Cert Dive Questions

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Standards allow more than two dives in a day. Between skills and touring it's common for us to be in the water for an hour or more.
Before the first dive we spend time making sure students are not only weighted right but are trimmed right.
I tell students to plan on two full days. I can get 2 dives done in half a day but students often need more time than theat before I'll certify them.

Yes 3 dives are allowed in one day. We too make sure they are weigted & trimmed correctly. We do this during dive #1. Our dives generally last between 45-60 minutes because as you stated divers need more time in the water.

Students do indeed sometimes need more time in the water before they meet the standards for certification. I find it occurs very rarely that students properly trained in confined water need more time in OW. I have never found that it takes 16 hours (2 full days)

 

[fins]

Thanks everyone for your replies...

And snowbear, being from Alaska I probably won't get any sympathy from you but the idea of diving in cold dark waters in Michigan during the spring just doesn't sound appealing. Give me the clear waters of south Florida and the Caribbean anytime.

But...maybe someday

 

[Snowbear]

... but the idea of diving in cold dark waters in Michigan during the spring just doesn't sound appealing. Give me the clear waters of south Florida and the Caribbean anytime.

...when I certified, but did it anyway. I was hooked from the first submersion in 37F saltwater. Someday I'll dive in warm water - I hear it's nice

 

[MikeFerrara]

Yes 3 dives are allowed in one day. We too make sure they are weigted & trimmed correctly. We do this during dive #1. Our dives generally last between 45-60 minutes because as you stated divers need more time in the water.

I don't consider dive 1 started untill we get the weight trim issue squared away. Of course the only reason the issue exists at all in OW is because of the addition of a heavy wet suit and more weight.

Students do indeed sometimes need more time in the water before they meet the standards for certification. I find it occurs very rarely that students properly trained in confined water need more time in OW. I have never found that it takes 16 hours (2 full days)

Agreed but I'm not refering to the need for more time to develop proficiency in the basic mechanics. That is done before I even ask a student to show up at the lake. I'm refering to the need for them to show me that they can indepenantly plan and conduct a dive with a buddy without my help. My students are asked to do more than just follow me around and demo a few skills they've already done many times.

I won't make the blanket statement that it always requires 16 hours but I instruct my students that I am available for those two full days. I don't rush it and neither should they. The students who make afternoon plans on OW training days and are in a hurry are often the ones who leave without a temp card it seems.

I only offered this here as reference for the original poster. There are shops who are on their way home before we leave the water from dive 1. It's not because of good time management. It because their students aren't required to do anything except demo skill on the platform and they don't get any bottom time. The appear way more efficient than I do unless you compare their students to mine in the water. Well ok...any where near dive equipment.

 

[scubaberdi]

Dear Fins,

just go, enjoy your dive, no matter how long they take.
You will do skills you've done in the pool, so nothing new.
The difference is, you will see fish instead of hair and band-aids.
keep wet,
Berdi

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I don't consider dive 1 started untill we get the weight trim issue squared away.

I guess wading into a lake versus diving from a boat requires different logistics.

My students enter the water from the boat with the weight we estimate they needed from what they needed in the pool. We train in the pool with wet suits if they are are going to dive in wet suits so we know pretty close to how much weight they need. When the water temp is in the 80's we train in bathing suits only..no wet suits needed.

After the dive begins the student is able to surface right by the boat to add 2-3 lbs if needed. This usually takes about 5 minutes to add/subtract any lead.

The students know ahead of time that we will continue working on buoyancy & trim on all 4 training dives so we continue working on those skills immediately as dive #1 begins.

Students log what thermal protection they used, how much weight they needed so the next time they dive they don't have to re-create all that information.

 

[Scottri]

We take two full days because we do not have the luxury of great vis, warm water and a boat. We take 2 students down at a time to do skills then turn them over to a DM for the tours on dives 2 through 4. The time management statement was just plain funny. Here in the Northwest it takes a full day with 8 to 10 students period. We could do it in less time but why rush? We want the students to enjoy the dives as well as complete their training. We are lucky if we get 15 to 20 foot vis. The water temp is always 50 degrees and the the surface temp can be below freezing. We need to allow students and staff time to warm up between dives. I'll tell you from my experience, even in a dry suit doing 3 or 4 dives in a 2 hour period and I get cold. I need an hour to warm up. A full day is what is required to do it right. Maybe in Florida with the warm water and good vis and stepping off a boat you can get through it faster but not up here.


Scott