Anyone Diving this weekend?

[cstreu1026]

I plan to go diving this weekend, is anyone else interested in hitting the water?

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I'm planning to tag along with an AOW class and at the moment I don't have a buddy. I think we're diving at White Star (Oh Big-T, where is the class going this weekend?).

I'll dive with you if you want to come up
Ber

 

[jbd]

and I will be at Falling Rock at least one day this weekend.

 

[Big-t-2538]

Yes, Whitestar park it is....I am going, and so is my little bro.....

Ber, you most certainly can dive with me, but you have to lead....

 

[wb416]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
Yes, Whitestar park it is....I am going, and so is my little bro.....

Ber, you most certainly can dive with me, but you have to lead....

I'm Curious.... how did you come to pick whitestar vs gilboa for an AOW class?

I only live 15 minutes from whitestar, but I'd just as soon drive the 65 minutes to Gilboa, especially for an AOW course...

tx, wb

 

[Big-t-2538]

The class we run is through the university. We have our own requirements for the class...for them to get their advanced certification, they have to make XXX number of minutes of bottom time. We have 4 weekends that we go diving, and we try to mix up the sites to expose the students to as many conditions as we can. They do navigation, deep, night, simulated wreck, simulated searches, etc. We have a number of things we do based on what we feel like doing that weekend.

They are slated to go to gilboa next weekend (and I am staying the hell away from that place on memorial day weekend). They were at portage last weekend, and lake france/hidden paradise the weeeknd before that.

 

[wb416]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
The class we run is through the university. We have our own requirements for the class...for them to get their advanced certification, they have to make XXX number of minutes of bottom time. We have 4 weekends that we go diving, and we try to mix up the sites to expose the students to as many conditions as we can. They do navigation, deep, night, simulated wreck, simulated searches, etc. We have a number of things we do based on what we feel like doing that weekend.

They are slated to go to gilboa next weekend (and I am staying the hell away from that place on memorial day weekend). They were at portage last weekend, and lake france/hidden paradise the weeeknd before that.

that's cool... I just recalled doing most of my AOW work at whitestar and looking back now thinking what a joke it was... for the 'deep' dive we went in the 'crusher' and buried our gauge in the mud to get 72'.

Then we worked a pvc pipe puzzle that took longer to complete at depth than it did on the surface (well nooo kidding.... there was no accounting for the fact that we used gloves in the water and were doing it with several people crowded into a small area with viz at almost zero due to us on our knees in the silt), however, it was used as indication of how 'narced' we were at depth.

So, the purpose of the rant was that I could see much more useful 'exercises & experience of depth' at Gilboa greater than the extreme depths at whitestar!?! This could be done safely at Gilboa using the descending road-bed past the tubes to provide a floor for definitive depth control.

It sounds like you guys are mixing it up for your students though...

just my rant...

 

[Big-t-2538]

That's exactly what we do....We have them go out to the tubes, and then keep heading in that same direction until they hit 80 feet. Yeah, it's cold, yeah it is a little dark, but hey...you want to be an advanced diver, deal with it....and by no means do you go over the wall...for any reason...We warn them about reg freezing and freeflow (though it has never happened in any one of the classes I was involved with)...we remind them of the importance of buddymanship, we remind them of their lost buddy procedures....etc, etc.

We don't really have them do much at depth other than go there. I don't see the need to task load a student who has never been to 80 feet at gilboa in the cold water with more than just that task. What are you going to prove? Again this is all part of a 10 week university course to get some experience with more advanced diving...it is not meant to be a technical class, it is not meant to be a deep-diving class, it is more about handling yourself in the water, planning you dive objectives and performing the required tasks.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
Yes, Whitestar park it is....I am going, and so is my little bro.....

Ber, you most certainly can dive with me, but you have to lead....

Thanks T! Actually I was planning to just hang on to your first stage and get the NASCAR 100mph swimming tour of the whole quarry (500 laps to a tank)

I'm bringing the dry suit, ummm, THIS should be fun
Ber

 

[Big-t-2538]

Ber Rabbit once bubbled...

I'm bringing the dry suit, ummm, THIS should be fun
Ber

I'll be sure to bring my sharp knife...