First of blog series for teaching neutrally buoyant and trimmed

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Kosta,

Thanks very much for your blog and for your recent sharing of Pete's weight check method. This is important and useful stuff.

Because I do most of my work, not as an instructor, but as a DM on charter boats, I see the results of OW teaching methods, both good and bad, every time I go to work.

There are some excellent teachers out there. The other day, a young couple came aboard with BPW long-hose setups that looked brand new. I asked if they were tech divers, and they said no, they are new divers, but they had taken their OW course from a tech-oriented instructor in whatever state they just moved here from and bought the gear he recommended. Despite a) their lack of experience, b) a long gap since their last dive, and c) distinctly non-athletic physiques, they had beautiful trim and control. Clearly their instructor knew a thing or two.

Far more commonly, however, I see divers who present no evidence beyond their cert cards of having been taught anything about weighting or trim. They're usually vertical and overweighted.

And they don't become better divers by doing more diving because the easiest way for DM's to get a batch of these divers under water is to acquiesce to their requests for far more weight than they need, thereby reinforcing bad habits. (DM's try to coach as circumstances lend opportunity, but teaching isn't the mission: unless we're hired as a private guide, our job is to get groups of divers into, under, and out of the water without getting anyone lost or hurt.)

One issue mentioned tangentially in your first blog that I hope gets more attention is the effect of anxiety/breathing on buoyancy. A weight check conducted on an anxious diver with rapid, shallow breathing will always lead to over-weighting. I've lost count of the number of times divers who weigh 50-75 pounds less than me who are laden with twice the weight I'm packing despite being swathed in about a half acre less neoprene than my carcass requires will come away from a weight convinced that they need more weight--because they can't relax enough to do the weight check correctly.

Another principle I'd like to see reinforced is the notion that any diver who can exhale enough to submerge his or her head has enough weight to descend to the bottom of the deepest ocean. The first foot is the hardest. Inexperienced divers don't believe this. They can conduct either a PADI-style or Chairman-style weight check properly but still believe in their hearts that they need more weight to "really" descend.

Thanks for the good work you're doing. If I get out to Washington to visit my sister, I'd love to observe your classes.

There are two more blog posts coming. I'd guess that the second one will be out in April's newsletter and the third/final one in May.

The second one focuses on students getting comfortable in the water. Anxiety is detrimental to learning after all. A little time up front saves a lot of time later. Hopefully I'll address this issue adequately in that post.

 

[TMHeimer]

[QUOTE="Scraps, post: 9329284, member: 509314"

Far more commonly, however, I see divers who present no evidence beyond their cert cards of having been taught anything about weighting or trim. They're usually vertical and overweighted.

And .[/QUOTE]


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Another example that maybe supports my theory that comfortability in water prior to OW course makes a big difference.
I believe you when you say "Far more commonly", because I have heard this so many times on Scubaboard.
Then I ask--If you are usually vertical, how are you even diving in the first place? Are you pushing yourself forward with arms and kinda walking through a dive? I figure someone with decent water experience will figure out the overweighting part and maybe even do something with trim to get horizontal. Thus solving the problems despite poor instruction.

 

[johndiver999]

...

What I'd like new divers to come away with is, empty your BCD/wing at the end of your safety stop, dump gas until you are at 500 psi/50 bar and check if you sink, stay at a constant depth (slight rising/falling with one's breath) or rise to the surface. Second, be completely motionless and see if your feet sink below you. If they do those two things and address them gradually between dives, then eventually they'll get the correct amount of weight and also properly distributed.

I think your enthusiasm for making better divers quicker is commendable.

I also agree that it is way, way too common to see new divers (significantly) over weighted.
I also agree that carrying excess lead makes buoyancy control more difficult, particularly in shallow water.
I agree that getting the weight distribution worked out so that proper trim is attained is very beneficial.

However, it sounds like you are putting a lot of emphasis on the concept that the proper way to dive is to carry the absolute minimum amount of ballast. I don't necessarily agree with that and also with the concept that a diver should be neutral at 15 feet with a near empty tank is the ultimate goal.

