Advice on how to become a better / safe diver

[TMHeimer]

LOL.

The initial goal was to get used to the feeling of a flooded mask, It didn't matter if I was siting, standing, or dancing on my head. Once I got past the discomfort I was good. Once I had the mechanics and the stress factor dealt with I moved to practicing the skill on my actual dives. I am quite comfortable clearing and / or removing and replacing my mask in the water column. The couple of hours spent sitting in the bottom of the pool saved a whole lot of angst / stress in less controlled environments.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with working on a skill in this manner. Everyone is different in terms of what they have to deal with and what works for them. This worked for me, and although it is clear that you don't agree with the approach that does not invalidate it.

Dive and let dive.

I do agree with you. "Sitting", kneeling--words that are becoming taboo, especially here on the Board. I do agree with those very experienced instructors who have gone to teaching skills neutrally buoyant. One of the OP's plans was to "practice all the OW skills while buoyant" (I assume he meant neutrally buoyant, or else you're on the surface). How many of the PADI 24 skills are ones you CAN do neutrally? Half dozen?
Most say that doing skills like mask clearing, reg retrieval, doff & don, etc. are just as easy doing neutrally. Agree. But I don't think it hurts for someone to sit on the bottom of the pool to work on the skill. General buoyancy while diving--even for a very new diver--isn't rocket science.

 

[gcarter]

I do agree with you. "Sitting", kneeling--words that are becoming taboo, especially here on the Board. I do agree with those very experienced instructors who have gone to teaching skills neutrally buoyant. One of the OP's plans was to "practice all the OW skills while buoyant" (I assume he meant neutrally buoyant, or else you're on the surface). How many of the PADI 24 skills are ones you CAN do neutrally? Half dozen?
Most say that doing skills like mask clearing, reg retrieval, doff & don, etc. are just as easy doing neutrally. Agree. But I don't think it hurts for someone to sit on the bottom of the pool to work on the skill. General buoyancy while diving--even for a very new diver--isn't rocket science.

The point of my exercise certainly wasn't to stay neutrally buoyant for a couple of hours in a 4-1/2' deep above ground pool, that is for sure. I applaud the move by some to teach while buoyant from the start as a general statement. But the conditions for the exercise should match the goals of the exercise. In my case, they matched my goals - gaining comfort with the water in my face, not the mechanics of the skill.

One size does not fit all, DIR beliefs notwithstanding.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

I had my first OW class acting as a DM this past weekend in the pool and will be at the lake this coming Saturday for the actually OW dives. And I can say that NASE teaches skills while neutrally buoyant. Of course they start out with kneeling in the shallows first to get students used to the feeling but then they transition to a 50m swim without a mask while a buddy leads to get the students more comfortable with water being on their face while they can still breathe. But at the end of the pool session, all skills are done neutral and will be required to be done neutral at the lake. I have to say I was actually pretty impressed with the six students in this OW class, as they all seemed to get neutral fairly quickly and easily.

 

[TMHeimer]

I had my first OW class acting as a DM this past weekend in the pool and will be at the lake this coming Saturday for the actually OW dives. And I can say that NASE teaches skills while neutrally buoyant. Of course they start out with kneeling in the shallows first to get students used to the feeling but then they transition to a 50m swim without a mask while a buddy leads to get the students more comfortable with water being on their face while they can still breathe. But at the end of the pool session, all skills are done neutral and will be required to be done neutral at the lake. I have to say I was actually pretty impressed with the six students in this OW class, as they all seemed to get neutral fairly quickly and easily.

When you say all skills, can you list those ones which were done neutrally? For example "deepwater entry" or weight belt doff & don on the surface aren't done neutrally of course.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

When you say all skills, can you list those ones which were done neutrally? For example "deepwater entry" or weight belt doff & don on the surface aren't done neutrally of course.

Of course!
1. Mask Flood
2. Mask doff & don
3. Air share
4. Gear doff & don

I think that's pretty much it. At least that I can remember.

 

[EireDiver606]

Lake diving can be an excellent skill builder

+1

DIR beliefs notwithstanding.

The only person who mentioned DIR is you. Whether DIR is for you or not, diving is about having fun! (believe it or not) and
if you are not neutrally buoyant and off the bottom, youre not going to have as much fun. Stop bringing up DIR rubbish - its nothing to do with it. Unrelated.

 

[sigxbill]

The only person who mentioned DIR is you. Whether DIR is for you or not, diving is about having fun! (believe it or not) and
if you are not neutrally buoyant and off the bottom, youre not going to have as much fun. Stop bringing up DIR rubbish - its nothing to do with it. Unrelated.

Actually DIR and neutrally buoyant teaching are related. Where do you think teaching neutrally buoyant was developed? Development of neutrally buoyant teaching traces primarily back to Andrew Georgitsis of UTD (formerly GUE) ... cheers

 

[gcarter]

diving is about having fun! (believe it or not) and if you are not neutrally buoyant and off the bottom, youre not going to have as much fun

You continue to falsely equate the situation I described with bad diving. I could have done the same exercise in a bathtub. Would I have needed to be neutrally buoyant for that as well? Such nonsense.

 

[EireDiver606]

Actually DIR and neutrally buoyant teaching are related. Where do you think teaching neutrally buoyant was developed? Development of neutrally buoyant teaching traces primarily back to Andrew Georgitsis of UTD (formerly GUE) ... cheers

I know DIR is neutrally buoyant teaching but teaching in neutral buoyancy isn’t DIR. it’s not the same. I know what you mean.

 

[SapphireMind]

My closest place to dive is also a challenging spot, but it does mean that when I dive on vacation, it's really easy in comparison. I live in SF so Monterey is where you cert and do extra diving. It's freezing cold - 7mm with a vest/hood usually, and the visibility isn't great, and there can be current issues, but then when I go to warm water, it's amazing.

Plus I like the critters that live in No CA. Being able to dive with sea otters and sea lions and seals and even dolphins maybe is pretty darn awesome.