Don't know what happened

[boulderjohn]

There is no logical explanation still as to why I was unable to keep up.

This sentence is not quite accurate. Let me rephrase it for you.

There is no logical explanation still that I am willing to believe and accept as to why I was unable to keep up.
​

Since there is no reason for it, then your failure to keep up must be a delusion. You must have stayed with them the entire time.

 

[lexvil]

Here’s my probably useless opinion;
The leader of the group had a different goal, moving quickly to hit point to point, fins cam make a huge difference, you RK fins are good compact all around fins, I didn’t see what the others were using mentioned, that can have some effect. A question for those other divers to determine if they actually saw anything or just burned air may help you more than finding out how to go faster.

 

[diver0008]

I am a DM today but just for the sake of it. I have no interest diving professionnally. Today, my instructor asked me if I I could be a DM for him and a family of 3 (50 years old, 15 and 14), closing the group. After a 15 minutes dive, things got complicated. Current. Strong or mild, I don't know. All I know is that I could not move forward. But what I found interesting is that I had the feeling that the group composed of the instructor and the three inexperienced divers was moving more efficiently that me. I tried to used my positioning with the reef to reduce the pressure but I failed at such a point that I lost them (vis was about 10 meters) and could only catch up following the bubbles. I know that I am more physically fit that the group of sunday divers. Why wasn't I able to follow them? Is it like in bicycling when being in a group is more efficient fighting wind than being alone? Or was the current stronger for me 10 meters in the back?

Stronger swimmers than you and in a hurry?

 

[hilljo88]

DM training and motivation are somewhat diverting from your question of why you couldn’t keep up, and the answer is that the other divers had some combination of gear, fitness and technique that in combination work better than yours. Personally, I long ago stopped comparing my physical abilities to anyone in their teens or twenties. You can review your gear and technique to improve, but you might still get left behind by more fit divers.

 

[johndiver999]

The fact that the OP failed in fulfilling his critical responsibilities as a DM AND also can't understand why arm swimming is not the answer and continues to wonder if it was the wetsuit, is ample evidence for someone to conclude that the diver's abilities and training are insufficient for the task at hand.

Someone with adequate training and skills, should be able to recognize the cause of the failure, or at least have a very good idea about what caused it. Anyone can make a mistake and screw up, but with the benefit of adequate skills and training, the probable causes of the mistake should be readily apparent to the individual.

With respect to judging someone's own training, how would they determine if it is/was adequate? I would think that if that person can not identify the CAUSE of their failure that this should be a very clear signal that the training was incomplete. It was not a super complex situation.

The inability to adequately analyze the situation (even with ample help from others) is critical. In other words, the inability to self analyze is much more relevant than the simple occurrence of the "problem" itself.

As has been emphasized earlier in this thread, we are not talking about a recreational diver, we are talking about a fully certified and insured individual who is presumably qualified to assume responsibilities for others.

Perhaps my perspective is too blunt, but I would suggest that the OP try to find some other, independent professional to perfom an independent evaluation of their skills/knowledge/watermanship and then go from there.

 

[Dody]

Agreed. Sadly, not a requirement though. I think it points to a lack of experience requirements for training to become a dive professional across the industry.

Wrong. It has nothing to do with experience. It is just common sense. Don’t get me wrong. I do not pile up certs for the C-Cards. I could not care less. I do it for the knowledge and to be prepared. Money isn’t currently a problem. If I identify a potential flaw in my training, I search for the best course to fix it. I spend hours reading and watching materials. I spend hours with boat managers trying to better understand how to identify currents before even getting under water. I try to visualize all possible hazards, knowing that it is impossible but knowledge cannot hurt. All of this comes down to experience Vs studying. None can replace the other. You need both. But too often, experience is overrated as in the case of « never use your arms ».

 

[Dody]

The fact that the OP failed in fulfilling his critical responsibilities as a DM AND also can't understand why arm swimming is not the answer and continues to wonder if it was the wetsuit, is ample evidence for someone to conclude that the diver's abilities and training are insufficient for the task at hand.

Someone with adequate training and skills, should be able to recognize the cause of the failure, or at least have a very good idea about what caused it. Anyone can make a mistake and screw up, but with the benefit of adequate skills and training, the probable causes of the mistake should be readily apparent to the individual.

With respect to judging someone's own training, how would they determine if it is/was adequate? I would think that if that person can not identify the CAUSE of their failure that this should be a very clear signal that the training was incomplete. It was not a super complex situation.

The inability to adequately analyze the situation (even with ample help from others) is critical. In other words, the inability to self analyze is much more relevant than the simple occurrence of the "problem" itself.

As has been emphasized earlier in this thread, we are not talking about a recreational diver, we are talking about a fully certified and insured individual who is presumably qualified to assume responsibilities for others.

Perhaps my perspective is too blunt, but I would suggest that the OP try to find some other, independent professional to perfom an independent evaluation of their skills/knowledge/watermanship and then go from there.

The fact that you are still thinking that using arms in emergencies is a no-go shows that you do not have a scientific mind. That’s all I have to say to you. The rest of your post is …

 

[OTF]

I will be blown away (and honestly interested) if you can cite a single actual scientific study on the pros/cons of swimming with your arms while on scuba. We hardly even have the studies to understand why DCS kills people, let alone swimming techniques. Unfortunately there is very little hard science to most of this.

 

[Dody]

Some of the responses on this thread remind me of old timer that believed in the 40 years ago gospel that a man could brake better than ABS. That VFR was better than flying on instruments. Of parents who used to say that babies needed to sleep on their stomach, back or sideways. It is not about what you think you know because if you only think, you really know nothing. It is about what you can prove.
So please spare me the no arm unless you can prove your point. And give me undeniable evidence rather than your thoughts. Sentences like, all DM should be able to … have no interest for me unless it is realistic and supported by science.

 

[Dody]

I will be blown away (and honestly interested) if you can cite a single actual scientific study on the pros/cons of swimming with your arms while on scuba. We hardly even have the studies to understand why DCS kills people, let alone swimming techniques. Unfortunately there is very little hard science to most of this.

Most of them are about ascending and related to free diving. I don’t see why it could not be applied to scuba. But I will send you what I have digged as soon as I have the time.