Can you reach your tank knob to turn it on?

[dherbman]

But, don't worry, I understand you can't defend your initial position.

- ChillyWaters

Does it give you the slightest pause to be the only one in this thread who considers this to be a useless skill. There are instructors, DM's, people that have been diving for decades and others here that have thousands of dives that see the benefit. Many valid reasons have been given and yet you stick to your position.

I'm OK with you diving any way you want, with any skill set you feel is good. What I'm not OK with is someone reading your posts and thinking you may be onto something.

 

[TheRedHead]

I had 4 lbs in that photo. When I'm diving with a 120 or doubles, I don't have any. Chilly, you remind me of someone...but I can't put my finger on who...

 

[TSandM]

Frugal when my life is on the line? My life wasn't on the line when I had my freeflow. In fact, I called it an "emergency" and got corrected, because it wasn't. I was shallow enough to do a CESA and had two buddies who were immediately prepared to, and did, donate. I just wish I'd reached back and turned the valve off so I wouldn't have had to pay for the VIP . . . It would have been useful, and I see no down side in knowing how to do it.

Your argument, CW, seems to be only this: You don't think you can get good at things if you learn too many of them. That may be true for you. I do think it has to do with how much practice one does. I prefer to have a lot of options, and have them ALL reasonably well trained. You state that none of us has given a good reason for knowing this skill; I submit that you have not given any good reason for not learning it.

 

[Rick Murchison]

... there has yet to be a good reason to reach your valves, that you can't solve with some other VERY useful skill we definitely should all know already ... DUMP YOUR WEIGHTS! ... we have the necessary skills already, without adding these so-called valuable one-off odd skills to our bag of tricks. It's not necessary, and people should be focusing on a core set of skills to save them. ... If I'm dropping like a rock (much faster than I can fin against), I think I'd rather drop my weights anyways, rather than fiddling around (while probably panicking) with my tank valve. KISS = Keep it simple stupid.

Please, please, please... stay far, far away from technical diving. This is not an idle plea...
Rick

 

[ChillyWaters]

Does it give you the slightest pause to be the only one in this thread who considers this to be a useless skill.

Okay, I give up. People don't ever actually read. AGAIN, I said it was NOT NECESSARY. When does "not necessary" = useless?

I'm OK with you diving any way you want, with any skill set you feel is good. What I'm not OK with is someone reading your posts and thinking you may be onto something.

Well, maybe if someone would give a few reasons when it is necessary. I've told you how all situations that have been prescribed already can be dealt easily with the basic skills we have all learned in OW training.

I think divers should get VERY good at those skills, and they should be able to handle nearly every situation thrown at them. Practice, practice, practice.

Why can't those people who object to my view give a situation when the normal OW skills won't save them?

- ChillyWaters

 

[dlndavid]

If you go through Devil's throat and scrape up you tank and roll off your valve to the off position and can't turn your air back on, you are screwed! How's that one?

Oh, shucks. I've been worried senseless about that for nothing. What if I were upside down and scraped the bottom?

Something really funny about this picture.
It was good for me, was it good for you.

 

[pilot fish]

Okay, I give up. People don't ever actually read. AGAIN, I said it was NOT NECESSARY. When does "not necessary" = useless?


- ChillyWaters

Chilly, if something is not necessary that means it will not help you, have no effect, which means it is useless to try it, which, in this case, is not true. Again, it does NOT distract from anything, does not harm anything ,to have this skill, ability, and to not have it in your arsenal seems foolhardy. I intend to keep trying it till I can do it and it comes easier.A lot of the tips I got from this thread will make success more certain. Do it, don't do it. Choice is yours. NO one will think any less of you if you can master this skill.

 

[aboalreem]

I do it all the time, just remove your BCD and bring the tank to you, then it is infront of you...it takes 5 seconds by practice.

 

[dlndavid]

I do it all the time, just remove your BCD and bring the tank to you, then it is infront of you...it takes 5 seconds by practice.

I had real problems with this skill when using integrated weights (no weight belt).

 

[dherbman]

Okay, I give up. People don't ever actually read. AGAIN, I said it was NOT NECESSARY. When does "not necessary" = useless?
- ChillyWaters

Sorry, my reading comprehension is only so-so. So, when you say something is "not necessary", you are saying it is really useful. OK, gotcha. All this time I thought you were disagreeing.