Not sure what's happening to the muppets in this video (panicked divemaster)

[DevonDiver]

Not sure if this is a staged training exercise.... or a real incident (as the description on Youtube suggests):

Uploaded on Apr 24, 2011

On a Reefball® installation project in Redang years ago, this diver was without his fins & was steered by his dive leader. Watch as he tries to kick the oncoming instructor who tried to help him but got yanked instead......

Updated:- The guy approaching the diver is an instructor, so is the guy holding on to the 'panicking' diver. Interestingly, this panicking diver is a divemaster. As I shot the video, I didn't realise there was a commotion as I had been shooting the installation & placement of the Reefballs® & only found out after the event as I looked through the videos. A check with one of my divers present, told me that they were indeed trying to 'move' the Reefballs® to position & had to 'walk' on the sea bed so the DM (panicking diver) took off his fins & got some help from the support instructor to move him about. As the oncoming instructor (who had his mask yanked) approached, the DM didn't warrant this approach & started 'kicking' him off. The only thing to prevent him from causing any more problems was to remove his mask, which the support instructor did.

I didn't realize that "ripping off the mask" was a recognized technique for dealing with a panicked diver. LOL

If that was really a DM panicking and kicking out.... well, agencies should have a process for stripping certification/membership

 

[flots am]

If that was really a DM panicking and kicking out.... well, agencies should have a process for stripping certification/membership

They do, but AFAIK, it's only for horrific standards violations during class. I don't think simply being unqualified counts.

I didn't realize that "ripping off the mask" was a recognized technique for dealing with a panicked diver. LOL

As far as the mask goes, it's an interesting concept. It doesn't fix panic but would probably stop someone who is attacking you. It's a step above "hose cutting" or weapons and gives them something else of seemingly higher priority to deal with

Interesting video although I'm still not sure exactly what was going on.

flots.

 

[SailNaked]

I would assume it was a class, and the instructor is holding the pretend victim from behind, thus all the hand signals before the "rescue" I would bet the reason for the mask removal was because the "victim" was over acting.

 

[covediver]

someone has been watching old episodes of Sea Hunt and decided to incorporate a Mike Nelson. why is the guy not wearing fins?

 

[chrpai]

But wow.... ya.... maybe I need to spend some time in the pool without fins just to know what it feels like. Seems like I should be able to get prone and use my hands for propulsion if really need. It shouldn't be that much of a CF.

 

[tracydr]

But wow.... ya.... maybe I need to spend some time in the pool without fins just to know what it feels like. Seems like I should be able to get prone and use my hands for propulsion if really need. It shouldn't be that much of a CF.

It's not that bad, although it's worse if there is any kind of current to swim against. I dive in my pool all the time without fins and it just takes a little getting used to.

 

[nimoh]

looks like a staged exercise to me, especially since after the mask removal, the victim starts looking in his bag of tricks...probably for a back up mask.

but I don't agree with removing the victims mask in a panic situation. A little water up the nose could make things a lot worse.

 

[supergaijin]

I've played around without fins on sandy bottoms and with 'normal' weighting it's really tough to move around- much better a kilo or two overweighted as you can spring forward. When I used to work at Rangali Resort we had to clean the underwater restaurant. Every so often when the mood struck I used to remove the fins and pull some 'Couching Tiger Hidden Dragon' kung fu moves; running up the vertical girders and somersaulting etc.

Should have got video of it- it was pretty fun.

 

[nimoh]

I've played around without fins on sandy bottoms and with 'normal' weighting it's really tough to move around- much better a kilo or two overweighted as you can spring forward. When I used to work at Rangali Resort we had to clean the underwater restaurant. Every so often when the mood struck I used to remove the fins and pull some 'Couching Tiger Hidden Dragon' kung fu moves; running up the vertical girders and somersaulting etc.

Should have got video of it- it was pretty fun.

that would have been a great video played at 4x normal speed

 

[chrpai]

that would have been a great video played at 4x normal speed

With circus music in the background.

Reminds me of a video I saw 10+ years ago of a Subaru vs a Camero after a snow storm. I should go find that...