BlackPatch
Registered
Hi all,
My names Pete and I am a new diver (Certified in August 2012). 6 open water with 22 deep tank. (I will get into the deep tank number a little later on) Reason 6, is down to the fact that I live in Alberta and don't get to the mountains very often because of a ridiculous work schedule. (Poor excuse I know)
I have read the "Who is responsible for what" Article by Jim Lapenta and I find myself in total agreeance with Jim as to the responsibilities of each individual.
Having just read John Chatterton's excellent article on Tech Diving and Self Reliance, I find myself very much in agreeance with John also.
A little bit about me:
I have been climbing for 16 years now, all sorts of different climbing, including Single pitch Traditional leading and Multipitch.
I have climbed Alpine style in Groups and as part of fast moving slab ascents in the middle of weather fronts. Mountaineering in the Alps and in Scotland both in the Summer and the Winter. I have free climbed in Wales on a few slab routes of long length and height.
I have bouldered in Fontainbleau and my on my beloved Gritstone Crags.
The reason I mention all of the above is that, just like Diving, Climbing is a Solitary Sport enjoyed in the company of others. (I say this because, even though you may have a belayer or spotter, depending on the climbing type, they cannot be relied upon to get you out of the position you have placed your self in or to save your life in the event of an emergency) that said, Climbing is also just as friendly.
Climbing (once again dependant on the type) is equipment and training intensive, you don't train, you lose the ability to rig systems quickly, effectively or safely. Example: Rigging "In The System" when you needed to be "Out of The System" purely down to not practising a skill set enough.
Back to Diving:
On the Open Water course I was instructed time and time again to "practice, practice, practice because no one is coming to get you". Familiarize your self with equipment until operation and placement become's part of the muscle memory pattern.You have to be able to get yourself out of the situation that has arisen, either as a result of your actions or through those that are outside your sphere of immediate control. Maintain a good buoyancy control.
So I took all of this information, with my newly found "AWESOME SET OF SKILLZ!" and ignored everything:
Example:
Diving in Jasper. Lake Annette. First time in Dry Bag. Trouble Equalizing. "I am doing this dive, no ****ing matter what " Attitude.
DM (A very good friend of mine) instructs me not to touch another diver under the water.
DM, with reservation (because I was Gung Ho, which he quickly sorted), leads me to the underwater Cairn. Skills review. Reg retrieval, BCD removal, entanglement drills, weight ditching, Mask clearance, Mask removal. Buddy breathing. Buddy tow, emergency buoyant ascent...ETC.
The only one I had an issue with is the mask removal, I rip the mask, cold water hits a previously warm space. Dive Reflex. I have a hood on and gloves. A little water goes down my nose. Breathing irregularly, mask back on, trouble sealing due to gloves and Hood. I get the bloody thing back on but cannot clear. At this point, my DM taps me on the head and assists. I put my hands in the air and surrender to the assistance. Although I was in a seriously uncomfortable position I never touched my DM. Just was not going to happen. The reason: I was so annoyed with requiring assistance. My thoughts had turned to "well, what if there was no one to help?" I realised, right then and there, I had broken every rule I had been taught.
My "AWESOME SET OF SKILLZ!" ego trip shuffled out of the door with a serious kick in the Ass.
At the end of the dive I felt very annoyed with my performance on the mask drills. Determined to do better I got my DM to show me, to give me constructive criticism as to points of improvement throughout the whole dive. I returned to Edmonton and got straight in the Pool and started ripping my mask off in every position first without a Hood on then with hood then with 7mm gloves. I got that problem nipped in the bud pretty quickly.
Along with organising my mask drills I worked on getting my buoyancy sorted along with differing propulsion techniques, V -Drills, S- Drills, Entanglements. etc,etc,
Now every-time I get into the pool I treat it as a training dive and practice every one of the skills taught on the OW and on my Stress and Rescue (if it is at all possible)
As John and Jim have both said, my DM was available for assistance, but was not there to save my ass. I had to do that.
As a new diver I was guilty of the following points (Plus many more probably)
Failing to correctly plan my dive and dive the plan.
Putting too much reliance on another human being.
Ill prepared, mentally and skill wise.
Now, when I dive I take planning exceptionally seriously.
I dive my plan and do not deviate from it.
My contingency plans are strictly adhered to and reviewed thoroughly with my buddy pre dive.
Even though I am in the company of another Human Being, in my head I plan the dive to include them, to help them if necessary , but I am always cognisant that I am the one who will get me out of trouble.
The reason for this post is, I think, that new divers believe a DM / DCS / Instructor is there , exclusively to save your ass and they are NOT. I read this quite a lot on ScubaBoard.
Is it a failing on the part of the training agencies ?
No I wouldn't say so. Purely because I am a new diver.
I think that people in general are "Coddled" in to a position of comfort and require that position of comfort in every part of life, so they place far too much reliance on another Human Being to assist when they should not, necessarily, have been in that position in the first place, either because they don't have the Mental drive for it or the Skill set or both.
I do not yet know which path I wish to travel down within the sphere of Diving, Technical Wrecks have always appealed for the physical size, historical aspect, Human essence and the commitment required. We will see. I am in control of my own Ego enough to say I am NO WHERE NEAR where I need to be to make those kinds of dives.
Once I am confident in my progressed abilities, possibly another 100 to 150 dives as an OW Diver, I will seek the critique of other Instructors so they can tell me exactly how I need to improve to get to where I wish to be within Diving.
Take from the above ramblings recreational divers (if there is anything to take at all):
Technical divers plan everything, they have to, life utterly depends on it.
Don't RELY on another human being to save your life.
Do it yourself: If the answer to that statement is "How"? then why are you in the water?
Stay safe all and hopefully some of this made sense.
