BSAC and DIR

[headhunter]

So, I've always thought of The British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) as having a great mentoring program for turning out good divers. I've been thinking about this today and wondered how prepared BSAC trained divers are for DIR diving.

I understand that there are going to be many philosophical differences, but was wondering how compatible they might be from a training standpoint.

In the interest of clarity and disclosure, I'll say that I'm not BSAC trained and that my comments above are just my perception based on having been diving with a few BSAC trained divers that I thought were well trained.

Also, I wonder why DIR does not have a formal mentoring system that would have those that have gone before helping those that are just starting. I'm thinking of something similar to training in martial arts when I say this.

I know that I'm talking about two things here, but think that they are related.

So, what do you think?

Christian

 

[rjack321]

At least locally, DIR does have a mentoring system. Its the only way you are going to develop your skills.

However, formalizing it is incompatible with the US legal system. I'm no instructor, and have no liability insurance. I'll go diving with folks but don't enlarge the lawsuit bullseye on me by calling me a mentor please.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

At least locally, DIR does have a mentoring system. Its the only way you are going to develop your skills.

There are several regional groups like that - we have one in the greater Atlanta area, there is one in SoCal, etc. It's not formal, but it certainly is better than nothing. As you say, it's really hard to practice and develop skills if you don't have the support system.

However, formalizing it is incompatible with the US legal system. I'm no instructor, and have no liability insurance. I'll go diving with folks but don't enlarge the lawsuit bullseye on me by calling me a mentor please.

I think you have hit it right on the head - nobody wants to assume the liability that the activity requires. We are fortunate to have a guy in our group who actually is an instructor, and has commercial liability insurance that he maintains for his professional activities. He has been pretty good about working with folks in our group, but I can certainly understand why a non-insured person would be reluctant to assume that role.

It's not really that hard to get an insurance policy though, and if you have a large enough group you can spread the cost around a little. It's tough to make that work if you don't have the numbers, however.

 

[TSandM]

There's no formal mentoring system, but it seems to be built into the system somewhere (and I'm not sure where) that you help those coming along behind you, and those seeking to start. At least where I am, that's true. Even the very trained (Tech2/Cave2) divers participate in passing along information. And our local GUE instructor sets the tone, by doing training dives with his students when he's in town.

When Bob or I has done the "Big Buddy" mentoring dives, the DIR guys turn out in numbers. And how many times have we seen DIR folks from SB speaking up the minute somebody expresses interest, volunteering to dive with them, help them set up gear, etc.? It's not formal, but it sure seems effective.

 

[headhunter]

I hadn't really thought about the liability. I didn't think that it would apply in a non-professional setting, but I can see that to formalize the process would be a step in that direction.

It's probably best left as something informal. A sort of unspoken rule of those that came before helping those who are coming up.

In SoCal we have pockets of DIR divers. Not everyone knows each other, but little by little that's changing. I'm hoping that we end up with a community that is fortunate to have people like John Walker and Kendall Raine helping those of us that aspire to learn more to improve our skills as well as increase our problem solving abilities. To me that is living with the team concept.

I know that there are some people who have separated from GUE fro various reasons, but I'd like to leave politics out of it and just learn what I can about the diving.

It seems that this is what has happened in the PNW. People tune out the noise and just get to the diving. I think that they stand as the model DIR community.

Christian

 

[Ben_ca]

Have you guys read the risk assessment material from BSAC? I really like it... It is very helpful in developing your risk assessment plans for some of your projects....

I'll echo the rest of the guys in the informal mentorship of the DIR community here in Monterey... It's informal and works... but it could be better and spread to the non DIR world.

 

[onfloat]

I spent alot of time mentoring with Marc Hall when I lived in San Diego. Granted not a formal mentoring system, but it seemed to be something that he enjoyed doing with the divers in that area that were interested in DIR.

 

[limeyx]

Have you guys read the risk assessment material from BSAC? I really like it... It is very helpful in developing your risk assessment plans for some of your projects....

I'll echo the rest of the guys in the informal mentorship of the DIR community here in Monterey... It's informal and works... but it could be better and spread to the non DIR world.

BSAC risk assessment==Hide behind the HSE regulations?

I'm amazed anyone gets *anything* done in england with the HSE on their arses.

 

[dsteding]

I've benefited tremendously from the informal mentoring going on up here. Closest I've come to DIR training so far is a four dive workshop with the local fundies instructor, and a seminar with Joe T on mental math and gas planning/management. Both excellent experiences. My training with Bob wasn't necessarily strictly DIR, but it did focus on building awareness, team skills, and becoming a better diver . . . the line gets blurry between "DIR" and just plain good dive skills there.

But my real building of skills has come from diving with DIR divers-besides Lynne (and Bob, who arguably does have some DIR in him . . . ), I can think of at least three others that I dive with on a semi-regular basis. Others have been quite welcoming , and I have backlog of about 4 more that I am planning on diving with soon (OE2X. UP, we need to dive at some point . . . )

All that leads to fundies in March, it seems to be time to take it, and I think I would benefit greatly from the class. For me, all the internet, DIR hooey, isn't seen in my local diving scene. Maybe that is because we are insulated from the rest of the country, but I think it has more to do with the local DIR divers being good people.

I will say this: when it comes time to pay it forward and mentor someone else, I will gladly do so, and this is how I think our community grows . . .

 

[Ben_ca]

BSAC risk assessment==Hide behind the HSE regulations?

I'm amazed anyone gets *anything* done in england with the HSE on their arses.

I guess we can do without big brother on our backs... but a mechanism to quantify the risk before a particular project is what I like about their risk assessments... So we can judge whether or not to exercise Option #1