Regulator recovery

[Storker]

The question is: why blow bubbles when you're neutral? What's the point?

To demonstrate for your OW/CMAS1* students that you should always keep your airways open and never close your glottis.

While we - who of course are world class divers and always follow perfect practice (</sarcasm>) - are able to keep our airways open while not blowing bubbles, OW students can't be trusted to do that. So they're taught to blow a tiny stream of bubbles when they take their reg out of their gob.

 

[Dan_P]

The question is: why blow bubbles when you're neutral? What's the point?

Yep.

 

[Dan_P]

To demonstrate for your OW/CMAS1* students that you should always keep your airways open and never close your glottis.

While we - who of course are world class divers and always follow perfect practice (</sarcasm>) - are able to keep our airways open while not blowing bubbles, OW students can't be trusted to do that. So they're taught to blow a tiny stream of bubbles when they take their reg out of their gob.

Okay, fair enough.

Personally, I don't teach in a different way than how I dive.
Personally, I wouldn't certify someone I can't trust to make an ascend without closing their airways.
Personally, my students have their bouyancy and breathing down in the first hour of Confined 1, so I don't bother teaching them an inapplicable skill to fix a problem that I don't see exist.

 

[Storker]

Personally, I don't teach in a different way than how I dive.
Personally, I wouldn't certify someone I can't trust to make an ascend without closing their airways.
Personally, my students have their bouyancy and breathing down in the first hour of Confined 1, so I don't bother teaching them an inapplicable skill to fix a problem that I don't see exist.

Well AFAIK, it's The Way to teach n00bs, both in PADI and in CMAS. Regarding teaching at n00b level, I believe that the instructor's "personal" opinion is trumped by agency standards and practice.

I'm not an instructor, but I got a bit of insight in teaching standards when I took my 3*.

On hindsight: how can you be certain that your students aren't closing their glottis when they take their reg out of their gob?

 

[Zef]

.

 

[Dan_P]

Well AFAIK, it's The Way to teach n00bs, both in PADI and in CMAS. Regarding teaching at n00b level, I believe that the instructor's "personal" opinion is trumped by agency standards and practice.

I'm not an instructor, but I got a bit of insight in teaching standards when I took my 3*.

Of course you're right that standards trump personal opinion, whichever organization one opts for, but the standards are MILES away from oneanother across agencies.
So just because PADI, CMAS or anyone else does something in one way doesn't mean I have to adhere to it.
Nor does that give any indication as to whether it makes sense, in my opinion.

Some adhere to the WRSTC's guidelines (which are really just PADI's guidelines), but I don't think there's any reason to give the WRSTC any serious consideration in the framework of an official entity;
It's just a regular trade association maintaining its members' (dive agencies' (businesses)) interests, so I have zero problems turning my back on their approaches in favor of something more... Well, contemporary.

I mean these cats took till like 2007 to be rid of buddy breathing Come on.

 

[Dan_P]

On hindsight: how can you be certain that your students aren't closing their glottis when they take their reg out of their gob?

It's the other way around.
I can see that they're holding still. That's the safety, right there. No ascend, no Boyle's, no danger, no bubbles.

I only need to see bubbles when the students are ascending (obviously a bit here and there during the dive, too), which fortunately is very easy to confirm visually.

So it's really a non-issue, that part. And starting out getting them buttoned op on breathing and buouyancy from Day 1 really establishes a solid base to learn from.

In my experience.

 

[AJ]

To demonstrate for your OW/CMAS1* students that you should always keep your airways open and never close your glottis.

While we - who of course are world class divers and always follow perfect practice (</sarcasm>) - are able to keep our airways open while not blowing bubbles, OW students can't be trusted to do that. So they're taught to blow a tiny stream of bubbles when they take their reg out of their gob.

Ah, been there, done that and don't do it anymore as I don't see the point. Same as buddy line, buddy breathing and snorkels And no, I'am far from being a perfect diver. I hope I one day will be

 

[Storker]

Same as buddy line, buddy breathing and snorkels

What's your problem with those? While buddy breathing well might go the way of the dodo except in very special circumstances, both buddy lines and snorkels may well have some utility if the conditions call for it. I usually don't use either a snorkel nor a buddy line, but OTOH I've been in situations where I've seriously appreciated having one of them.

 

[Dan_P]

I'm with AJ.

Buddy breathing stopped making sense twenty years ago, but to each their own.

Last year, a retired head of investigations related to scuba diving from the Danish police special task force held a public presentation on the scuba injuries and fatalities he'd seen through his career.
His message was chrystal clear: forget about buddy lines, they're a killer.
Personally, I think he knew what he was talking about, and I personally don't think it makes any sense either, but to each their own.

Snorkels. Haven't personally used one in ages for anything scuba. There are applications, but for me, it makes a lot of sense with a pocket snorkel. But to each their own.

That's 3 times "to each their own", and I think I'll leave it at that