a spin off to the dying a hero thread...

[Blackwood]

I have had things like this done to me numerous times by instructors, and I have found it only beneficial for me. In cave training, one of our first dives involved our masks and one of our regs being taken unexpectedly at the same time and we had to buddy breath on exit. It's stressful to be blind, trying to get air off a buddy who also cannot see anything and then have to buddy breathe in 52F water with no mask on. All the other stuff that has been pulled on me was not nearly as stressful as being without air.

There seems to be some people who are adverse to stress testing and I do not understand why. If you can't deal with stressful situations (and the thing that is likely to put someone under the most stress is not getting air) then should you really be doing technical diving? I am surprised anyone would be satisfied with training that would not stress them in this manner.

OOG shouldn't be a stressful situation. If it is, you (the proverbial you) aren't ready.

I don't particularly care if an instructor does or does not turn off the post I'm breathing, but I think it's potentially more instructive - so to speak - when he/she gets me to do it to myself.

 

[peterbj7]

It's even more instructive when it "just happens" without your knowing it's about to.

Actually I disagree with your words whilst agreeing with your sentiment - OOG is and always will be stressful. It's how you handle that stress that makes the difference between dying and surviving.

 

[Sas]

OOG shouldn't be a stressful situation. If it is, you (the proverbial you) aren't ready.

I don't particularly care if an instructor does or does not turn off the post I'm breathing, but I think it's potentially more instructive, so to speak, when he/she gets me to do it to myself.

How is it more instructive? It's expected then and shouldn't register at all on the stressful scale. And making you turn off the post is not mutually exclusive with your instructor doing so.

And being OOG for more than a short while, is stressful, regardless of who you are. There are physical limitations as to how long you can hold your breath. It's how you handle it that is the test.

 

[Wormil]

Yah, so people who take 5 breaths on their reg before wanting to switch to an octo are gonna do REAL well if something happens and they can't get air. OOA people.

 

[Wormil]

How is it more instructive? It's expected then and shouldn't register at all on the stressful scale. And making you turn off the post is not mutually exclusive with your instructor doing so.

And being OOG for more than a short while, is stressful, regardless of who you are. There are physical limitations as to how long you can hold your breath. It's how you handle it that is the test.

Yah. I tested that while swimming with buddy in a cave with no reg in my mouth flashing light. That was awesome and scary as hell. I didn't do the OH TAKE A FULL BREATH AND GO FOR IT. I just dumped reg and did it. I learned I don't like being OOA in a cave. That **** sucks.

 

[Sas]

Yah, so people who take 5 breaths on their reg before wanting to switch to an octo are gonna do REAL well if something happens and they can't get air. OOA people.

Yea I have seen that a lot... People who have to hand over their regs or shutdown a post taking a bunch of breaths first. It's just not realistic if you can anticipate when your last breath will be.

 

[Blackwood]

How is it more instructive? It's expected then and shouldn't register at all on the stressful scale. And making you turn off the post is not mutually exclusive with your instructor doing so.

Because in the field, it's much more likely to be you shutting a post than the lightning bolt instantaneous loss situation. So on top of handling the OOG, you learn (or reinforce) the consequences of whatever you just did (e.g. shutting the left post after you've donated).

And being OOG for more than a short while, is stressful, regardless of who you are. There are physical limitations as to how long you can hold your breath. It's how you handle it that is the test.

Going OOG without having confidence in your team and/or without being prepared, yah, that would be stressful.

If, on the other hand, you trust your bailout (which in my case is my teammate), it isn't.

 

[rjack321]

OOG shouldn't be a stressful situation. If it is, you (the proverbial you) aren't ready.

Exactly.

If you are mature & developed as a diver (and your buddies are as well) its not stressful. More like jeesh OOA too? Sigh.

 

[Sas]

Because in the field, it's much more likely to be you shutting a post than the lightning bolt instantaneous situation. So on top of handling the OOG, you learn (or reinforce the consequences) of whatever you just did (e.g. shutting the left post after you've donated).

Sure. But that does not mean you shouldn't do both.

Going OOG without having confidence in your team and/or without being prepared, yah, that would be stressful.

Yes, which is why it is important to do this in training and stress someone out with an OOG where instructor has told buddy to swim off and has taken both your masks. So you know the importance of having a good team and being prepared for an OOG.

It does not take very long, for it to become physically stressful if you have no air and you have to swim for it. And it is good to know how one will handle this, some people just shut down and give up.

 

[Sas]

Exactly.

If you are mature & developed as a diver (and your buddies are as well) its not stressful. More like jeesh OOA too? Sigh.

Have you ever actually been put under physical discomfort during training such as having to swim a while to get gas after your air has been taken unexpectedly? And if so, please provide details.