Skills dives

[ElBacio]

Hello,

Usually the technical courses consists of skills dives, often simulation deco dives and real deco dives. I wonder if the "skills dives" counts in the minimum number of dives mentioned in the standards.

I.e. Adv. Nitrox course requires minimum 4 dives and 100 minutes bottom time. Would 2 skills dives and 2 deco dives (each deco dive i.e. 60 minutes) be according to the standard or it is not enough?

I know we can always get above the minimum limits, but I would like to understand the "minimum" first.

Regards,

El Bacio

 

[Steve SDI/TDI HQ]

Hello,

Usually the technical courses consists of skills dives, often simulation deco dives and real deco dives. I wonder if the "skills dives" counts in the minimum number of dives mentioned in the standards.

I.e. Adv. Nitrox course requires minimum 4 dives and 100 minutes bottom time. Would 2 skills dives and 2 deco dives (each deco dive i.e. 60 minutes) be according to the standard or it is not enough?

I know we can always get above the minimum limits, but I would like to understand the "minimum" first.

Regards,

El Bacio

The most important thing is that ALL the skills outlined in the course skillset listing are covered and completed by the students to the instructor's satisfaction.

Most courses, certainly technical ones, consist of four main components: classroom, fieldwork, skills dives and 'working' or 'graduation' dives.

Often, those distinctions are more for the instructor's benefit than anyone else's and sometimes, it's hard for a student to tell the difference between a skills dive and a working dive because she is asked to run through drills and demonstrate skills on EVERY dive... therefore, every dive counts.

The minimums are simply that... we expect our instructors to use common sense in their interpretations. For example, were you to run an advanced nitrox class as outlined above, you would be in serious violation of standards and would run the risk of suspension.

:cool2:

You wrote that you would include two decompression dives each of 60 minutes in an Advanced Nitrox course. There is NO staged decompression on an Advanced Nitrox class!



Also, understand that bottom time means exactly that. For example, a 60 minute 'deco' dive to the depths covered in a decompression procedures class will be about 50% bottom time and 50% ascent time... so two dives like that only constitutes 60 minutes of bottom time!

 

[ElBacio]

You wrote that you would include two decompression dives each of 60 minutes in an Advanced Nitrox course. There is NO staged decompression on an Advanced Nitrox class!

My example was, indeed, not correct. But I fully understand the answer.
Thank you.

El Bacio