The reasons for my divergence from this thinking pertain to a few relatively common situations. For one, it is important that a diver be able to be neutral for ALL depths. With a thick wetsuit, a diver could be neutral at 15 feet and end up being quite buoyant at 5 or 3 ft depth. If this occurs on a drift dive and a boat is accidentally approaching a diver, the last thing you want is to be floating up toward it. I personally would prefer to be neutral at the surface NOT at 15 feet for this reason. Even if the diver were to be on the surface after the dive and then a boat is approaching, being buoyant (without any air in BC) could make it more difficult to re-descend to avoid being run over. These, types of situations are anything but trivial or theoretical in some places where I dive.

Another very valid reason to carry some extra lead is to be able to hang at 15 feet and pull down on an smb so that it stands up. If the diver is actually neutral at 15 feet they are going to waste all kinds or air and effort trying to restrict breathing or actively swimming down to attain the 3-4 lbs of negative weight to "keep it up". This also pertains particularly well to drift diving where boat traffic is an issue and keeping the smb upright as much as possible is an important consideration.

Lastly, when diving in strong currents it is often beneficial to have excess lead which allows the diver to crawl along the bottom or along a wreck. We can argue that should never occur but in some situations it is going to be a reality.

I think it is worth mentioning that in some situations it IS beneficial to carry a modest amount of "extra" ballast - at least above the amount associated with "neutral at 15 feet".

The ultimate goal is buoyancy control and trim NOT minimum amount of ballast - in my book anyway.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I think your enthusiasm for making better divers quicker is commendable.

It is better than griping about instructors teaching on the knees. There are many instructors who simply do not know how. As I was helped by others to change my wicked ways, shouldn't I pay it forward too?

However, it sounds like you are putting a lot of emphasis on the concept that the proper way to dive is to carry the absolute minimum amount of ballast. I don't necessarily agree with that and also with the concept that a diver should be neutral at 15 feet with a near empty tank is the ultimate goal.

The reasons for my divergence from this thinking pertain to a few relatively common situations. For one, it is important that a diver be able to be neutral for ALL depths. With a thick wetsuit, a diver could be neutral at 15 feet and end up being quite buoyant at 5 or 3 ft depth. If this occurs on a drift dive and a boat is accidentally approaching a diver, the last thing you want is to be floating up toward it. I personally would prefer to be neutral at the surface NOT at 15 feet for this reason. Even if the diver were to be on the surface after the dive and then a boat is approaching, being buoyant (without any air in BC) could make it more difficult to re-descend to avoid being run over. These, types of situations are anything but trivial or theoretical in some places where I dive.

Another very valid reason to carry some extra lead is to be able to hang at 15 feet and pull down on an smb so that it stands up. If the diver is actually neutral at 15 feet they are going to waste all kinds or air and effort trying to restrict breathing or actively swimming down to attain the 3-4 lbs of negative weight to "keep it up". This also pertains particularly well to drift diving where boat traffic is an issue and keeping the smb upright as much as possible is an important consideration.

Lastly, when diving in strong currents it is often beneficial to have excess lead which allows the diver to crawl along the bottom or along a wreck. We can argue that should never occur but in some situations it is going to be a reality.

I think it is worth mentioning that in some situations it IS beneficial to carry a modest amount of "extra" ballast - at least above the amount associated with "neutral at 15 feet".

The ultimate goal is buoyancy control and trim NOT minimum amount of ballast - in my book anyway.

All some fair points. Yes, as one gets closer to the surface, wetsuits do become more buoyant.

I only wish you brought this up before I submitted the articles. Seriously, John, where the heck were you? Never considered "Florida Man" in a boat.

In all seriousness, I would have added content for "exceptions" or "things to consider." But you are also talking about where people drain their cylinders to the bare minimum. Depending on the situation, I do or do not do this.

 

[Scraps]

I think johndiver999 makes excellent points--and I could add additional circumstances in which extra weight makes sense (e.g., dives that will require extra exertion at the bottom: setting an anchor, grappling to subdue a shot fish).

But I also think the context of Kosta's blog is first things first: teach divers to dive in trim with a baseline weighting. Then explain to them what circumstances warrant more weight and help them figure out what "a modest amount of extra ballast" means. Without a reason and an understanding of "modest," a diver could get right back to being overweighted.

