I am happy with today's level of Diver Training!

[Papa_Bear]

I think that goes, never dive above your ability! If your not comfortable call the dive! It can be at a beach you dive all the time, but the conditions are severe on this trip! So you say next time! Just like taking a run down the Black Diamond hill after one lesson?
Practical sense, seem no one has common any more!

The last near drowning I was in attendance for was a diver with 30 dives in over his head and would not admit it! It came down to very poor gas management and inexperience! :shocked2:

But I see these kind of people making bad decisions in all activities, the difference is add water and compressed gas makes problems 800 plus times worse!

 

[*dave*]

How do you know when you're in over your head or just a little nervous? Don't you think a diver should know the difference? Don't you think better training would help people recognize situations they shouldn't be in before they get into them? Don't you think basic gas management should be taught in order to prevent the case you cite?

How can you think the lack of training responsible for a certified diver running out of gas because he wasn't taught any basic gas management is just fine? PB, that's the state of today's training. It's not good.

I know something of this love of diving you speak of. I't kinda hard for a lot of people to get to that point when their butt cheeks are clenched the entire dive because they are afraid of corking, plummenting into the abyss or huffing down their gas because they don't have buoyancy control.

Nobody I am aware of is for bringing back the physical terror, harrasment or endless training of the old days. They are for improving the fundamental skills of OW divers.

 

[Aquaventurewhitetip]

All the threads seem to be the same today....
Is it just me who thinks that dive planning and gas management used in conjunction with good UW communication should be as important as the practical core skills in an OW course?
REMEMBER GUYS AS INSTRUCTORS WE DON'T NEED TO TEACH TO THE MINIMUM STANDARD OF ANY COURSE WE TEACH.....THE SAME AS YOU DONT NEED TO DRIVE AT THE SPEED LIMIT..........

IS IT ME OR SOMETHING? AM I MISSING THE POINT?????

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

As far as gas management goes; my job is one of those supposed to be hand holding DM jobs that only instructors get hired for, 'cause we have to teach diving to the certified divers we're supposed to hold hands with. Forget gas management! Just teach them to look at the dad gum SPG every 10 minutes or so!!!

All we ask is to be told when they are at half a tank and when they are at 1000 psi (3000 psi 80's). I model this behavior during the dive, purposely and obviously looking at my SPG and computer repeatedly during the dive. Often I don't feel like it should be my job to ask what their pressure is but on those dives invariably one or more more diver ends up at 500 psi way too far from the ascent line, and the only way I find out is eventually I ask.

I'm not just talking about new or infrequent divers, even lot's of experienced and skilled divers seem to think they have 120's on their back or something!

 

[Codyjp]

As far as gas management goes; my job is one of those supposed to be hand holding DM jobs that only instructors get hired for, 'cause we have to teach diving to the certified divers we're supposed to hold hands with. Forget gas management! Just teach them to look at the dad gum SPG every 10 minutes or so!!!

All we ask is to be told when they are at half a tank and when they are at 1000 psi (3000 psi 80's). I model this behavior during the dive, purposely and obviously looking at my SPG and computer repeatedly during the dive. Often I don't feel like it should be my job to ask what their pressure is but on those dives invariably one or more more diver ends up at 500 psi way too far from the ascent line, and the only way I find out is eventually I ask.

I'm not just talking about new or infrequent divers, even lot's of experienced and skilled divers seem to think they have 120's on their back or something!

Yes, yes, yes. And while your at it smoke cigarettes, don't wear your seat belt and use your hair drier in the bathtub.

You've ARE kidding right?

Don't you see that the root of your problem begins with the OW instructor? If all the clueless monkeys you were leading around were originally taught gas management YOU wouldn't have to be worrying about it.

 

[Codyjp]

I agree, but once the love of diving kicks in then the learning really begins! A good vacation location DM can handle keeping the "Newbies" off the reef! But sometimes you have to break some eggs to make an omelet as long as the eggs don't belong to you!

Overall I think the industry deserves a "B" grade, there is always room for improvement, but the reality of where the rubber meets the road! That reality is without a large number of divers no new equipment, no new resorts, no new Boats, and a complete different look to the shape of diving!

Are you suggesting that it is OK for a diver to bust corals as long as they are having fun and it isn't on 'their' reef? Seriously?!

Corals get broke inadvertently but there is never a time EVER when it should be thought of as OK or even acceptable, it is absolutely alarming and shocking that you'd suggest that. I hope I'm misreading what you've wrote.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

No I'm not really kidding. If they read the book enough to pass the test and performed the OW dives to even the worst instructors mastery definition and then they can't manage to look at their friggin' SPG occasionally, what makes you think they can comprehend management of gas?

 

[Codyjp]

No I'm not really kidding. If they read the book enough to pass the test and preformed the OW dives to even the worst instructors mastery definition and then they can't manage to look at their friggin' SPG occasionally, what makes you think they can comprehend management of gas?

I guess I didn't realize that all open water students were farm animal stupid. I thought the general population was a bit smarter than that but I could be wrong.

It seems to me an extra couple hours in the classroom would nail down the basics of gas management, unless of course, you are teaching farm animals.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

There's very few budding Mike Nelsons in todays student pool; mostly a bunch of pudgy Beau and Jeff Bridges. If you only have lemons what's wrong with lemonade?

 

[*dave*]

There's very few budding Mike Nelsons in todays student pool; mostly a bunch of pudgy Beau and Jeff Bridges. If you only have lemons what's wrong with lemonade?

This is probably one of the saddest statements I've ever heard from a professional.