mikeguerrero
Guest
Finally, after completing the UTD Essentials class, I clearly understand the acronym. I think I overlooked it in the beginning, and just took it for a name rather than a proven effective philosophy. Unified Team Diving is clearly a team orientated training that involves situational awareness from every member, I will never forget that.
Before I lead into the class report I should mention that purchasing plumber tools will not make you a plumber. I thought, if I look the part I will fit in, how hard is it? I was wrong, the equipment doesnt make the diver, in fact its the training classes in the arts of DIR via UTD/GUE that create a balanced effective safe diver.
Thursday (Diver Dans Pool session)
My first clue that I knew this was going to be a whole new experience was when we went into a class room to practice dry runs on all of our kicks. First, it was with our fins on, then with just our shoes. Okay MG, Don would say, get those feet up and parallel to the floor. I kept dropping my feet at an angle and just thought the pool will lift them up, wrong!
I opted to not gear up in my dry suit as all my team members were jumping in swim trunks or just a wetsuit. Big mistake, as I struggled in oversized Jet fins, and a harness that is oversized for my dry suit. I ended up getting a really bad blister on my toes, ouch!
Enter Don, MG, here put on my booties and Jets, he then has me in Jets that fit and hes cruising around the pool with just his feet, SPEECHLESS again! He is a very accommodating instructor to all my needs.
Video briefing later shows foreshadowing of what is to come at the Break Water
Friday (San Carlos Beach, Break Water)
Are you for real? You want me to stay in line in this murky water without touching the ground, just neutrally buoyant and follow instructions? I was constantly crossing over his line, and mind you that it just led to more disarray among the chaos that was already set.
But even as the chaos unfolded minute after minute a small sequence of events started to happen. I saw a small pattern slowly developing on what my diving buddies bring to the table. This created awareness for the next dive on how vigilant I need to be for the team.
My problem was my mindset of my SSI training, that as I clear my skills, I dont need to be there for the team, I should just move to the side or better yet spin around looking at the flora/fauna of the ocean bed until its my turn again, Wrong!
This day clearly started showing me that I was not diving alone, it is about the other divers even if there is an Instructor in the water doing the skills, you need to watch and assist, that is something my previous training didnt promote.
Saturday (San Carlos Beach, Break Water)
Its my turn to lead out the team for two minutes on a compass navigation while Don sets up the line. My lack of communication skills underwater make this very difficult, as I miss signals on who should lead, when in fact I am the leader!
Frustrated and lacking the skills to quickly pull out my wet notes, I successfully get the team back to the line for our second set of skills. Visibility drops to almost just 3 feet and my left leg starts to get damp, I get my first leak, and my leg is getting cold.
This just builds to more of my anxiety, and I start to lose focus with my team. I try really hard to stay focus, and we end up finishing our skills, and get to the surface where I express my anger by keeping extremely quiet and not wanting to talk.
The team quickly addresses my leak on shore and Don; yes Don again comes and fixes my leak. Hey, MG, just remove the quick disconnect from your P-valve and that should solve the issue. Solved and while the team is debriefing the videos I run over to the laundry mat and dry my undergarments.
I get in for dive two and the leak is gone, and Im very grateful to my instructor for fixing my problems!
Sunday (San Carlos Beach, Break Water)
These two dives are the most intense as the instructor has just become a spectator, and not the team leader. We all come together as a unit and work with all our deficiencies and rise to the occasion with all of our mistakes.
Wet notes are coming out, we are letting divers know of problems among us and solutions are correcting situations.
Plenty of S-drills, Mask removal, OOA ascent and more on keeping in trim and stay vigilant of your team. And can you believe it I was able to finally shoot a SMB and reel it up to the surface successfully, oops as I get to the surface and have it completely reeled and ready for storage, I do a butter fingers and it drops to the bottom of the ocean.
Not a problem Don and Kathy enter, and I have a SMB spool back in my hands in record time, thanks guys.
I feel the milestone for me, was to understand your teams every weakness and strength, mine included. Once you are aware of each you can react in the best possible way to solve any given issue. The team is a like a squadron of soldiers that are out on a special mission that when one breaks down and its not addressed, the entire team is compromised!
You are there for the team, not for yourself, and if you adopt this simple effective doctrine the end result is the same. Let me explain, if I am vigilant of diver A and B and they have the same value as me, the reciprocal occurs. I therefore increase my safety of two divers watching my every turn in this beautiful world we call the deep blue sea!
