Excellent Valve Drill Help

[Bruciebabe]

On my cave course I had trouble with my drysuit valve drills, even though I have done loads of wetsuit ones in the past. By the end of the course I could do them, but not to a good enough standard.
Here is a truly excellent article. It is exactly the sort of support my instructor should have been giving me and I commend it to all instructors, divers and dive students:
http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/for...wns-garf-rant.html?highlight=art+of+shutdowns

 

[MikeFerrara]

That's a good article but you can find all that information here on this board and other boards too. It's been there for ages and many of us have retyped most of it over and over.

I don't want to pick on you, but it's hard to believe that you hadn't come across these tips somewhere in the process of getting all the way up and through trimix.

Around here our water is cold and we're a long way from most of the caves so...all my technical diving was in a dry suit from day one and I had to master valve shutdowns early in my tech training...which was long before I went through cave training. By the time I entered cave training, reaching valves was trivial especially in the relatively light underclothes I use in the Florida caves.

When I learned to do it, I wasn't on the internet much and hadn't found the answer. None of my instructors gave it to me either. My wife and I got in the water and spent lots of time practicing and figured it out in the process.

I'll tell you something else. Cold and fatigue can sneak up on you such that even though you can easily reach them, actually getting them turned can be hard...so I reach back and "fondle" my valves multiple times on every single dive just to make sure all is well.

Maybe your instructor could have been more help but given your background prior to the cave course, I don't think you can blame him. You're already a certified "technical diver"? Already an intro level cave diver"? I mean, you knew you were going to have to do valve shutdowns, right? You knew what equipment you would be using? It didn't occure to you to get in the water with that equipment and check things out before going cave diving? If I were you, I'd be more likely to be critical of your earlier instructors than your cave instructor. That's my take on it.

 

[Meng_Tze]

That's a good article but you can find all that information here on this board and other boards too. It's been there for ages and many of us have retyped most of it over and over.

I don't want to pick on you, but it's hard to believe that you hadn't come across these tips somewhere in the process of getting all the way up and through trimix.

Around here our water is cold and we're a long way from most of the caves so...all my technical diving was in a dry suit from day one and I had to master valve shutdowns early in my tech training...which was long before I went through cave training. By the time I entered cave training, reaching valves was trivial especially in the relatively light underclothes I use in the Florida caves.

When I learned to do it, I wasn't on the internet much and hadn't found the answer. None of my instructors gave it to me either. My wife and I got in the water and spent lots of time practicing and figured it out in the process.

I'll tell you something else. Cold and fatigue can sneak up on you such that even though you can easily reach them, actually getting them turned can be hard...so I reach back and "fondle" my valves multiple times on every single dive just to make sure all is well.

Maybe your instructor could have been more help but given your background prior to the cave course, I don't think you can blame him. You're already a certified "technical diver"? Already an intro level cave diver"? I mean, you knew you were going to have to do valve shutdowns, right? You knew what equipment you would be using? It didn't occure to you to get in the water with that equipment and check things out before going cave diving? If I were you, I'd be more likely to be critical of your earlier instructors than your cave instructor. That's my take on it.

As usual Mike, you make perfect sense. Yes when you have new, unfamiliar gear; you do try it out, get acquainted with it. As a 'technical diver' one should be aware of the possible outcome of not being familiar and comfortable with one's equipment. I think for a basic OW diver it would be forgivable to add/change equipment and not be 100% familiar with it. Not perfect, but forgivable.

If you go into technical training without having comfort and worked out the quirky things with one's equipment, you are setting yourself up for failure. In technical training beyond maybe the first course, the instructor can rightfully expect a certain level of comfort and ability to build upon. If I would be failed for a course due to my inadequacies, I would not hold it against anyone but myself. Having done basic fundamental (!) training, one should be at a basic level...

 

[scubafool]

Here is a truly excellent article. It is exactly the sort of support my instructor should have been giving me

:bonk:

 

[fisherdvm]

Not to intrude... But thanks for any input, Brucie. I am a beginner diver, and it is always good to get tip from anyone. Despite the water being very murky here, I am sure once you have met these folks, they are great people.

I am impressed with your qualifications, Brucie, and hope that you will browse through the beginner section, and help us newbies out. It is funny how often folks here would severly criticizes me, and within seconds, help me out on my inquiries promtly.

Things always seems harsh on the internet ... Hope you have a nice day!

 

[suthnbelle]

******* MOD POST **********​

Remember what you were taught growing up, well, at least in the South. If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say it. If you still just have to say it, which I'm not encouraging, then converse with the OP via PM. No need to stir the pot out front. Thanks.

 

[JeffG]

******* MOD POST **********​

Remember what you were taught growing up, well, at least in the South. If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say it.

I thought it was

My momma always told me "Life is like a box of chocolates..."

 

[suthnbelle]

LOL!! Jeff, you always crack me up! I didn't realize you and Forrest Gump had the same mom.

 

[JeffG]

I didn't realize you and Forrest Gump had the same mom.

Different Daddy though.

Thats why I walk around saying "Whos your daddy?"

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Different Daddy though.

I remember that scene in the movie ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)