PADI Divemaster Skills Demo: Equipment Setup Can we talk?

[muddyh2o]

We have some conflicting opinions about how a DM candidate should demo their skills, and the equipment assembly one has caused a lot of debate lately. To be clear, this is for the skills demo assessment portion of the PADI Divemaster course.

One instructor believes that you should speak about what you're doing as you're doing it, providing tips and explanations of what you're up to. Another instructor insists that the setup demo can only be done by remaining completely silent during the process. Saying anything will result in a failing grade.

What do you guys think? Can candidates speak while doing their equipment setup skills demo?

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

[duskdiver]

It is all in the standards!!..dont remember anything about not speaking..however, if you are able to teach equipment set up to someone that only speaks chinese..you would have to do it without speaking..now wouldn`t you?

[Jim Lapenta]

But if you could not speak Chinese how would you conduct the lectures and briefings? You would not teach someone who does not speak the language, you'd refer them to one who does or bring in an interpretor. Me I'd call my son (he's a linguist in Mandarin). But seriously not speaking while doing an equipment set up demo. That's just stupid. Sounds like the Marcel Marceu on the surface specialty class. Why would you not speak when you are able to? A true professional uses all the tools at their disposal to make sure the student gets the knowledge required. The why of what you are doing is just as important as how. Does it make sense to point to the oring and exaggerate looking at it without telling the student what they are looking for and why? Or why you wet the tank strap, turn the spg away from you when turning on the air, or open the buckle and retighten after giving the strap a few seconds to stretch? And what if you have a larger group that is trying to crowd around. Talking is one way to be sure that no one misses what you are doing and why. Miming the assembly? Who is the instructor telling you to do this, Charlie Chaplin?

And when I did it for my PADI DM course it was expected that you explain what you were doing and why.

[SubMariner]

We have some conflicting opinions about how a DM candidate should demo their skills, and the equipment assembly one has caused a lot of debate lately. To be clear, this is for the skills demo assessment portion of the PADI Divemaster course.

One instructor believes that you should speak about what you're doing as you're doing it, providing tips and explanations of what you're up to. Another instructor insists that the setup demo can only be done by remaining completely silent during the process. Saying anything will result in a failing grade.

What do you guys think? Can candidates speak while doing their equipment setup skills demo?

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

The whole point of skills at the Pro level is that they should be performed to DEMONSTRATION QUALITY. This not only means that they need to be broken down into their essential components, but that each segment be demonstrated in an exaggerated manner so that the student can clearly see/understand each step.

That is why when a skill is to be performed underwater it is first described on the surface prior to underwater demonstration. If there is no/inadequate explanation at the surface, the candidate is scored down. (FYI, this applies at all levels from DM up.)

Thus it only follows that a properly executed demo on the surface be accompanied by proper narration during the demo sequence. If a candidate presented a skill demo to me that did not include this aspect I would certainly score them down. Especially if it is gear assembly that is performed on land.

Pax,

[Pearldiver07]

The whole point of skills at the Pro level is that they should be performed to DEMONSTRATION QUALITY. This not only means that they need to be broken down into their essential components, but that each segment be demonstrated in an exaggerated manner so that the student can clearly see/understand each step.

That is why when a skill is to be performed underwater it is first described on the surface prior to underwater demonstration. If there is no/inadequate explanation at the surface, the candidate is scored down. (FYI, this applies at all levels from DM up.)

Thus it only follows that a properly executed demo on the surface be accompanied by proper narration during the demo sequence. If a candidate presented a skill demo to me that did not include this aspect I would certainly score them down. Especially if it is gear assembly that is performed on land.

Pax,

FYI - there is NO requirement that any skill be verbally presented/reviewed, or not. This whole thread speaks to individuals giving the air of PADI-sponsored requirements when in fact the direction does not exist in the standards.

The standard is to CONDUCT the skills at presentation quality, not to PRESENT (discuss) the skills. If the student verbally presents a skill done above the water there would be no scoring benefit or detraction. Any CD/IDCS/Instructor who adds/reduces scoring points based on this is adding their own bias, not the standard.

