (i.e. how vis affects navigation practice, practicing running a quideline in a smooth bottomed quarry when you'll really be using the skill on a rocky/craggy bottom etc...).

If you can, try to find a place that's safe, but as close to your real life dives as possible. It also helps to have a few good, trusted dive buddies who can keep an eye on everything so you can really concentrate on your skills.

Scott

I agree with Scott, The best way to practice skills is to keep making dives. The pool is best to practice a new skill or new setup (dry suit...)

As to depth? I would aviod doing Emergancy Controlled Accents due to the risks. The rest I would practice at depths I normally hit. ie: Pony bottle skills ( switching to pony as I keep a 7ft hose w/reg strapped to pony)would test when diving below 60ft as I don't carry a pony unless I plan to go that or deeper and off a boat.

Excellent points, but if you have mastered buoyancy in a pool, it'll be a snap on deeper dives.

Thanks guys. These are all great points and practicing similar circumstances is part of what I was questioning.

Unfortunately, the areas here that are easily accessible for diving are not real deep and often trafficed a great deal. (I must admit I get neverous hearing a boat motor in the water because some of these nuckle heads don't stay away from the flag they "get a closer look." That's why it is nice to have surface support but not always an option.

In order to practice more I have considered more pool diving kinda like Walter said, if I can get it down in the pool, I would be more successful in the water. The diving I usually do involves a pretty good current and it is hard to just practice but if I practice in it I wanted to know if I should be at a particular depth to really get the most of my practice diving.

By all means, keep the info coming. R

If you can do it at 10 feet, you can do it deep. Everything is harder shallow. You will need some depth for accents, decents and shooting SMBs, but most skills can (should?) be praticed shallow.

Besides, you get more bottom time and its safer if you messup and bolt.

RavenC once bubbled...


In order to practice more I have considered more pool diving kinda like Walter said, if I can get it down in the pool, I would be more successful in the water.

Click to expand...

Totally agree with that....you might want to try working no more than 1' off the bottom of the pool...that way you know immediatley if you are beginning to ascend, and you know if you are dropping your knees, descending, or if your body position is changing.

Big-T that's really good reasoning. I had not thought of that. One usually thinks scratch that I usually think of being midway. Thanks. R

Many scuba skills involve developing an eye-motor link. Once this is done and the required level of experience is attained things like bouyancy control are second nature and require no real thought.

This can happen anywhere a a pool is very useful. I agree you need to practice precision and maintaining yourself one foot off the bottom with no hands or finning other than for propulsion while you go up and down the slope of a pool is very good training. The floating buddah thing is little dated but is also very effective, gives you a good feel for how breathing affects bouyancy, and prevents you from cheating with hands or feet to maintain bouyancy.