Special thanks goes out to; Don, Chris, Kathy and Miller...
Mike G
Before I lead into the class report I should mention that purchasing plumber tools will not make you a plumber. I thought, if I look the part I will fit in, how hard is it? I was wrong, the equipment doesnt make the diver, in fact its the training classes in the arts of DIR via UTD/GUE that create a balanced effective safe diver.
Thursday (Diver Dans Pool session)
My first clue that I knew this was going to be a whole new experience was when we went into a class room to practice dry runs on all of our kicks. First, it was with our fins on, then with just our shoes. Okay MG, Don would say, get those feet up and parallel to the floor. I kept dropping my feet at an angle and just thought the pool will lift them up, wrong!
I opted to not gear up in my dry suit as all my team members were jumping in swim trunks or just a wetsuit. Big mistake, as I struggled in oversized Jet fins, and a harness that is oversized for my dry suit. I ended up getting a really bad blister on my toes, ouch!
Enter Don, MG, here put on my booties and Jets, he then has me in Jets that fit and hes cruising around the pool with just his feet, SPEECHLESS again! He is a very accommodating instructor to all my needs.
Video briefing later shows foreshadowing of what is to come at the Break Water
Friday (San Carlos Beach, Break Water)
Are you for real? You want me to stay in line in this murky water without touching the ground, just neutrally buoyant and follow instructions? I was constantly crossing over his line, and mind you that it just led to more disarray among the chaos that was already set.
But even as the chaos unfolded minute after minute a small sequence of events started to happen. I saw a small pattern slowly developing on what my diving buddies bring to the table. This created awareness for the next dive on how vigilant I need to be for the team.
My problem was my mindset of my SSI training, that as I clear my skills, I dont need to be there for the team, I should just move to the side or better yet spin around looking at the flora/fauna of the ocean bed until its my turn again, Wrong!
This day clearly started showing me that I was not diving alone, it is about the other divers even if there is an Instructor in the water doing the skills, you need to watch and assist, that is something my previous training didnt promote.
Saturday (San Carlos Beach, Break Water)
Its my turn to lead out the team for two minutes on a compass navigation while Don sets up the line. My lack of communication skills underwater make this very difficult, as I miss signals on who should lead, when in fact I am the leader!
Frustrated and lacking the skills to quickly pull out my wet notes, I successfully get the team back to the line for our second set of skills. Visibility drops to almost just 3 feet and my left leg starts to get damp, I get my first leak, and my leg is getting cold.
This just builds to more of my anxiety, and I start to lose focus with my team. I try really hard to stay focus, and we end up finishing our skills, and get to the surface where I express my anger by keeping extremely quiet and not wanting to talk.
The team quickly addresses my leak on shore and Don; yes Don again comes and fixes my leak. Hey, MG, just remove the quick disconnect from your P-valve and that should solve the issue. Solved and while the team is debriefing the videos I run over to the laundry mat and dry my undergarments.
I get in for dive two and the leak is gone, and Im very grateful to my instructor for fixing my problems!
Sunday (San Carlos Beach, Break Water)
These two dives are the most intense as the instructor has just become a spectator, and not the team leader. We all come together as a unit and work with all our deficiencies and rise to the occasion with all of our mistakes.
Wet notes are coming out, we are letting divers know of problems among us and solutions are correcting situations.
Plenty of S-drills, Mask removal, OOA ascent and more on keeping in trim and stay vigilant of your team. And can you believe it I was able to finally shoot a SMB and reel it up to the surface successfully, oops as I get to the surface and have it completely reeled and ready for storage, I do a butter fingers and it drops to the bottom of the ocean.
Not a problem Don and Kathy enter, and I have a SMB spool back in my hands in record time, thanks guys.
I feel the milestone for me, was to understand your teams every weakness and strength, mine included. Once you are aware of each you can react in the best possible way to solve any given issue. The team is a like a squadron of soldiers that are out on a special mission that when one breaks down and its not addressed, the entire team is compromised!
You are there for the team, not for yourself, and if you adopt this simple effective doctrine the end result is the same. Let me explain, if I am vigilant of diver A and B and they have the same value as me, the reciprocal occurs. I therefore increase my safety of two divers watching my every turn in this beautiful world we call the deep blue sea!
Special thanks goes out to; Don, Chris, Kathy and Miller...
Mike G
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