Question Pool Practice Ideas

[quietlife4me]

I am a new diver who stupidly decided to take up scuba the weekend the local dive spots closed up for winter…so I have 5 months to twiddle my thumbs (or travel).

However, I basically have unlimited access to an indoor pool at my LDS with a 9ft deep end until the local lakes/quarries open up again…

Presume that’s what you had and you had the necessary gear/air/etc…what specifically would you do for an hour in the pool besides just sit on the bottom to get away from the world? Which is amazing granted.

My last couple times getting wet I’ve just worked on generic buoyancy and breath control…and working the basic OW drills with 5mm gloves on. Searching YouTube for “pool practice” turned up just the OW class basics.

Next idea I had was to setup an underwater GoPro so I can review my buoyancy control and fin position after.

Thoughts?

 

[Marie13]

Work on your kicks - do something besides flutter. Try frog.

 

[quietlife4me]

Work on your kicks - do something besides flutter. Try frog.

Now that would be funny…hey…how is that guy doing frog kicks in his OW certification dive?

 

[tursiops]

sit on the bottom to get away from the world

No, hover in mid-water...no sitting on the bottom.

setup an underwater GoPro so I can review my buoyancy control and fin position after.

Excellent. Not just buoyancy, but also trim....

Work on your kicks - do something besides flutter. Try frog.

Definitely.

 

[TMHeimer]

One thing I tried to do before taking the OW course was clearing the mask. I tried it in the ocean but didn't get my face in the right position, maybe not in deep enough water. I did find it a breeze during the course, but found that it seems to be the skill that stymies more students that the other skills. This should be easy to try in your pool. Read what it says in your course material if you have it yet (I had the paper manual back then, which you can probably still buy, or even get the elearning stuff ahead of time?). Sit on the bottom in the shallow end and follow the instructions. The 5 months you have now is a good time to read over the "manual" a dozen or so times so you'll be over-ready to go.
I know tursiops said no sitting on the bottom. He is correct in that the trend lately has been to teach all the skills with students hovering mid water. You may find that difficult with no scuba gear, but worth a try.

 

[Boarderguy]

Get wet and blow as many bubbles as you can. Hover mid water and work on maneuvering without using your hands and arms. In scuba your legs and feet control your motion, your hands and arms are for wrestling octopus and holding a camera.

 

[rongoodman]

Now that would be funny…hey…how is that guy doing frog kicks in his OW certification dive?

It would be ever better if you showed up with a working back kick!

 

[Lorenzoid]

what specifically would you do for an hour in the pool besides just sit on the bottom to get away from the world?

You jest, but you're actually hitting on something: the skill of remaining motionless. It overlaps with the skill of buoyancy but also with the skill of controlling lateral motion.

How do you do it? Just try to hover over one spot on the bottom of the pool--you can mark it with a coin or whatever--without moving your feet (or hands, of course). It's not easy! You may find that you are unconsciously moving your feet just a bit--the dreaded "happy feet" syndrome, some have called it. Yes, just try to keep those feet still. Swimming is easy, relatively speaking. "Not swimming" is harder.

What is the point? First, staying in one spot is useful for positioning yourself to get a good, up-close look at stationary things underwater. Also, in the event you and a buddy need to assist one another, being able to prevent yourself from drifting away is important. Second, though I suppose related to the first, if you can teach yourself to remain motionless and at a chosen depth--no happy feet, good buoyancy control--you have set yourself up with a foundation to build further control over your position in the water. If you can train your body--both the conscious mind and the subconscious muscle-- to remain motionless, you can then learn to how to position yourself in any orientation you want.

Someone started a thread on the value of this skill of remaining motionless: Teaching nothing.

 

[quietlife4me]

I know tursiops said no sitting on the bottom. He is correct in that the trend lately has been to teach all the skills with students hovering mid water.

Oh great reminder. The basic mask/reg/water skills was super easy for me. 30+ years of swimming / water polo / surfing will do that to you. Water up my nose and in my face is meh. But I didn't do the skills while hovering...it was in the standard "kneel" position.

You may find that difficult with no scuba gear, but worth a try.

Because it's at the LDS they allow me to use scuba gear in the pool because I've completed the referral diver part of OW. So I can practice anything in full gear so long as it can be done in less than 9 feet.

 

[quietlife4me]

Yes, just try to keep those feet still. Swimming is easy, relatively speaking. "Not swimming" is harder.

interesting....I did notice that when I'm not moving I start "naturally" tilting one way or the other and then I feel the need to "correct". Thank you!