 

[VikingDives]

One issue mentioned tangentially in your first blog that I hope gets more attention is the effect of anxiety/breathing on buoyancy. A weight check conducted on an anxious diver with rapid, shallow breathing will always lead to over-weighting. I've lost count of the number of times divers who weigh 50-75 pounds less than me who are laden with twice the weight I'm packing despite being swathed in about a half acre less neoprene than my carcass requires will come away from a weight convinced that they need more weight--because they can't relax enough to do the weight check correctly.

When I teach OW, I always tell my students that they will have anxiety during their first few dives, even if they aren't aware of it. Because it's unnatural to breathe underwater and our biology tells us us so (that's my theory anyway).

Because they will be feeling anxiety I have a signal for relax. For the feeling of what they should do, I ask them to close their eyes and imagine that they've had a bad day at work and they've just gotten home and collapsed on the couch and their whole body just sinks into the couch, relaxed. I talk about deep slow breaths and relaxing the arms and legs as what I'm looking for.

In the water, I tell them that they can tell me that they can signal me to relax if they need time before performing a skill and I don't mind waiting. I find that it significantly reduces panics in the water, and descents too.

@wetb4igetinthewater I enjoyed part 1 and am looking forward to parts 2 and 3.

 

[Scraps]

When I teach OW, I always tell my students that they will have anxiety during their first few dives, even if they aren't aware of it. Because it's unnatural to breathe underwater and our biology tells us us so (that's my theory anyway).

Because they will be feeling anxiety I have a signal for relax. For the feeling of what they should do, I ask them to close their eyes and imagine that they've had a bad day at work and they've just gotten home and collapsed on the couch and their whole body just sinks into the couch, relaxed. I talk about deep slow breaths and relaxing the arms and legs as what I'm looking for.

In the water, I tell them that they can tell me that they can signal me to relax if they need time before performing a skill and I don't mind waiting. I find that it significantly reduces panics in the water, and descents too.

@wetb4igetinthewater I enjoyed part 1 and am looking forward to parts 2 and 3.

How do they do that without spilling their imaginary after-work cocktails?
I like your idea enough to steal it. Thanks.

 

[VikingDives]

How do they do that without spilling their imaginary after-work cocktails?
I like your idea enough to steal it. Thanks.

I usually mention having an adult beverage - for kids, I talk about a bad day at school and spending time on their xbox.

I think the most important thing is excusing them for having anxiety. I say something to the effect of, "Humans have survived for millions of years because our little lizard brain has a rule that says, 'Don't breathe underwater, you'll die.' So it takes time and practice for that natural process to come to terms with doing it."

Otherwise, people are floating around in the water thinking, "I signed up for this, why am I so stressed? Maybe this isn't for me/I'm no good at this/I'll never be good at this." etc. I talk about the constant stream of bubbles we see from students and how you can tell who the instructor is and who the students are just from the way the bubbles show up at the surface.

All of this excuses the initial stress as natural and something they don't have to worry about, and gives them a tool to handle it when they recognize it. Because it's biological it isn't something they have to criticize themselves for.

 

[TMHeimer]

When I teach OW, I always tell my students that they will have anxiety during their first few dives, even if they aren't aware of it. Because it's unnatural to breathe underwater and our biology tells us us so (that's my theory anyway).

Because they will be feeling anxiety I have a signal for relax. For the feeling of what they should do, I ask them to close their eyes and imagine that they've had a bad day at work and they've just gotten home and collapsed on the couch and their whole body just sinks into the couch, relaxed. I talk about deep slow breaths and relaxing the arms and legs as what I'm looking for.

In the water, I tell them that they can tell me that they can signal me to relax if they need time before performing a skill and I don't mind waiting. I find that it significantly reduces panics in the water, and descents too.

@wetb4igetinthewater I enjoyed part 1 and am looking forward to parts 2 and 3.

Good point. I recall being a little anxious before OW checkout dive #1. Even with all my self-proclaimed past water experience and that I had free dived down almost as deep as the checkout dive would be while snorkeling many times.
I can imagine what someone who hasn't had that in-water experience must feel. I can easily see how panic can occur.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

The second blog post is all about getting students comfortable into water.

I feel quite strongly that going from the swim/float tests straight to scuba is counter productive for some students who need a more gradual process.

Spoiler: Spoiler alert for second blog post

Students learn skin diving/snorkeling before putting on scuba as well as perform a number of drills/skills that will be covered in depth. Plus a little more.

There's a lot of things that can be taught without scuba gear.