Diving Without certification...
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diver 85
Contributor
To the OP---just don't hold your breath---------or, you could die, click link.....
CDNN :: Student Dies During University of Alabama Scuba Diving Course
CDNN :: Student Dies During University of Alabama Scuba Diving Course
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Ummm Yeah,that's what I said .. "you are at less than one added atm of pressure". .5 is less than one, correct?
My quote was more about other points you've said following the "added less than one". Risk of almost 50% change is significance.
You seriously think that your advice is a good one?
OldNSalty
Contributor
I’ve got a few hundred dives; I am qualified to take you on that little trip. Just keep a few things in mind; I haven’t stopped to ask myself what do you really need to know for this to be safe. I have probably forgotten at least half of what would be in that list. If not forgotten, relegated it down to the false category of common knowledge because it is now second nature so I probably won’t cover some things. In fact, given that no one qualified will peer-review what I am going to teach you before taking you out, I am certain to forget something but hopefully it won’t be something important. Don’t worry that I have no experience as an instructor nor any knowledge in the field of education so even the things that I do know and actually try to explain to you, I may not explain it very well. Finally, that first sentence in this post is only half true so if you can’t wait till your class come on down.
Is he a currently insured dive professional certified by a legitimate agency to lead uncertified divers? If not, he may not have a full understanding of the risks, regardless of how long he's been diving. IOW, don't go.
Yes, they do... sometimes they live through the experience, sometimes they don't. YMMVQuestion: Do people really just strap on a bunch of gear on and jump in with no training and leave their life in the hands of a couple guys just to get their feet wet?!
An ascent to the surface holding your breath from as shallow as 3-4 feet (1M) can rupture a lung and ruin your entire day. Just a little something to keep in mind, don'tchaknow
Rick
Do people do it? Yes.
Is it the preferred technique these days? No
Is it the preferred technique these days? No
The instructor who certified me dove for three years before getting certified.
As with so many other things in scuba, everything will be fine as long as everything goes well. The biggest things the training does are a) identify whether you are someone who can relax and function while breathing off a regulator underwater, and b) give you a set of skills to cope with problems when they occur. The vast majority of dives go off without any major problems (and I would assume, as you are an active free diver, that you can clear a flooded mask) but when things DO go wrong, it's a pretty unfriendly environment you're in.
Instructor training gives someone skills to monitor a novice diver, and some ability to anticipate what the problems are going to be and head things off before they become critical. Unless your companions have done some DMing or group leading, they are unlikely to have this training or experience.
Are you likely to die or get badly hurt, if you remember to breathe? Probably not. And depending on conditions, it may actually be likely that your shallow dive will proceed uneventfully. But I'm not about to tell you it's a good idea, simply because I don't know you and I don't know your friends, and I don't know the conditions under which this dive will take place.
Since you already have a class scheduled, why not wait a bit? Deferred gratification is a very adult quality . . .
As with so many other things in scuba, everything will be fine as long as everything goes well. The biggest things the training does are a) identify whether you are someone who can relax and function while breathing off a regulator underwater, and b) give you a set of skills to cope with problems when they occur. The vast majority of dives go off without any major problems (and I would assume, as you are an active free diver, that you can clear a flooded mask) but when things DO go wrong, it's a pretty unfriendly environment you're in.
Instructor training gives someone skills to monitor a novice diver, and some ability to anticipate what the problems are going to be and head things off before they become critical. Unless your companions have done some DMing or group leading, they are unlikely to have this training or experience.
Are you likely to die or get badly hurt, if you remember to breathe? Probably not. And depending on conditions, it may actually be likely that your shallow dive will proceed uneventfully. But I'm not about to tell you it's a good idea, simply because I don't know you and I don't know your friends, and I don't know the conditions under which this dive will take place.
Since you already have a class scheduled, why not wait a bit? Deferred gratification is a very adult quality . . .
The answer to your question in a lot of cases is YES. People do "just strap on a bunch of gear and leave their lives in the hands of a bunch of guys". And - it is a really, really bad idea. I started with the "Discover Scuba class" in Cozumel. This was also a really, really bad idea. Two of our group had to thumb the dive - one ended up with barotrauma that took a year to heal. The other panicked at about 15' and asperated. So, do it right from the start....learn, learn, learn. If if knew then what I know now - I would have never thought that after 45 minute class I would be anywhere close to being ready to do a dive.
captain
Contributor
As one who began diving before there were certification courses and dived 13 years before being certified, mostly solo, all I can add is that if you chose to to do it at least read a training manual first and become familiar with what basic skills are necessary to know. Not holding your breath during ascent being the most important.
That is the way I started. I wasn't lead around by anyone. I learned by reading all that was available about diving and practicing the skills and increasing my experience in progressive small steps. That was 53 years ago.
That is the way I started. I wasn't lead around by anyone. I learned by reading all that was available about diving and practicing the skills and increasing my experience in progressive small steps. That was 53 years ago.
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