Classes to become a better recreational diver?

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Thanks for the invite! I've always wanted to try a little cavern diving. :)


If I were you (or me) I would hire Trace Malinowski @ Dutch Springs,re, bang for the buck,re, diving in general.
 
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I apologize if I repeat what someone else has said, but coming in late to the thread, I only read the first few pages.

What do you think you need to do to become a better recreational diver or what do you want to learn that is considered in the realm of recreational diving? As you are AOW, is there a specialty that you didn't feel you got enough of or is there one you wish you could have taken?

You are going to become a better recreational diver just by diving and continuing to think about and practice what you already know and are doing.

If you identify something that you think you want to improve on or learn, I like the idea of finding someone who would give tailor made instruction as opposed to taking a class (unless you decide on a specialty course.)
 
You are going to become a better recreational diver just by diving and continuing to think about and practice what you already know and are doing.
What if what you already know and are doing is wrong? What will all that additional practice do for you?
 
Over the years, I believe I have become a better diver by a combination of endeavors:

a. Courses, including DM training and technical dive training in particular – both of which required me to assiduously work on precision of buoyancy and trim control, precision of finning, precision of movement through the water (ascents, descents, backward, forward, turning), precision of breathing, precision of gear configuration, etc. The agency happened to be PADI. I don’t think the agency was as important as what I did.

b. Self-study, including a lot of internet reading, video viewing (YouTube is our friend), and Q & A (for example, I hear there is this thing called ScubaBoard where . . . :)). That process, of self-study, started early on and continues to this day.

c. Activity related to diving, and I have to say that becoming an Instructor really (really, really) helped me become a better diver. It is not so much the training (IDC) as the doing, and thinking about how to present ideas, and demonstrate practices, and figuring out how other divers learn, which has helped me better understand how I learn, and has led to a number of ‘AHA!' moments.

d. Diving, including 1) specifically working to make EVERY dive a training dive (I work on something each time I go in the water, be it trim, breathing, finning, whatever), and 2) diving with others who were / are i) better divers than I am (‘I sure want to do / look like THAT’), and ii) poorer divers than I am (‘I sure don’t want to ever do / look like THAT’).

As a result of my experience, and the ‘journey’, I don’t think there is one and only one right way to become a better diver. I don’t think there is one particular course that makes the difference, even though I specifically mentioned two that helped me a lot. Where courses have helped me has been having 1) a new standard of performance (precision) laid out for me to work toward, and 2) an Instructor who observed things that I was doing, and suggested changes. Courses provided the start, self-study provided the booster pump, and diving (and activity) has made the difference. One caveat: I don’t think that simply diving more would have brought me to where I am. First, it is a somewhat slower and less efficient process than facilitated (by courses, and self study, and even observation) development. Second, if I didn’t know what to change, and possibly how to change it, I don’t think I would have done much differently. After all, if I always do what I’ve always done, I will always get what I have always gotten. So, whether it be a course, or organized coaching, I think it is important to have outside input. Otherwise, you risk possibly becoming a very proficient bad diver.

I certainly don’t mean to suggest by item c., above, that you have to become an Instructor in order to become a better diver. That particularly helped ME, so I mention it by way of background. But, learning about my own learning was the critical element. (In fact, I said many, many times before I started the IDC, that I really had no interest in teaching scuba. I was already teaching in university and didn’t need to do more teaching.) I certainly don’t mean to suggest by item a., above, that you have to take professional (DM) or technical courses in order to become a better diver. That particularly helped ME, so I mention it also by way of background. But, developing precision of skill was the critical element.

A final note: I LOVE IT, when a diver comes to realize they want to become a better diver (not just take more courses), and asks for ideas on how to do that.
 
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Going back to my post a few pages back, I'd like to mention - again - that sooper technical skills underwater don't necessarily a good diver make. At least for my diving, being a good diver entails a lot more than being able to hold a deco stop or safety stop in perfect trim at +/15cm from your designated depth, or being able to backfin half the dive.

Being able to evaluate a site and its possible risks. to assist clubmates on the RIB - or even handling the boat or doing pickup - to properly plan a dive as required, to be prepared for the conditions you face, to handle situations that may develop into emergencies before they develop into emergencies and keep good communication with your buddy so both are happy and feel safe are, in my not so humble opinion, more important than being able to stay in perfect trim without moving a finger.

Which probably is the reason that the two large European agencies, CMAS and BSAC, include a lot of these topics in their course curriculums and put more emphasis on those topics than on having the technical skills necessary to safely dive a narrow cave with lots of loose silt on the bottom.
 
we worked with it until *I* decided to change.
Well stated! And, that is a key element. The diver may have to be willing to part with 'beloved' gear, IF doing so will materially contribute to becoming a better diver. At the same time, it is also true that gear doesn't make the diver. :) So, becoming a better diver is a matter of mental and physical skill development.
 
What if what you already know and are doing is wrong? What will all that additional practice do for you?

At this point, in my diving, if what I knew and what I was doing were both wrong, I would say that I have adapted through practice and it works for me! I know 2 wrongs don't make a right, but 2 Wrights make an airplane! Sorry, couldn't resist.

I know a diver who prefers to overweight and use his BC to adjust buoyancy which has been his practice for years. That may be considered wrong, but it is what he feels works for him. His practice (any dives he does) of overweighting makes him better at making adjustments with his BC. At least that's how I see it.

I see your point though. Having been a coach of swimming/diving and basketball, I taught technique/skills and then went with an idea of the time that "perfect practice makes perfect." But I also realize that techniques/skills can be tweaked (or completely ignored) and improvement or proficiency can still be obtained. The way something gets done may not be as efficient as another way yet can work for the person.

Having reread the OP's original post, I now realize I just plain misread (or didn't read) what was being asked for otherwise I would have left this quoted statement out.
 
