Inadequate Training

[randyjoy]

From Instructor's Manual, Confined water dive three, PADI:

10. Air depletion/alternate air source combined exercise — In water too deep to stand up in, close the “out-of-air” student’s valve. When student feels air loss (should not watch SPG), student signals out-of-air and secures buddy’s alternate air source and begins breathing. Reopen the valve as student secures the buddy’s alternate so the regulator is available for use. Donor and receiver swim together with receiver using alternate air source for at least one minute. Switch roles so all divers act as donors and receivers.

Been there several years. If you didn't do it in your PADI OW class, the instructor failed to follow standards.

This is a follow-up skill to the Air Depletion only exercise from Confined Water Dive 2, where the student watches their SPG while the instructor turns off the air. When depleted, they signal OOA and it is turned back on.

 

[ScubaRandy]

I do not suspect that this is an approved PADI procedure. I am guessing your instructor was an SSI-crossover. And that nobody had yet told him that PADI does not approve of this sort of thing. Just my guess.

I will be diving this coming weekend with a friend who is a current PADI instructor, and I will ask him about it.

In regards to the air depletion skill, here is the quote directly from the 2007 PADI Instructor Manual, Open Water Section, Confined Water Dive 2:

Air-depletion exercise
— Simulate air-supply depletion to allow student divers to experience the sensation of a gradual increase in inhalation effort. Brief students on what will occur and how
to signal you when inhalation requires increased effort. Begin by moving in front of the student and slowly turning off the valve until the student feels the depletion occur. Maintain contact with the student’s tank valve and restore air supply immediately upon the out-of-air signal.

And I am not an SSI crossover, and yes, I am a current PADI Instructor.

Hope this clears up any confusion.

Randy

 

[dark_basic]

Did you do the "Air Depletion" exercise during Confined Water Day II? This should've given you a good idea of how it feels to run out of air under water.

Seriously though you need to lighten up...the basic OW courses are merely an introduction to the UW world. If you want a huge challenge and high failure rates there are plenty of tech courses out there later on.

Cheers.

-J.-

Yes, I did do that. I understand what you're saying and I agree with it. OW class isn't a one stop shop.

 

[nereas]

My thanks to the PADI OWSIs who have contributed. The nice thing about Scubaboard is that there is a very talented audience listenting to virtually everying. I honestly do not recall the PADI shut-off drill. I will need to ask my friend this weekend who teaches PADI when this started. I will go back and edit my posts on this regarding PADI. Thanks again.

 

[ScubaRandy]

My thanks to the PADI OWSIs who have contributed. The nice thing about Scubaboard is that there is a very talented audience listenting to virtually everying. I honestly do not recall the PADI shut-off drill. I will need to ask my friend this weekend who teaches PADI when this started. I will go back and edit my posts on this regarding PADI. Thanks again.

Well, I have my paper instructor manual from about 4 years ago, and it is in there....

 

[letsgodiving]

Our instructor did the shot off drill on us but he did it because he had a warped mind more than it being a requirement. We also took all our kit off in a 16 foot pool, letf everything on the bottom, came up and then went back down and kitted up again.

Neither exercise was a requirement he just liked pushing us a little.

 

[nereas]

Well, I have my paper instructor manual from about 4 years ago, and it is in there....

4 years ago is way after my time, Randy. My buddy has been a PADI OWSI for about 30 years, so he would know. I will ask him this weekend, when we are on the boat between dives. Thanks, though.

 

[nereas]

Our instructor did the shot off drill on us but he did it because he had a warped mind more than it being a requirement. We also took all our kit off in a 16 foot pool, letf everything on the bottom, came up and then went back down and kitted up again.

Neither exercise was a requirement he just liked pushing us a little.

That's an English accent (in print), so were you BSAC in Europe?

 

[TSandM]

You know, as I've proceeded through a bunch of diving education, one of the things I've learned is that not everybody is like me.

I'm not prone to panic. When I get stressed, I can usually recognize and control the feelings and the reactions. Although I've had a couple of events underwater where I seriously wanted out of there, I've never bolted or really even come close.

That is very clearly not the rule. The stories I've heard, of OW, AOW, Rescue and Tech students reacting suddenly and unexpectedly in dangerous ways, have given me a great respect for diving instructors who take on the responsibility for these situations, and some understanding of why some things aren't done. In recreational training, nobody wants a student in the water without access to something to breathe. It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to face the knowledge that you're down there and out of gas without freaking out. I've been through it now twice, and I sort of understand.

The PADI sequence gives you the opportunity to go through the sequence of reacting to someone's out of air emergency, without anybody being stressed to panic by having to deal with one for real. I don't have any problem with that. (I do have a problem with students not being taught the gas management principles that keep them from having such an emergency, but that's a different story.)

 

[DiverBizz]

PADI instructor manual Confined Water Dive Two page 2-11 number 14 Air-depletion exerrcise-SIMULATE air-supply delpletion to allow student divers to experience the sensation of a gradual inhalation effort. ... Begin by moving in front of the student and slowly turning off the valve until the student feels the depletion occur. Maintain contact with the student's tank valve and restore air supply immediately upon the out-of-air-signal.