Instruction Question for Instructors

[craborn]

I teach snorkeling the night that I do my swim test. I teach it because it is a great skill and if they are ever in the ocean and get in a bind they will have good snorkel skills to get from one place to another. I know snorkeling is not glamerous but it is a good skill to have... Clay

[Bob Vincent]

Well years ago PADI had a snorkeling part in the pool work. I still do. I'm under the firm belief that a diver should be just that a diver with the skills associated with diving which snorkeling is.. You walk before you run and I think thats part of the walking.

I shake my head every time I see a diver without a snorkel. I know there are arguments to the contrary; overhead envir., streamlining, etc.. To many times we have surfaced after a dive heading to the boat with 500-1000psi in 2 to 3 foot seas and hear a Divemasters yelling for someone to swim for the line they missed. Not a student but a newbie diver without a snorkel and very little air in their tank. Guess who goes after them and tows there butt back to the boat? If I never had a snorkel guess what? Lower the Zodiac. If they had a snorkel life would be good!

Snorkels for all divers and the knowledge to use them.

[Bob Vincent]

We spend three pool sessions on breath-hold diving skills, that’s about six hours.

Before they go on scuba all students must:

1) complete a breath old doff and don: In full gear, including wet suit and gloves, but no hood: Dive to 13', remove mask, roll out of weight belt, make flared ascent, recover breath, surface dive, roll into the weight belt and fasten it, recover mask and don it, clear mask, surface with hand up, circling, mask and snorkel clear

2) demonstrate the ability to use breathing exercises to hold their breath for a minute and a half.

We've never had a student who was unable to accomplish this in that time frame.

O'kay:11::popcorn:

I believe Ya :no

[Thalassamania]

O'kay:11::popcorn:

I believe Ya :no

Let's all do that old cheer, "If he can't do it, no one can!"

[bane51031]

I teach skin diving per PADI slates as well with every open water student and emphasize that it is an important skill that can be fun.

[Scott]

Let's see OT was 2006. Last post until now was 2007. I wondered if anything had changed.

[dwhthediver]

Nothing has changed for me, PADI does require teaching snorkeling skills and a freedive in the pool, open water is optional. to not teach these skills would be a standards violation

[AndyNZ]

EDIT: Just realised this was an old thread resurrected, so have deleted my post is what I was quoting was no longer relevant.