Questions about O/W Check-out dives

[Steve02]

Hello all,

My Kathleen and I are heading down to Florida (Force-E in Boca Rotan) to complete our O/W certification by completeing the check-out dives. For what it may matter, we went with SSI.

My question is, how exactly do the check-out dives work? I think that it is just going to be the two of us doing the checkouts and they will done from a boat. I know that they go over the same drills that were taught in the pool work. Another question is, in the pool work we surfaced between each drill to discuss how it went and talk about the next one that we were going to do. Is this how the checkout dives typically work, or do you review everything you're going to do before-hand, then just go under once.

It's kind of funny really, because it doesn't matter - my mind is just curious. I'll do whatever it is they need us to do.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[don Francisco]

How these dives are dove varies with location, conditions and how you handle the various excercises. I suspect that since this instructor will be seeing you for the first time, your initial dive might entail a bit of up and down as he observes your basic skill level. If things go well the dives will become more like regular dives, and by the last all the excercises should be done and it'll be a regular dive.

On my checkouts many years ago, the instructor briefed us on multiple excercises on the surface with the goal of going through them without surfacing between each. Didn't always work out that way though.

I have a suggestion for you, since all we can do here is speculate, not knowing anything specific, why don't you email or phone your instructor or the shop with these questions?

 

[Steve02]

Don,

Thanks for the info. I figured that I would get the "It depends" response. But thank you very much for sharing your experience.

Steve

 

[ligersandtions]

If I had to guess, you'll probably do many skills without surfacing in between. If you're at ~30 feet, you don't want to make a bunch of ascents and descents, whereas it's not as big of a deal when you're at 10 feet.

During my check out dives, we did a number of skills at the start of the dive, and then swam around and looked at what the sites had to offer for the second half of each dive. There were only two of us doing check out dives, so we were able to get through them quickly and with plenty of air to tour around a bit. I would suspect you will have a similar experience, but of course, you won't know until you ask. If you're really curious, give the dive shop a call and see how they conduct the check out dives.

Either way, have a great time!

 

[rawls]

Steve...You are referring to your open water checkouts I assume. If so, then yes, the skills will be reviewed before you descend and reviewed when you come up. There are several skills to be done, so you will not do all of them in one dive. There will probably also be some surface skills to do. If you are diving from a boat then I am not quite sure how that is going to work.

The best thing I can suggest is ask your instructor how the dives will progress. That will be getting in straight from the proverbial horses mouth...

Safe diving....

 

[frogman159]

If it helps this was how my checkout went.
Day 1- Dive 1- we were given a 1/2hr brief-gear up, Giant stride into water, swam out to surface marker, decend down a line to a platform, where we hung out while we went around the platform while everyone demonstated reg removal/clear, mask flood clear, mask removal clear, then while holding the platform did stationary octo exchange. At this point we surfaced and floated at the surface float for about 1/2hr and we were briefed for dive 2.

Day 1 dive 2- Decent to platform, demonstrate weightbelt removal/adjustment, fin pivot, then performed a recipricol navigation drill. We then did a CSEA from 20ft

Day2 dive 3- We paired off as a buddy team + instructor and he took us on a little tour, surfaced and did our surface drills- surface doff/don, surface dive w/snorkel, tired diver tow/scuba rescue.

Day2 dive 4- We were to decend and go off on our own with just the buddy team. There were several DM's/instructors in the water- but we were essential let loose in the middle of the quarry and had to navigate back to the exit point alone.

This is likely not inclusive of all the skills we did, but the major ones I can think of.
BTW- your expereince will likely be a bit different, I did this in 54* water in 15' vis.

 

[Steve02]

Well, I just wanted to post a follow-up to this thread as I've completed the OW checkout dives. WHAT A BLAST!! I had some sinus issues that I am going to consult an ENT about, but the whole dive experience was just awesome. Just a small portion of each dive was skills checkout and the rest was just motoring around looking at the coral. We did get to see a 6-8' nurse shark - again AWESOME.

Anyway, thanks to all who contributed - but as usual my mind thought it was going to be worse than it turned out to be.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[allent206]

glad to hear you had a good time Steve, i go this saturday for my OW certification and i can hardly wait.