I take particular exception to the second paragraph above. At no point in the I.E. does the examiner require a surface description of a skill during the 5-skill demonstration portion of the examination. This is only required in the CW teaching evaluation.

Is the ability to describe each of these skills possibly going to come up? Of course, during the CW teaching presentation portion. And later in actual teaching you had better be able to present them well. But again, carrying this requirement over to the skills demonstration portion of the requirements is not accurate, and will be setting up your student for a bad surprise at the I.E.

[Satyre]

We have some conflicting opinions about how a DM candidate should demo their skills, and the equipment assembly one has caused a lot of debate lately. To be clear, this is for the skills demo assessment portion of the PADI Divemaster course.

One instructor believes that you should speak about what you're doing as you're doing it, providing tips and explanations of what you're up to. Another instructor insists that the setup demo can only be done by remaining completely silent during the process. Saying anything will result in a failing grade.

What do you guys think? Can candidates speak while doing their equipment setup skills demo?

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

I am just a brand new OWSI and I have checked in the instrcutor manual and haven't found anything.
Having that said, as a divemaster I have assisted several instructors in several different shops.
The rule has always been: the setup demo can only be done by remaining completely silent during the process.

The reason is that the explanation has been done by the instructor, the instructor has also demonstrate the skill and the DM has to demonstrate the skill only to students that have troubles doing it.

Hope I have answered your question.

Please note than this is not a specific answer for surface skills but all the skills, surface and underwater
JLuc

[Crowley]

I think people are getting a bit confused between the skills you are required to demonstrate as a DiveMaster candidate and real world demonstrations to students.

For the DM skills assessments there is no hard and fast rule as to wether or not you can talk through the skill. And it certainly cannot harm your score; as mentioned above, PADI instructors who add or subtract points based on what you say are working to their own rules, not PADI standards. Havig said that, my preference is for the candidate to do it without speaking, partly because I have found that quite often, when candidates speak through the skill, they tend to forget the exaggerated gestures and emphasis of the critical attributes that are required to score the full 5 points on a skill. Or - as my own instructor put it: "better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're an idiot, rather than open your mouth and prove it!"

When it comes to real-world teaching, of course you should talk through skills where able to do so. A silent demonstration tells you WHAT to do, not WHY to do it.

And that is the correct answer.

Cheers

C.

[knotical]

The first time my DMCs do skills is practice, so for the equipment assembly skill, I talk and they perform. I remind them that another instructor might sequence that skill differently.

I offer to talk them through more practice if they want, but encourage them to also practice without me. I remind them that I will be quiet during their evals.

As promised, when evaluating DMCs, I am silent during equipment assembly. I give the candidates the choice whether to talk. I do remind them that in an actual open water class, the instructor will talk and they should follow that instructor's lead. Whether the candidate talks or not does not affect their grade.

[GoProHonduras]

For the demonstration of Divemaster skills on the DM course, and on the skills pre-assessment in the IDC, we emphasize to candidates to exaggerate the action during their demonstration, as this is what they are scored on, not what they say. However if a candidate wishes to talk, we dco not mark them down or up, they are simply scored on the movements they emphasize and exaggerate, and some candidates find it easier to emphasize when they don't talk, others prefer to talk.

Now during an IDC/IE the candidates have to demonstrate 5 skills (demo's only no briefings) and the examiners allow them to talk on surface skills if they wish, but they are scored on what they show and emphasize, not what they say, so a great verbal description with fast actions will score a 3, whereas no verbal description, but slow exagerated movement will most likely score a 5.

In the confined presentation briefings there is a requirement to descrive the skill step by step, in addition to a good exagerated demonstration. For surface skills this can be integrated.

HTH,
Andy

[vjanelle]

When you're watching 2 or more DMCs put together gear, wouldn't it be difficult to evaluate them if they're all blabbing at once? Especially if they might be working with people that might not understand english.