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Some thoughts on restructuring SCUBA training ...
- Thread starter SeaHound
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Regarding "Some thoughts on restructuring SCUBA training ... " this really depends upon perspective. Like Dave said if you are making a living teaching, it's hard to not look at the advantage of pumping out more students. If this is your goal, it benefits you to have the least amount of training possible, so if standards are lowered, you benefit directly.
To the independent instructor who teaches a more comprehensive program (teaching for an agency that allows us to add to the training program and make these additions required for certification), many of us feel that the standards are too low. It doesn't really affect me directly how low the standards get, as long as my standards exceed the minimum, the agency is satisfied. My course remains the same. It does bother me when I see some agencies enforcing these lower standards, as they don't allow their instructors to teach beyond the minimums and make these required for certification.
If I was to suggest enhancements to the OW program, one area would be to increase the minimum level of swimming skills required. Some agencies believe that its ok to teach non-swimmers; I don't.
To the independent instructor who teaches a more comprehensive program (teaching for an agency that allows us to add to the training program and make these additions required for certification), many of us feel that the standards are too low. It doesn't really affect me directly how low the standards get, as long as my standards exceed the minimum, the agency is satisfied. My course remains the same. It does bother me when I see some agencies enforcing these lower standards, as they don't allow their instructors to teach beyond the minimums and make these required for certification.
If I was to suggest enhancements to the OW program, one area would be to increase the minimum level of swimming skills required. Some agencies believe that its ok to teach non-swimmers; I don't.
jonathon50
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Not being disparaging to anyone, but personally i dont think it takes 40 OW dives to perfect buoyancy. in the OW lessons you are taught how to check for proper weighting as you know. Students are overweighed for the simple purpose of keeping them where they should be, at the bottom with the instructor, not disappearing off to the surface! Instructors and DM's go overweighted as well just in case the student(s) doesnt have enough weight. Holding a normal breathe you should be able to float at eye level with a fully deflated BCD and full tank, exhale and you should slowly descend. plummet and you got too much weight. not move then obviously not enough. once you got the "slowly descend" bit right, add 2K weight to offset air you use during the dive. you should be able to stay at the 5mtre safety stop with no problems with a nearly empty tank. It is trial and error getting it right, but the benefits are immediatly apparant, your going to use less air,(pumping air in and out of the BCD), your going to be less stressed which is going to lower your air consumption, and your going to enjoy what you came to do, i.e, DIVE! My personal advise is when you have passed your OW, make your first dive a weighting dive. if you havent already, get your own kit, get familiar with it, play about with it, get used to it. If you have a BCD with intregated weight pouches, put 1/2 your weight in there, 1/2 on your weight belt, this way should you have to dump weight in an emergency you will still have some control over your buoyancy, also it helps prevent the BCD riding up when your at the surface. Put on the weight you used on your OW course, then subtract weight from there. as you get more comfortable in the water and more experienced you may find you can remove even more weight. But i still dont think it takes 40 dives, sorry!
Not all overweight their students or themselves. In fact doing that, to me, is just plain laziness. There is no reason to introduce what is really a bad habit from day one. Go with proper weighting from day one and life is much better for everyone.
It depends on how you define "perfecting buoyancy". If you mean generally being able to stay where you want to be in the water column, it may not take 40 dives. If you mean being able to stay within a 12" window in midwater, with no visual reference but your team, while performing a gas switch or an air-share or shutting down a valve, it may take a lot more than that.
It's my personal belief that buoyancy is not "perfectible". It can always be better, and for any given person, there will be good days and bad days.
I don't know where that bar is. I only know that I have been working very hard on it for a long time, and I still can't see it.
I don't think you can expect it of a new OW diver, either. I was simply taking exception to the statement that it shouldn't take 40 dives to "perfect" buoyancy. I don't know how many dives it takes, but it's more than I have . . .
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