adm3745
Contributor
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I just took OW course several months ago and was very dissatisfied with the course material (but not the instructor). The basic OW really does not prepare a diver to even have the skills needed to better themselves. My best guess as to why is so that it can cater to 99% of people who decide they want to become divers. Looking back, I believe that simple changes could be made to make the course to actually challenge people.
For instance in reference to the ditchable weight-I wish OW classes could teach the concept of a balanced rig. For OW we were told 8% body weight on a belt and you'll be fine. That makes sense for an instructor trying to keep 8 people all safe at the same time on a dive, rather than risking everyone having done their math wrong and bobbing or sinking like stones.
I now know better, and dive with 0 weight and barely ever inflate my BC. In a worst case scenario I can swim up against my entire rig to the surface and Like DA said ditch the tank (I'd prob keep my Halcyon on though). I can't wait to see the changes to Trimix/Drysuit diving where I would imagine almost no changes to buoyancy ever have to made.
Anyway, the weight situation is one I believe could be addressed in OW course without risking safety of novice divers and causing more fatalities by getting rid of the belt.
For instance in reference to the ditchable weight-I wish OW classes could teach the concept of a balanced rig. For OW we were told 8% body weight on a belt and you'll be fine. That makes sense for an instructor trying to keep 8 people all safe at the same time on a dive, rather than risking everyone having done their math wrong and bobbing or sinking like stones.
I now know better, and dive with 0 weight and barely ever inflate my BC. In a worst case scenario I can swim up against my entire rig to the surface and Like DA said ditch the tank (I'd prob keep my Halcyon on though). I can't wait to see the changes to Trimix/Drysuit diving where I would imagine almost no changes to buoyancy ever have to made.
Anyway, the weight situation is one I believe could be addressed in OW course without risking safety of novice divers and causing more fatalities by getting rid of the belt.