Pete.
My names Pete and I am a new diver (Certified in August 2012). 6 open water with 22 deep tank. (I will get into the deep tank number a little later on) Reason 6, is down to the fact that I live in Alberta and don't get to the mountains very often because of a ridiculous work schedule. (Poor excuse I know)
I have read the "Who is responsible for what" Article by Jim Lapenta and I find myself in total agreeance with Jim as to the responsibilities of each individual.
Having just read John Chatterton's excellent article on Tech Diving and Self Reliance, I find myself very much in agreeance with John also.
A little bit about me:
I have been climbing for 16 years now, all sorts of different climbing, including Single pitch Traditional leading and Multipitch.
I have climbed Alpine style in Groups and as part of fast moving slab ascents in the middle of weather fronts. Mountaineering in the Alps and in Scotland both in the Summer and the Winter. I have free climbed in Wales on a few slab routes of long length and height.
I have bouldered in Fontainbleau and my on my beloved Gritstone Crags.
The reason I mention all of the above is that, just like Diving, Climbing is a Solitary Sport enjoyed in the company of others. (I say this because, even though you may have a belayer or spotter, depending on the climbing type, they cannot be relied upon to get you out of the position you have placed your self in or to save your life in the event of an emergency) that said, Climbing is also just as friendly.
Climbing (once again dependant on the type) is equipment and training intensive, you don't train, you lose the ability to rig systems quickly, effectively or safely. Example: Rigging "In The System" when you needed to be "Out of The System" purely down to not practising a skill set enough.
Back to Diving:
On the Open Water course I was instructed time and time again to "practice, practice, practice because no one is coming to get you". Familiarize your self with equipment until operation and placement become's part of the muscle memory pattern.You have to be able to get yourself out of the situation that has arisen, either as a result of your actions or through those that are outside your sphere of immediate control. Maintain a good buoyancy control.
So I took all of this information, with my newly found "AWESOME SET OF SKILLZ!" and ignored everything:
Example:
Diving in Jasper. Lake Annette. First time in Dry Bag. Trouble Equalizing. "I am doing this dive, no ****ing matter what " Attitude.
DM (A very good friend of mine) instructs me not to touch another diver under the water.
DM, with reservation (because I was Gung Ho, which he quickly sorted), leads me to the underwater Cairn. Skills review. Reg retrieval, BCD removal, entanglement drills, weight ditching, Mask clearance, Mask removal. Buddy breathing. Buddy tow, emergency buoyant ascent...ETC.
The only one I had an issue with is the mask removal, I rip the mask, cold water hits a previously warm space. Dive Reflex. I have a hood on and gloves. A little water goes down my nose. Breathing irregularly, mask back on, trouble sealing due to gloves and Hood. I get the bloody thing back on but cannot clear. At this point, my DM taps me on the head and assists. I put my hands in the air and surrender to the assistance. Although I was in a seriously uncomfortable position I never touched my DM. Just was not going to happen. The reason: I was so annoyed with requiring assistance. My thoughts had turned to "well, what if there was no one to help?" I realised, right then and there, I had broken every rule I had been taught.
My "AWESOME SET OF SKILLZ!" ego trip shuffled out of the door with a serious kick in the Ass.
At the end of the dive I felt very annoyed with my performance on the mask drills. Determined to do better I got my DM to show me, to give me constructive criticism as to points of improvement throughout the whole dive. I returned to Edmonton and got straight in the Pool and started ripping my mask off in every position first without a Hood on then with hood then with 7mm gloves. I got that problem nipped in the bud pretty quickly.
Along with organising my mask drills I worked on getting my buoyancy sorted along with differing propulsion techniques, V -Drills, S- Drills, Entanglements. etc,etc,
Now every-time I get into the pool I treat it as a training dive and practice every one of the skills taught on the OW and on my Stress and Rescue (if it is at all possible)
As John and Jim have both said, my DM was available for assistance, but was not there to save my ass. I had to do that.
As a new diver I was guilty of the following points (Plus many more probably)
Failing to correctly plan my dive and dive the plan.
Putting too much reliance on another human being.
Ill prepared, mentally and skill wise.
Now, when I dive I take planning exceptionally seriously.
I dive my plan and do not deviate from it.
My contingency plans are strictly adhered to and reviewed thoroughly with my buddy pre dive.
Even though I am in the company of another Human Being, in my head I plan the dive to include them, to help them if necessary , but I am always cognisant that I am the one who will get me out of trouble.
The reason for this post is, I think, that new divers believe a DM / DCS / Instructor is there , exclusively to save your ass and they are NOT. I read this quite a lot on ScubaBoard.
Is it a failing on the part of the training agencies ?
No I wouldn't say so. Purely because I am a new diver.
I think that people in general are "Coddled" in to a position of comfort and require that position of comfort in every part of life, so they place far too much reliance on another Human Being to assist when they should not, necessarily, have been in that position in the first place, either because they don't have the Mental drive for it or the Skill set or both.
I do not yet know which path I wish to travel down within the sphere of Diving, Technical Wrecks have always appealed for the physical size, historical aspect, Human essence and the commitment required. We will see. I am in control of my own Ego enough to say I am NO WHERE NEAR where I need to be to make those kinds of dives.
Once I am confident in my progressed abilities, possibly another 100 to 150 dives as an OW Diver, I will seek the critique of other Instructors so they can tell me exactly how I need to improve to get to where I wish to be within Diving.
Take from the above ramblings recreational divers (if there is anything to take at all):
Technical divers plan everything, they have to, life utterly depends on it.
Don't RELY on another human being to save your life.
Do it yourself: If the answer to that statement is "How"? then why are you in the water?
Stay safe all and hopefully some of this made sense.
Pete.
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