What's Wrong With This Mod-S drill?

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edit: Just need to make sure you practice the full OOA sequence every so often so you remember which way the light goes after you deploy the long hose. :eyebrow:
Right on that! No worries, though. I have a buddy who loves to watch for a moment when I'm distracted.
 
Modified S-Drill = Pre-Dive Check
(done on every dive)

Full S-Drill = Practice for an OOG emergency
(not done on every dive) that is unless you are diving with Allen and Rick:D


You preform a Modified S-Drill to show your buddy that your long hose is deploy able and ready for him(her) when they need it. A hose CF at depth with an OOG buddy is not something anyone wants to deal with. We usually do a Mod S at 20 feet as we start our descent. You are not trying to build muscle memory for a quick reaction to an emergency. I am also not sure it makes sense to do this with your light clipped off. The point is to make sure that the hose isn't caught up somewhere.

You preform a Full S-Drill to practice for an OOG emergency. I agree that when you practice this drill you don't take time to clear the hose from the light cord until your buddy has air. This drill is preformed to build muscle memory for a quick reaction to an emergency.



Besides, what muscle memory would you be trying to develop in a Modified S-Drill when you transfer the second stage to your left hand so that you can clear the hose from the can? In a real OOG you will NEVER have to deal with that second stage while you are untangling the cord or clearing the hose. It will be in your buddies mouth.

To me it's kind of like the Valve Drill debate. The drill isn't necessarily preparing you to react properly in a valve emergency. It's teaching you valve manipulation and flexibility. Working through the 9 failures is a "real world" training drill for reacting to a valve emergency not the Valve Drill.

Now that the differences between an S-Drill and Mod S-Drill are hopefully cleared up, does anyone see a problem with this?

Could it be a better alternative to what (at least) some of us were taught?

Was anyone taught to do it this way?

Does anyone else do it this way?

Am I gonna die?

Hunter
 
Yeah, good question. This is a MODIFIED S drill. It's not an OOG presentation. It's simply presenting the hose PRIOR to the dive to demonstrate that it is not trapped.

Please, let's not confuse what I'm demonstrating here with a gas donation.

thanks

Thanks Rick for the clarification.

Geoff
 
Rick, I'm not sure what the purpose of this modification is? We do Mod S as the last thing before submerging on every cave dive. The light is, at this point, still clipped off, and the light cord is tucked under the waist strap and doesn't interfere in the slightest with the full deployment of the hose. I can't think of a circumstance, other than a class, where I would do a Mod S underwater. It's done on the sea wall, on the boat, or while floating at the surface.
 
I can't think of a circumstance, other than a class, where I would do a Mod S underwater. It's done on the sea wall, on the boat, or while floating at the surface.

Stylistically, I don't think it much matters. The only time I would do a MOD-S underwater is if I had been mucking about with my waist strap, removed my canister light, futzed with my argon hose, suit heater cord or anything like that on the front or right side.

And if I did have to do it UW I would have my light clipped off, deploy/donate the long hose, switch to my backup, then completely deploy the hose and look at it. Doing as shown in the video UW makes you put your backup in with your right hand, which is fine, I just don't do it that way.
 
I don't want to disapoint you but I was taught the same way during my Tech-1 (3 years ago). There was a suggestion of proper name for this drill to avoid confusing it with S-drill: "long hose check". I don't know if this term is used by other GUE instructors but I heard few of them using it.
 
I do this before cave dives right before dropping down (but still underwater, right under the surface) or before quarry dives in 4ft of water (hovering, in trim) before skills dives.

Why? Because my wing is normally pumped up enough that it's difficult to get the long hose from under the light canister while I'm floating at the surface before a dive. Let a bunch of air out, enough so that my head won't stay above the surface, and I'm good to go for a mod-s.
 
Rick, I'm not sure what the purpose of this modification is? We do Mod S as the last thing before submerging on every cave dive. The light is, at this point, still clipped off, and the light cord is tucked under the waist strap and doesn't interfere in the slightest with the full deployment of the hose. I can't think of a circumstance, other than a class, where I would do a Mod S underwater. It's done on the sea wall, on the boat, or while floating at the surface.
Sure that makes sense.

That last fundies class I hosted out here, the instructor had everyone doing them underwater with light in hand (as I recall). So it's the habit we're in. Not saying it isn't overkill, just that it's what we have been doing. Actually, I have gone along with my team on this one. Personally, I'd be ok with doing the mod s at the truck.

During the GUE EDGE, when we verify the light, we turn it on and deploy it, and it stays in the hand. It is deployed because (believe it or not) there has been the rare occasion when someone's light cord is trapped or something, and that needs to be addressed on the surface. Also, light in hand means light not shining in someone's face (yeah, you could flip it over and clip it - but we use that dangling position for only underwater when needing to clip off for a quick second. Otherwise we keep it tight). So the light is already in the hand when we get to the MOD S, if we're following GUE EDGE.

There is something about descending to 20' of blue water, forming a 3 man star and doing a Mod S before descending into the dive that centers you. When we are doing a 2-bottle deco dive with scooters, and we can all relax at 20', hold our position and everyone can see the easy deployment of the primary hose, it's like a moment of, "ok, here we go" that says we are all ready.

You are right, it may not be necessary, but just something we got into doing after the last fundies class. When divers are isolated in an area, and an instructor comes out, gives a class and leaves, you are not subject to the influence of other divers - good or bad. We may be too much by the book with some things, or have accidentally misinterpreted or slowly changed other things. Who knows? I don't have a problem with doing a MOD S at 20', if that's what my team wants to do. The truth is, when I have traveled and dived with DIR divers, they often do their own abbreviated version of GUE EDGE, including often skipping bubble checks.

It would be nice for some fundies instructors to chime in on doing the MOD S underwater with light in hand or not. Again this is not a big deal for me, just something to talk about. Truth is, until now I though most everyone did it underwater.
 
Rick, I'm not sure what the purpose of this modification is? We do Mod S as the last thing before submerging on every cave dive. The light is, at this point, still clipped off, and the light cord is tucked under the waist strap and doesn't interfere in the slightest with the full deployment of the hose. I can't think of a circumstance, other than a class, where I would do a Mod S underwater. It's done on the sea wall, on the boat, or while floating at the surface.


Absolutely correct Lynne. Sounds like we are looking at creating a solution for a non-problem.
 
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