The 20 Skills Broken Down

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I put a skills circuit together on video for my DM's and IDC candidates in training to get a preview before we jumped in water.

The MO wasn't so much to show them how to do the skill as there's a lot of variations, but how to demonstrate a skill, emphasis on exaggerated movement and drawing attention to the attributes of the skill.

Here's a link on You Tube Skills circuit, there's 5 parts, so you can see the others to the right on the related videos.
 
Clearly you put a lot of work into videoing your circuit. But for me, I fear, it misses the mark. Neither of the featured divers would meet our standards for an entry level diver, not to mention a leadership candidate. Specific problems include:

Part 1

One
1. Tank left standing without a hand on it while assembling BCD - automatic failure.
2. Rig with both auxiliary second stage and Air-II?
3. What's with holding the second stage and the SPG, but not the aux, while turning on the air?

Two
1. Tank's are way to low.
2. Female pulls on hose, not on Air-II to release air from BCD. - wrong.
3. The male is wearing a rather ratty weight belt.

Three
1. The male enters the water with the regulator in his mouth, I know this is taught today, but there have been embolism cases that resulted from this procedure.
2. The male doesn't know how to wear a snorkel, it is attached far to close to the mask. It should be much further back on the strap.

Four
1. The female's snorkel is even worse than the males.

Part 2

One
1. If you entered the water with your regulator in your mouth, why are you now exchanging regulator for snorkel?
2. Descend to the bottom, clunk. - automatic failure.

Two
1. On the bottom - automatic failure.
2. Tank should go on over the head (when underwater).

Thee
1. On the bottom - automatic failure.
2. Diver should be horizontal.
3. After releasing the buckle the diver should roll out of it.
4. To replace the belt the diver should roll back into it.

Part3

One
1. Independently establish neutral bouyancy underwater - this never occurs, failure.
2. Fin Pivots - need we say more?
3. What's with holding the regulator as though she were going to buddy-breath?

Two
1. Ascent is way too fast, approx 60 FPM. - automatic failure

Three.
1. Tank should go on by ducking under it in an overhead don.

Part 4
One
1. Diver should roll out of belt and roll back in, horizontal at all times.

Two
1. I'd rather see a hover in a horizontal attitude

Three
1. Both divers on bottom - automatic failure.
2. Receiver signals "out of air," never signals "give me air." - automatic failure
3. Receiver should never hold the second stage (even to use the purge if needed, and a DM candidate should not need to).
4. The swim was about the clumsiest I've ever seen.

Four.
1. On the bottom - automatic failure.

Five
1. Diver settle to bottom to clear mask - automatic failure.

Part 5

One
1. On the bottom - automatic failure.

Two
1. On the bottom - automatic failure. But good, not arm sweep.

Three
1. On the bottom - automatic failure.

Four
1. On the bottom - automatic failure.
2. Body contact should be extablished with or before auxillary regulator use. Receiver breathed first then established contact - automatic failure.

Five
1. On the bottom - automatic failure.

Six
1. Trim is atrocious.
 
As I said, there is more than one way to do a skill, and before you take the driver to the highway, you have to practice in the lot!!!

But you are right about one thing, the belt does need changing!
 
I look forward to version two. BTW: here's what I meant about the snorkel:

DSCN1663.JPG


DSCN16611.JPG
 
Now Thass, how do you expect me to pay attention to the snorkel????
 
OK now I'm concentrating, shouldn't the snorkel not be blocking the left ear, in the event she is upwind, left side bow on, and on coming boat traffic is trying to alert her and she cannot hear????
 
I don't get what you mean. Granted he has long hair, but that's a 12 year old BOY.
 
Are you abusing your moderator position?
 
As I said, there is more than one way to do a skill!
There is always more than one way to do a skill, but there is usually a reason for why one way is better than another and the tank and weightbelt doff and dons display inferior methodologies in every case.

Other things, like hand signals prior to air sharing, along with body position and hand position are flat wrong.

Forgetting about the clunk into the bottom thing (which PADI stupidly permits; we don't let beginning divers to that) those divers trim in the water is horrible.
 
Reasons being environment, and the bottom represents the training situation, not a diving situation.

The tank and weight belt are accepted techniques, I don't understand what you're trying to prove?!!

Do they have to wear a horse jacket vest as well??
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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