Body check when you are on a single tank and your buddy on doubles

[TSandM]

It takes a lot of discipline to do checks, especially if some of the team members are restive or impatient. I just find I get mulish and insist. When Peter and our friends dove off our boat on Wednesday, one of the divers got impatient during the gear check and said he was just going to get in the water. Peter let it go; I would politely have asked him to hold off a second, so we could finish the check. It would have been very difficult to do, because the diver in question is a very senior diver and someone I profoundly respect.

Betty, learning light discipline takes time. You just have to build into your brain a picture of what your light is doing and where it is pointing. And for tasks like bag shooting (or gas switches) it's usual procedure to butt clip the light so that it doesn't end up in your buddy's eyes.

 

[Soakedlontra]

We actually covered this in Betty's Rescue class ... as well as the differences between bringing a singles and doubles unconscious diver up from the bottom.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob, Sam and I have signed up for a Stress and Rescue class with a PADI instructor who does not think that it is appropriate to teach how to rescue a diver with doubles at a recreational level. I disagree with him but then he probably teaches within the constrains of his Agency...So I guess we have to learn how to do it somewhere else.

 

[String]

If its PADI they don't constrain you to teaching only single tank rescues. They can do whatever they want!
"Agency allow it" is the most often used lie by lazy instructors. In reality other than a few small things most agencies allow most things.

 

[Soakedlontra]

If its PADI they don't constrain you to teaching only single tank rescues. They can do whatever they want!
"Agency allow it" is the most often used lie by lazy instructors. In reality other than a few small things most agencies allow most things.

Well that was my guess. I may be able to convince him that it would be a good idea.

 

[String]

I can guarantee there is nothing in the agency standards that prevents him showing you that. Unless obviously he doesnt know how himself!

 

[DaleC]

Hey Bob, if that's an older Betty (ducking to avoid getting hit with purse) then I think I met her (with your group) at Whyecliffe a couple of years ago. I snuck up underwater and magically "appeared" to retreive a camera for her and a buddy by the islet.

A pretty good trick when one can pull it off.

 

[DaleC]

Both Sam and I have been turning the valves as taught in OW class. We have never had a problem so far. Now you can by a plastic cap?/ring?, something, that is red and green to help you to see whether the valve is open or not.

I wouldn't buy that cap thingy myself. The best thing is to develop a system that works well for you (what ever that is) and do the same thing each time. Many of my initial gaffs were from having no set pattern to follow and from rushing too much. Now I have a specific pre ritual I follow that catches those kind of glitches. I also try to make a point of arriving early for dives so I have plenty of time to suit up.

 

[DevonDiver]

Bob, Sam and I have signed up for a Stress and Rescue class with a PADI instructor who does not think that it is appropriate to teach how to rescue a diver with doubles at a recreational level. I disagree with him but then he probably teaches within the constrains of his Agency...So I guess we have to learn how to do it somewhere else.

FYI...'Stress and Rescue' is the name used by SSI, not PADI.

Neither SSI or PADI have a formal prohibition on using double tanks for rescue. As far as I am concerned, a diver should practice their rescue in the gear that they actually dive in.

This seems that the instructor concerned has an issue with teaching a student in double tanks. I could guess at reasons why that was....

 

[Soakedlontra]

FYI...'Stress and Rescue' is the name used by SSI, not PADI.

Neither SSI or PADI have a formal prohibition on using double tanks for rescue. As far as I am concerned, a diver should practice their rescue in the gear that they actually dive in.

This seems that the instructor concerned has an issue with teaching a student in double tanks. I could guess at reasons why that was....

I think you have misunderstood me. The instructor agrees with you. He teaches how to rescue a diver in doubles in his tech Stress & Rescue (or whatever you want to call it) class where all his students have doubles. It's just me who would like to learn how to rescue a doubles diver even if I dive with a single tank..Underwater you cannot pick and choose whom to rescue, can you? OK the majority of divers here dive with a single tank. However there is also a fair amount of people who dive in doubles and solo divers who use doubles too.

 

[DevonDiver]

Ah, ok... I did misunderstand you. If doubles diving was common in that area...and there was a good chance that you would encounter doubles divers on dive boats or even within your dive team/pair.... then it would definitely be a good idea to include at least a basic familiarisation to the appropriate rescue techniques.

In truth, a set of doubles is no more complicated than a BCD. If using a BP&W (especially with a Hog Harness) then it is even more simply designed and straightforward. If you can rescue a single cylinder diver, then you should be able to rescue a double cylinder diver. That said, the purpose of the rescue course is to allow you to practice in advance...rather than having to rely upon common sense and problem solving in a real situation.

In some instances, it may be the best option to cut the diver out of the harness. Again, that is difficult to practice