"Correct Weighting" Identified as #1 Needed Improvement in SCUBA Diving

[soggybadger]

No, it doesn't. I have been doing it that way for years and found that it takes no longer than teaching them on the knees. In fact, I think it takes less time because many of the skills are much, moch easier for students when they are in horizontal trim than when they are kneeling.

Ow neutrally buoyant had a blast and felt I really learned something didn't cost as much as a weekend on the lash. Aow on my knees thought the weekend was a washout went away thinking i was robbed ( of time).

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Ow neutrally buoyant had a blast and felt I really learned something didn't cost as much as a weekend on the lash. Aow on my knees thought the weekend was a washout went away thinking i was robbed ( of time).

You were taught on your knees in AOW?!?!? How does that work!?!?!?!

 

[soggybadger]

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If that is the case (and I will not comment one way or the other), I think it is foolish. While it is true that there are a large number of people who take open water to be able go on a dive trip just once in their life, I think it may make more sense to take more time to invest time and energy in students who are seriously interested in diving. Those are the ones who will take further classes, buy more gear, go on more dive trips and make the industry healthier. If they have a bad open water class, then they say forget it and move onto another sport.

Now mind you, these are just ideas. I haven't done any market research. But I think developing repeat customers may be more viable business wise than one time customers. I could be wrong however.

However, I am able to teach with smaller ratios (1 instructor to 4 students) neutral buoyancy in the same timeframe as a single instructor (often with another instructor helping out) would teach 8 students on their knees. I co-teach, so no revenue for the dive shop is missed. I don't see the issue, unless instructors want to squeeze every dive out of their time. I think there are many instructors who sincerely want to do the best job they can.

The misses and i had one of the padi try dive taster sessions in the pool(two for one offer with some booze) and had neutral buoyancy

You were taught on your knees in AOW?!?!? How does that work!?!?!?!

It didn't for me. Long story but the short version is that the missus and I felt we didn't get what we were expecting in regards to how the dives went and yes we had to kneel at points when we should have been hovering. In the instructors defence we had just come fresh from ow.

 

[soggybadger]

As someone who has taught many students wearing a 7mm suit, I can say with confidence that the answer is no.

That is one of the drawbacks of diving a suit with that thickness (or more in some suits). You need enough weight to sink at the surface, but as you descend and the suit compresses, you do not need that much weight, and you will be diving overweighted to the degree that you have to use both the BCD and the lungs to compensate. Some people try to get their weighting as perfect as possible, and so to descend with a 7mm suit, they will invert and kick down. That will work, but I don't see the point in it. Put a little gas in the BCD, learn how to control it, and have a nice dive.

Would this be possible with say a laminate dry suit or would that be a non starter too

 

[REVAN]

Or you could just dive with a BC and determine your ideal weighting through performing iterative weight checks pre and post dive (with an empty BC) over several dives and then repeat the process if/when when you change gear configuration, environment or personal "mass"... you are overthinking something that is not a problem for those who care to improve their diving and maximize their buoyancy control skills - for those who don't, you are just wasting your time as they don't really care!

The trick is to create the incentive in the first place. Some will do it because they were taught that way. Others will do it because someone they trust told them they should. For those who don't care, how is a situation created such that they do care? What about the instructors? What needs to change to make them want to teach minimal weighting and neutral buoyancy?

I think the lift gauge is an interesting idea if it could be built. As someone said here recently, scuba diving attracts lazy people (I'm paraphrasing from memory). A lift gauge would make the weight check easier. If it is easy enough, maybe more people would do it; maybe even everyone.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

What about the instructors? What needs to change to make them want to teach minimal weighting and neutral buoyancy?

I think many instructors already teach minimal weighting and neutral buoyancy. Requiring skills to be performed midwater and providing guidelines on proper weighting and proper gear adjust trim are a good start in my book.

 

[KenGordon]

I think that even when properly taught that many divers will manage to screw up their weighting.

It takes some time on a dive and some patience to do a proper weight check. Ideally a buddy or platform is available to off load the spare weight. You need to have appropriately low gas. This is a hassle and takes time.

Divers need to record their dives. How much lead, what gear, so they know where to start next time.

They need to experience what being correctly weighted feels like.

Divers need to understand that popping up to the surface is a symptom of too much weight, not too little.

Unfortunately the production line nature of much diving doesn't allow the time, or at least make the diver think they have the time, to do a proper weight check.

All these things are about looking after yourself as a diver and making the rest of the diving easier. Maybe they didn't get shown this stuff, maybe they didn't understand enough to comprehend what they were being told.

This is like proper dive planning. People get taught and then don't do it.

 

[Chavodel8en]

Here are some ideas I came up with to encourage optimal weighing for new divers

1) Train new divers above a triggerfish den, with jellyfish floating on the surface
2) A device that monitors weight and delivers electric shocks if a new diver has too much weight
3) Public posting of a divers lead, and hire a weight matron to follow the overweighted around crying "shame!" "shame!"
4) Require all new divers to carry around their weight at all times (at work, at home, during sex)
5) Perform a weight check, and give new divers tips for achieving neutral buoyancy

Hmmm, in retrospect, #5 sounds entirely too complicated, Im going with the weight matron.

 

[The Chairman]

Here are some ideas I came up with to encourage optimal weighing for new divers

1) Train new divers above a triggerfish den, with jellyfish floating on the surface
2) A device that monitors weight and delivers electric shocks if a new diver has too much weight
3) Public posting of a divers lead, and hire a weight matron to follow the overweighted around crying "shame!" "shame!"
4) Require all new divers to carry around their weight at all times (at work, at home, during sex)
5) Perform a weight check, and give new divers tips for achieving neutral buoyancy

Hmmm, in retrospect, #5 sounds entirely too complicated, Im going with the weight matron.

Dude, that was righteous! Thanks. However, you can combine 1 and 2 by substituting electric eels for the trigger fish.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Here are some ideas I came up with to encourage optimal weighing for new divers

1) Train new divers above a triggerfish den, with jellyfish floating on the surface

Not practical, as triggerfish dens are not everywhere.

2) A device that monitors weight and delivers electric shocks if a new diver has too much weight

Where do you propose placing this device? The placement will dramatically affect the incentive. Could work. Will have to see how instructor insurance policies may view this idea.

3) Public posting of a divers lead, and hire a weight matron to follow the overweighted around crying "shame!" "shame!"

With people going for the least expensive training, I don't see this being economically viable.

4) Require all new divers to carry around their weight at all times (at work, at home, during sex)

That could work, but during sex, where should the weights be kept?

5) Perform a weight check, and give new divers tips for achieving neutral buoyancy

Hmmm, in retrospect, #5 sounds entirely too complicated, Im going with the weight matron.

Agreed. Who'd ever try that?

Please come up with some more ideas. Surely we'll find something that works!