Skills worth practicing during dives?

[TSandM]

"SMB" is usually used to refer to a long, narrow inflatable device which can be deployed from underwater and stands up at the surface. They can be purchased in various colors. There are conventions among people doing technical charters (or at least some of them) as to what different colored SMBs communicate.

 

[scubadobadoo]

Hey gang,

After almost 200 dives without doing a mask removal drill I also realized I had developed a fear of having my mask off, especially in cold water. This skill will sneak up on you so practice it frequently. I did it until I enjoyed having my mask off. It can actually be fun to have it off!

That said, if you really feel you might be at risk of a panic and bolt attack at all, you should reconsider doing this drill during your safety stop. Start in the shallows, BEFORE you dive and then progress from there. Eventually, when you know you can do it, then it's ok to do it during the safety stop. Happy diving!

 

[Mo2vation]

Several people stated that in the last 3 minutes of the dive, what could be argued as the most important three minutes of the dive, they're doing mask drills, and air shares and all manner of other practice.

I don't get it.

With your gas at its lowest, your energy level at its weakest, with your buoyancy at its toughest to maintain, with the exit imminent - why are people removing their masks, offering air shares and all manner of other stuff when "the stop" is the most crucial time for focus, for relaxing, for off gassing.

I don't get it.

Upon plunge and descent - that's the time to double check and be sure you didn't enter the water with braided hoses and you can smoothly deploy them if you need to. This is also the time to touch your valves again and be sure they're open and in the correct positions.

I don't understand the flailing (smooth or not) through a drill at the stop.

Do your drills on the way to the stop. Do your drills on the ascent into the stop. But AT the stop, my buddy and I are relaxing, focused and relasing as much Nitro as possible.

When we break the surface, we also spend another few minutes before hauling out through the surf or climbing back on a boat ladder. There is sufficient evidence that this on-the-surface "stop" significantly contributes to post-dive health and recovery (as opposed to simply popping up after your "stop" and immediately climbing 200 steps, fighting the surf, or climbing back onto a pitching boat deck.)

All of these drills are important to practice. But not at the end of the dive, when I'm most spent, and my focus needs to be on a very slow last 10 feet. If I see my buddy with her/his mask off on the stop, we're having words when we get out. That's coo coo thinking. I need you to be 100% during the most important 3 minutes of the dive.

---
Ken

 

[Scubar]

If mask removal and replacement is a fear you do need to practice it. Since you are a cold water diver there are a couple other consideration to remember, you will be wearing 5mm gloves and have a hood on. Putting on your mask and getting a good seal with gloves on trying to make sure some of your hood is not stuck in your mask take a little extra skill.

 

[Bigcape]

Practicing skills at a saftey stop when the dive is next to OVER makes no sense to me either.

If you are gonna need those skills during a dive it is gonna be DURING the dive on the way down or while you are at depth. Why do this at 10ft when "if I freak out and bolt to the surface I will be okay"? Pfzzzzzt!

Any time I am with a new diver (my girlfriend for ex) or we get to talking about "its been awile since I've......." we usualy START the dive by stopping at 20ft and showing each other that we are still on top of our game BEFORE we go into our profile!

Now we can do our dive with CONFIDENCE that EVERYBODY "should" be able to handle a sitsuation because we just did 15mins ago!

And as for what you "should" practice IMHO it ought start with what you worst at..... (boyancy) or what you are most afraid of.....(mask flooding)

 

[HappyFunBoater]

I do my safety stop at 15ft, so practicing at 20ft seems, well, kind of the same thing.

And when I'm diving deeper then I don't have time to practice skill because I'm busy diving.

But your point is well taken.

One of the main reasons I like to practice those skills at 15ft is because my family doesn't enjoy it, and it's the only time I can get their attention.

 

[TheRedHead]

One of the reasons for practicing the OOA drill on descent is to make sure you're squared away to donate air. You don't want to discover that your octo is clogged with sand in a real emergency.

 

[lamont]

Running a shallow line in about 20-40 fsw that is 400' long and doing the entire length with your mask off can really do wonders to get you over mask fear...

 

[TSandM]

That's going to be one of my September exercises . . . Once I figure out how to lay line, that is.

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

I do not like to keep my eyes open while underwater but I know it's a stupid fear so you know that I started to do ???

I got a spare mask, I fill it with water, I put it on my face and keep my eyes open...

On monday I kept my eyes open for 1 minute...
On tuesday I did it for 2 minutes...
On wednesday I did it for 3 minutes...
Today I have to do it for 4 minutes...

Within the end of the week my fear should disappear and keeping my eyes open will be 2nd nature...

Do not forget that while I hold my mask on my face full of water I slowly count aloud and doing this you also get used to have water around your nose...

I have just discovered tha I can barely see my face in the mirror that is simply 30 cm away from my eyes...
Vision is more that blurry...

My deep air course will start in within two weeks and I want to be perfect without my mask off, I consider this a sort of Zen exercise...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso