Learned Wrong...

[miketsp]

There are still old-school instructors out there that teach to deflate the BC before ascending.

 

[Akimbo]

... I learned that a snorkel was an important piece of safety equipment ...

Useful on surface swims, OK — but safety? On the other hand, carrying a snorkel in itself isn’t exactly wrong. Wearing your mask with the nose pocket on top is wrong… but doable I suppose. Charging $100 for a snorkel, not that is WRONG!

…That skills needed to be done on your knees during OW checkouts (or any other time during training for that matter)…

I’m shocked! Everyone knows you should have one knee in an anemone and the other on a Nudibranch; someone might think just kneeling on the sand is OK.

I was taught by an instructor to turn my tank all the way on and then back a 1/4 turn...

I seem to remember that this was valid for some of the really early valves, but have forgotten exactly what the mechanism looked like. We had industrial valves in the Navy with the same design (like 40 years ago).

…Do not look at the fase of your SPG, it might blow in your face....

This was valid on some of the early metal, and later poorly designed plastic, SPGs that came out because they didn’t have blow-out plugs. I suspect that it has stuck in some of the manufacture’s literature more from lawyers’ advice than engineering analysis.

This and the last one might be good questions for the Vintage Forum. In both cases, I hate to see rules or statements that aren’t explained.

We were all told to buy the same amount of diver's gold (lead weight) regardless of our body shape and weight. Still have extra weight laying around after ow training.

What’s wrong with that… if you’re the one selling lead?

 

[TSandM]

I would strangle myself with my long hose.

Nitrox tanks need big green banners because it's a federal law.

Helium is a bad gas to deco off of.

Backplate setups are for tech divers only.

Most of the problems with my education were errors of omission, or bad technique on my part that my instructors failed to correct.

 

[boulderjohn]

1.When I first started diving it was in Cozumel, where the dives required to be led by DMs by law. I brought my newly learned PADI tables with me, and learned immediately that they were of no value on those multi-level dives we were doing. I mentioned it on the boat, and the experienced divers on the boat told me that there was no need for any of that stuff--just follow the DM and don't worry about it. I have since had students tell me that they were given the same advice by experienced friends prior to their classes--no need to remember all that dive planning stuff in the real world--the DM does all that.

2. When I first asked what Nitrox was, an experienced diver (but not a nitrox diver) explained to me that it enable you do dive deeper than you can on air.

3. Experienced divers told me while I was diving in Cozumel in a 0.5 mm suit that a good estimate of my weighting needs would be 10% of my body weight plus 5 pounds. I got that same advice in Florida in a 3mm suit.

4. On ScubaBoard recently a diver intending to dive in a 3mm suit was advised to start with 20% of his body weight for lead.

5. One afternoon after diving in Belize I went to the bar outdoor bar to get a drink. While I was waiting (a long time) for the drink to be made, I listened to a guy going on and on about the physics of scuba diving, decompression, etc., explaining it all to the other patrons who were apparently not divers. He walked away with great satisfaction just as my drink was being handed to me. One of the patrons said, "Would you mind staying a second and telling us the truth? I am a physician and know that at least half of what he said was BS, and I could see from the look of pain on your face while he was talking that you know better." Actually, about 75% of what the guy had said was BS, and it took me most of my drink to straighten it out.

 

[Akimbo]

…Helium is a bad gas to deco off of...

I had a client-rep try that concept on for size for a 600' sat… of course it was a “client pays for gas” contract.

Seriously, were any parameters attached or was this in all cases? Sure there can be better choices depending on the profile just as there are worse. Now Propane and Nitrous Oxide would be bad.

 

[boulderjohn]

If you put your mask on your forehead after diving a DM will come frantically to your rescue.

 

[boulderjohn]

Seriously, were any parameters attached or was this in all cases? Sure there can be better choices depending on the profile just as there are worse. Now Propane and Nitrous Oxide would be bad.

There are still people who feel using helium demands longer--much longer--deco. I have a horror story about that which I won't bother to relate now.

 

[Akimbo]

There are still old-school instructors out there that teach to deflate the BC before ascending.

This technique had merit in the days when wetsuits didn’t compress much and people adjusted their weight to be neutral at 10' with 200 PSI on their tank. Your negative buoyancy wasn’t much to swim against and it avoided having to deal with it on ascent. The ascent rate was also 60'/minute so it was easier a lot of times. It’s not such a good idea if you are leaving the bottom 10 Lbs negative though.

 

[Bob DBF]

Na, I wasen't taught anything wrong, when I learned to dive or when I was certified, but I have heard some god awfull stupid s**t out of the mouths of divers over the years.


Bob
---------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

5. One afternoon after diving in Belize I went to the bar outdoor bar to get a drink. While I was waiting (a long time) for the drink to be made, I listened to a guy going on and on about the physics of scuba diving, decompression, etc., explaining it all to the other patrons who were apparently not divers. He walked away with great satisfaction just as my drink was being handed to me. One of the patrons said, "Would you mind staying a second and telling us the truth? I am a physician and know that at least half of what he said was BS, and I could see from the look of pain on your face while he was talking that you know better." Actually, about 75% of what the guy had said was BS, and it took me most of my drink to straighten it out.

But you got at LEAST one more drink out of it, right?

That might not be a bad way to mooch free drinks, you know...