Skills you practice on a regular basis

[King Kong Matt]

While it is now warm enough to dive in the open water up here, I train with a very cool instructor who basically lets me in to practice any time he has the pool...which is a couple of times a week.

I was just interested in what kinds of things you guys practice when you get the chance.

Things I practice consistently:

• Horizontal ascents
• Horizontal descents
• OOA drills
• Valve drills (still having MASSIVE problems reaching my valves in my drysuit)
• Various fin kicks (especially backwards kicks)
• Mask removals / replacements

Things I want to start practicing

• Liftbag deployments with a spool / reel
• Reel work

Whats on your list? What kinds of things have I left out?

 

[JDostal]

Mainly OOA, mask removal/replacement are the ones I really try and do at least every dive.

 

[nickjb]

I'm sure you are doing so but just to add,

OOA drills, Valve drills, Mask removals / replacements all while neutrally buoyant.

 

[King Kong Matt]

nickjb once bubbled...
... all while neutrally buoyant...

Yes...sorry, that is what I meant. Thank you.

 

[MikeFerrara]

One good thing about teaching is that I get plenty of practice at everything.

Hmmm...what about the people I dive with though?

 

[bwerb]

Fin pivots...just kidding!

How about adding blacked out mask drills/swimming. On dry land I like to review emergency procedure flowcharts and think about "what-if's". It's more of a mental game to keep thinking if this happened, how would I respond.

Brian

 

[ericfine50]

Matt,

You have a good list of skills - I try to pratice some of those on my dives. If with someone I have not dove with in a while, go over dive planning.

Eric

 

[O-ring]

1) remove and replace scuba unit while maintaining buoyancy and trim.

2) trade stage/deco bottles with your buddy and then switch back.

3) switch backgas regulators with stage regulators and then switch back.

 

[jbd]

most of the skills listed while trying to maintain neutral bouyancy. To the OOA scenarios I add the CESA with the air off. All of this is being done in a pool at this point but I will be doing them in OW as soon as I get there.

 

[WreckWriter]

O-ring once bubbled...
1) remove and replace scuba unit while maintaining buoyancy and trim.

2) trade stage/deco bottles with your buddy and then switch back.

3) switch backgas regulators with stage regulators and then switch back.

You're kidding, right?

Number 2 is easy enough but number 1 sounds like a real trick and number 3 is awful hard on your regs.

WW