SSI and turning off air?

[caver]

In another thread on this board I read a post that stated a SSI instructor turned off the students air. This was said to been done in a pool, to practice an out of air ascent from the bottom of the pool. I am not making any statments as to this being a bad idea or a good idea. My question pertains to the SSI S&P and turning off a students air. I am not familar with SSI and would like to know what they say, if anything about doing this. I know that in the past this would be done all the time, then most agencies made a policy about it.

 

[garyfotodiver]

Why not look it up on their website or email them directly?

SSI Scuba Schools International: new Website @ www.diveSSI.com (was www.ssiusa.com)

 

[tstormdiver]

Looking in my instructor manual, it is part of the procedure for the emergency buoyant ascent in pool session 4. The procedure says (in a nut shell) the instructor is to thoroughly brief the exercise before it starts & answer any questions about the procedure. The procedure boldly stresses though, that the instructor gets in front of the student & informs the student that the air will be turned off & positively establishes that the student is OK using hand signals before the exercise commences. When the student notices the air is gone, they are to remove the weight belt & make the ascent according to procedure. The instructor is to turn the air back on before the student leaves the bottom & accompany the student all the way to the surface. At th end of the procedure it is stated that it is not recommended to to do the exercise with a reluctant or apprehensive student.

 

[gtxl1200]

I was certified SSI and they done it in the pool and in the open water check out dives. That was almost 6 years ago. They still do it that way today at least my LDS does my buddy was certified last week and they made him do it.

 

[caver]

Looking in my instructor manual, it is part of the procedure for the emergency buoyant ascent in pool session 4. The procedure says (in a nut shell) the instructor is to thoroughly brief the exercise before it starts & answer any questions about the procedure. The procedure boldly stresses though, that the instructor gets in front of the student & informs the student that the air will be turned off & positively establishes that the student is OK using hand signals before the exercise commences. When the student notices the air is gone, they are to remove the weight belt & make the ascent according to procedure. The instructor is to turn the air back on before the student leaves the bottom & accompany the student all the way to the surface. At th end of the procedure it is stated that it is not recommended to to do the exercise with a reluctant or apprehensive student.

Thanks for the reply,,,
Brian Kendall

 

[KY_BOB]

Looking in my instructor manual, it is part of the procedure for the emergency buoyant ascent in pool session 4. The procedure says (in a nut shell) the instructor is to thoroughly brief the exercise before it starts & answer any questions about the procedure. The procedure boldly stresses though, that the instructor gets in front of the student & informs the student that the air will be turned off & positively establishes that the student is OK using hand signals before the exercise commences. When the student notices the air is gone, they are to remove the weight belt & make the ascent according to procedure. The instructor is to turn the air back on before the student leaves the bottom & accompany the student all the way to the surface. At th end of the procedure it is stated that it is not recommended to to do the exercise with a reluctant or apprehensive student.

That is exactly how it was done when I did my checkout dives a couple of weeks ago. Once on the surface we had to orally inflate the BC using the bobbing method. It was actually fun, certainly not scary.

He did explain that it was to simulate being out of air and that he want us to feel what it would be like if a tank ran out. Obviously we were to exhale on the ascent but he didn't want us to inhale on the way up. The tank was turned back on in case we needed it. To be honest, I think I cheated and did inhale on the way up. It's hard to make yourself not inhale when there is air available.

It seems like he also turned the tank off (and then right back on) when we did the sharing air with you buddy skill or maybe it was also during the emergency swimming ascent, not sure, but the air was turned off more than once.

It might be scary if you weren't expecting it but when you watching the SPG, it's no big deal.

 

[ohmdiver]

Pool yes- open water never seen it. I know the instructor I "work" with has never closed a submerged valve on a student while doing open water dives- or any one else either.


When I say work, I do the safety diver thing, it amounts to "dragging the flag".

 

[tstormdiver]

Once again by the instructor manual in Open Water Session 4, the instructor has the option of doing either the Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent (CESA) or the Emergency Buoyant Ascent (EBA). If doing the CESA, the air is not supposed to be turned off, but if the instructor opts for th students to do the EBA, then the air is turned off exactly the same as in Pool Session 4. My particular shop does the EBA with the air being turned off & immediately turned back on, in the pool, but not typically in Open Water. The instructors at our shop typically does the CESA in Open Water, not the EBA. Keep in mind, that SSI allows some freedom (20%) to the instructors as to what is taught & how & when it is taught. I'll be honest, I just got my instructor certification recently & have not yet taught any classes, but this is what I have observed as a Dive Con, assisting with the classes.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

We are an SSI shop and teach the emergency buoyancy ascent IN THE POOL as descrived by Tammy. We DO NOT do this skill in the open water. This is how I was trained by my SSI Instructor Trainer.

 

[tstormdiver]

Our shop typically does not do it in Open Water either, just the pool, but in Open Water, the EBA with the air being turned off, is an option if the instructor decides to have the students demonstrate it.