Over the years, I believe I have become a better diver by a combination of endeavors:

a. Courses, including DM training and technical dive training in particular – both of which required me to assiduously work on precision of buoyancy and trim control, precision of finning, precision of movement through the water (ascents, descents, backward, forward, turning), precision of breathing, precision of gear configuration, etc. The agency happened to be PADI. I don’t think the agency was as important as what I did.

b. Self-study, including a lot of internet reading, video viewing (YouTube is our friend), and Q & A (for example, I hear there is this thing called ScubaBoard where . . . :)). That process, of self-study, started early on and continues to this day.

c. Activity related to diving, and I have to say that becoming an Instructor really (really, really) helped me become a better diver. It is not so much the training (IDC) as the doing, and thinking about how to present ideas, and demonstrate practices, and figuring out how other divers learn, which has helped me better understand how I learn, and has led to a number of ‘AHA!' moments.

d. Diving, including 1) specifically working to make EVERY dive a training dive (I work on something each time I go in the water, be it trim, breathing, finning, whatever), and 2) diving with others who were / are i) better divers than I am (‘I sure want to do / look like THAT’), and ii) poorer divers than I am (‘I sure don’t want to ever do / look like THAT’).

As a result of my experience, and the ‘journey’, I don’t think there is one and only one right way to become a better diver. I don’t think there is one particular course that makes the difference, even though I specifically mentioned two that helped me a lot. Where courses have helped me has been having 1) a new standard of performance (precision) laid out for me to work toward, and 2) an Instructor who observed things that I was doing, and suggested changes. Courses provided the start, self-study provided the booster pump, and diving (and activity) has made the difference. One caveat: I don’t think that simply diving more would have brought me to where I am. First, it is a somewhat slower and less efficient process than facilitated (by courses, and self study, and even observation) development. Second, if I didn’t know what to change, and possibly how to change it, I don’t think I would have done much differently. After all, if I always do what I’ve always done, I will always get what I have always gotten. So, whether it be a course, or organized coaching, I think it is important to have outside input. Otherwise, you risk possibly becoming a very proficient bad diver.

I certainly don’t mean to suggest by item c., above, that you have to become an Instructor in order to become a better diver. That particularly helped ME, so I mention it by way of background. But, learning about my own learning was the critical element. (In fact, I said many, many times before I started the IDC, that I really had no interest in teaching scuba. I was already teaching in university and didn’t need to do more teaching.) I certainly don’t mean to suggest by item a., above, that you have to take professional (DM) or technical courses in order to become a better diver. That particularly helped ME, so I mention it also by way of background. But, developing precision of skill was the critical element.

A final note: I LOVE IT, when a diver comes to realize they want to become a better diver (not just take more courses), and asks for ideas on how to do that.

Thanks for your detailed post. I've been doing a lot of self-study & have also started a dive-related endeavor (well, perhaps 2 if you consider becoming a Mod for this thing called ScubaBoard, a dive-related endeavor). I didn't initially consider these helpful to my diving overall, but I think you're correct. It's like a multi-pronged approach.

And I absolutely adore the idea of working on some aspect of my diving during every dive. This is not something I heard before & I really think it's a wonderful idea! Thank you.

At this point, in my diving, if what I knew and what I was doing were both wrong, I would say that I have adapted through practice and it works for me! I know 2 wrongs don't make a right, but 2 Wrights make an airplane! Sorry, couldn't resist.

I know a diver who prefers to overweight and use his BC to adjust buoyancy which has been his practice for years. That may be considered wrong, but it is what he feels works for him. His practice (any dives he does) of overweighting makes him better at making adjustments with his BC. At least that's how I see it.

I see your point though. Having been a coach of swimming/diving and basketball, I taught technique/skills and then went with an idea of the time that "perfect practice makes perfect." But I also realize that techniques/skills can be tweaked (or completely ignored) and improvement or proficiency can still be obtained. The way something gets done may not be as efficient as another way yet can work for the person.

Having reread the OP's original post, I now realize I just plain misread (or didn't read) what was being asked for otherwise I would have left this quoted statement out.

If we take your example of the diver who prefers to dive overweighted, I still think he could benefit from changing this. Unless he actually successfully works through what it feels like to dive neutral, I don't think he would actually know all of the benefits he's currently missing. (I don't mean a few dives. I mean actually taking the time to learn & then be comfortable diving neutral.)

And this is true for me as well. I can theoretically talk about why I prefer certain gear or certain ways of diving, but until I actually try other ways & get comfortable with them, I won't know if they are better. Practice does make perfect, but that's only when you know what the absolute ideal is...& with diving there are so many different methods that can make you better.
 
This will no doubt shock some readers, but I do not think all divers leave their OW class with buoyancy, trim, and weighting dialed in.

As a consequence, overweighted divers with all that extra weight on the hips being compensated for by highly inflated BCDs are learning to dive while swimming at a 45° angle. They kick constantly as they dive, and that kicking keeps them at depth because they are negatively buoyant. They have to be negatively buoyant when they dive, because if they were neutral, kicking constantly while at a 45° angle would send them to the surface in short order. Because they are diving overweighted and must therefore carry a lot of air in the BCD to compensate, they have a limited ability to use their lungs to fine tune their buoyancy, so they must be constantly fiddling with the power inflator to adjust buoyancy as they change depths.

They won't know any better, because that was how they were taught to dive, and that is how most of the people they see around them on their vacations were taught to dive as well.

So, as they practice, practice, practice, they become better and better at holding their depth while negatively buoyant by kicking at a 45° angle, and they become better and better at adjusting their buoyancy by letting air in and out of their BCD. Yes, those skills are certainly improving, but I would argue that learning different skills would be better.
 
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