What to do in the event that...

[TMHeimer]

It seems the OP simply wants folks to write in about the problems they have experienced and the solutions they have found. Not really about basic stuff that's taught in OW and who teaches/does that stuff which way. I've read some good responses. If folks do what the OP asks it will be a many page thread indeed. I think that's all he wants.

 

[Crush]

Ok, I get it. You want to play small. You'd rather sit in the bleachers and complain rather than play out on the court and contribute.

I have a commitment to the safety of other divers and to their education.

Let me be clear.

I have a commitment to the safety of other divers and to their education.

You let the impossibility of the goal stop you from even participating. Not only that, you drag others down with you.

The spirit of this thread was to start as comprehensive of a list as possible of contingencies that could be taken in the event that things go wrong, big or small. If "stay calm, find your buddy, get to the surface in a manner as to not die or get bent, and then maintain positive buoyancy" was all that anyone needed to know we wouldn't have a single thread in Accidents and Incidents. But that is not the case. Incidents range from minor scares to death. I believe that it couldn't hurt to have this contingency list.

fuzzybabybunny, you are feeding a need for smug superiority. Do you feel that the terms of service in the Basic Scuba Discussions forum is being observed (see the top of the page)? If not, click "Report." Just please don't quit SB because of a single poster.

 

[knowone]

Try and pick up on a short list from all you are reading on SB that applies to what you will be attempting over the next couple of dives and keep on diving on but I think this has been already addressed, without contributing to your thread going to crap.

And remember, in the schoolyard, it is said that it takes an arsehole to knowone.

 

[Walter]

How to deal with those should have been covered enough to allow you to know what to do. If not, I would suggest going back to the place you got certified at and ask for more pool time / explanations...

In my opinion, this is not a very good suggestion. That instructor obviously does not cover things you and I consider essential in the entry level class. It would be silly to expect them to cover them now that the class is over. A better approach would be to look for an instructor who takes a more comprehensive approach to dive instruction.

 

[dburg30]

In my opinion, this is not a very good suggestion. That instructor obviously does not cover things you and I consider essential in the entry level class. It would be silly to expect them to cover them now that the class is over. A better approach would be to look for an instructor who takes a more comprehensive approach to dive instruction.

Good point. I guess I should have stated, start with that instructor and see if they will help. Perhaps they just thought everyone looked comfortable with the skills. Maybe the skills got covered but was only covered very quickly and didnt really sink in. Now if the instructor has the "you got what you paid for" or "that's how I've always done it" then you need to look for someone else.

 

[flots am]

Ok, I get it. You want to play small. You'd rather sit in the bleachers and complain rather than play out on the court and contribute.

I have a commitment to the safety of other divers and to their education.

Let me be clear.

I have a commitment to the safety of other divers and to their education.

Either your profile is wrong or you're putting the cart before the horse.

0 - 24 dives means you still have to think about which way the tank valve faces, and in an emergency, it's a crap shoot as to whether you'll remember your training or panic.

While it's nice to " . . . have a commitment to the safety of other divers and to their education." at this point, your personal safety will be much better served by working on the stuff you have just learned, than worrying about edge cases and unnecessary procedures.

flots.

 

[flots am]

If "stay calm, find your buddy, get to the surface in a manner as to not die or get bent, and then maintain positive buoyancy" was all that anyone needed to know we wouldn't have a single thread in Accidents and Incidents. But that is not the case.

It's "not the case" because the victims don't do it.

If you really look at the A&I section you'll find that excluding medical problems, nearly every one was caused by exceeding recommended limits, not following training or being some sort of dumbass (which still actually still falls in to "not following training" category).

You'll be hard pressed to find a situation that a new recreational diver would run into that can't be handled using the skills and procedures taught in a recreational OW class.

flots.

 

[h90]

He is NOT oversimplifying your request at all. All of these things should have been covered in detail in your OW class. In fact there are a great many what ifs that should have been. I realize they probably were not. It is one of the things that really gets my goat and why, if everything goes well, my book regarding these issues and a lot more will be coming out at the end of February/early March.

A better snorkel solution if you are on scuba is put the reg back in your mouth until you are on the boat. If snorkeling then you did not take in a big enough breath or are using poor technique. And yes these are in my OW class.

Along with if your buddy suddenly goes unconscious get neutral, check to see if they really are unconscious, reach around under the right arm and hold the reg in. Dump air from their BC if necessary and use yours to establish a neutral state. Then begin to swim them up dumping air from yours. Much easier to manage one BC. DO NOT DUMP ANYONE'S WEIGHTS UNTIL YOU HIT THE SURFACE. Then establish positive buoyancy for them then you by dumping them if necessary.

Do not enter the water overweighted. For the first 10 or so dives do a weight check at the beginning of every one and at the end. You should know how to do this as well without guidance. If not go back to the instructor and get what you were not given.

To be honest: disconnect the BCD hose was not covered in my OW course. I am 100 % sure.
Not sure if it was in the book somewhere, can't recall but there was never talked about it.
Freeflow was covered.

 

[danvolker]

danvolker, the only issue that I have with your post (above) is that it seems to suggest that students choose a short/cheap modular approach of the basic open water diver. In my mind I would share your scorn if we substituted the term "decides to choose" for "gives informed consent." Hell, I hear at dive shops regularly "sure, you can buy a $300 regulator, but it is a critical piece of your life support - why not buy this (superior) $800 regulator - is your life not worth it?" If only dive shops took a similar approach to quality scuba instruction.

Mpetryk, good point..... If the potential student knew what they did not know, they would know what to look for in an instructor, or in a training agency. If they are lucky enough to have friends that are good divers who can offer good advice on how to choose....or if they do some web research here on scubaboard on the issue....or if they luck out and walk into a shop that really cares, then they will avoid the problems caused by the flaws in the worst of the modular training systems being pushed out there today. Even a shop that cares more about the money "can" do a better job here....they could use their ultra cheap Basic Open Water course to "hook" the new student....but then once in the course, they would need to explain that the Open Water Cert is only "technically" legal to dive with...but that a much more important reality is that they will need to complete several additional courses before they really know enough to be safe to plan their own dive, or be in the water with another of only similar skills.
I do not believe just getting them to the Advaced Open Water will do the job either, as this is still sorely lacking in "actual" advanced skills.....somewhere the propulsion skills, the trim and bouyancy, the monitoring your buddy and your own air skills, and the skill to stay "with" your buddy, etc, have to be taught. It will not be with the Nitrox class, which is a joke in my book--this should be lumped into AOW, it is a tiny bit of information, easy to add on....the real need is for the basic dive skills. Again, these ARE taught by the GOOD instructors, but the shops trying to survive with the minimal modular approach, really need to push some real skill classes as mandatory....as long as divers keep getting churned out that think they are divers--but are not even close, there is a huge flaw in the system.

Regards,
DanV

 

[dburg30]

To be honest: disconnect the BCD hose was not covered in my OW course. I am 100 % sure.
Not sure if it was in the book somewhere, can't recall but there was never talked about it.
Freeflow was covered.

If it was PADI it's supposed to be covered in pool sessions. Granted normally I'm sure there isnt a lot of time spent on it. But unhooking it, rehooking it while underwater at depth, manual inflation at depth etc all SHOULD have been covered. Actually I think we did the hook unhook above water first, just so you would get the idea of the pressure to do it before you did it underwater.