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

[boulderjohn]

I blame instructors.

I do, too.

 

[The Chairman]

If the rules are changed, the problem magically disappears.

The first rule of Scuba applies: I won't be holding my breath for this to happen. Just so you know.

In a conversation just before his death, Wayne Mitchell (1934-2009), told me that most of the first civilian scuba instructors were former demolition divers from the Navy. Apparently, they did a lot of their underwater work on their knees and passed that right along. His NAUI number was pretty low, probably not as low as @sam miller, but still pretty low. His opinion of Scuba Instruction is that they sort of made it up as they went along. Wayne was a true pioneer, but he had become very set in his ways. I had just left NAUI and he wanted to know why so I told him. A good bit of the reason was ridicule from NAUI HQ over ScubaBoard and they didn't like that I was teaching my entire OW class without allowing my students to kneel. His main concern was all about control, and I remember his lessons during my IDC on how to control students by keeping them planted. Make no doubt about it, I owe a lot of how I teach to Wayne, @MB, Reggie Ross, Doctor Bob and Brian. They made it clear that my classes should always evolve and that my best class should always be my next one. MB taught me patience. Reggie taught me trim and buoyancy all by example. Dr Bob taught me the most foolproof way to correctly weight my students. No one believes it will work until they try it. Somehow, even with using a BC, my students leave OW with excellent trim, buoyancy, kicks and are in full control of their diving. Not only is it not that difficult, but not letting them kneel streamlines the course, making it far, far easier and fun to teach.

Even with a BC.

BTW, I remember divers when they didn't have a BC or horse collar. They had to keep moving like sharks to keep from sinking. In fact, my first pair of fins was bought back in 1969 from another pioneer: Hal Watts. His selling point for the fins was that I could kick the crap out of the reef without hurting the fins. Think about that. Let that sink in for a moment. In addition, some of those long swims back to shore would have been a lot nicer if I would have been floaty instead of sinky. Yeah, even if the agencies were to change their rules, I see the BC as a wonderful piece of gear and I want my students to be able to use them to their fullest.

Sry for the longish post.

 

[Marie13]

I'm not an authority, having completed only 14 dives. I do understand why you are proposing it though. But if they taught that way, I never would have got certified. I've never been a swimmer and was anxious on the surface when I took my OW last year. Even with my BC inflated on the surface! I can't imagine I would have continued after the first dive if I didn't have it. (Thankfully I seem to have conquered that this year)

The old-timers, who took/taught the old hard ass diving courses, seem to think divers like you and me (I've got 14 dives myself, never the best swimmer, with some water fears I've gotten over) should never have been certified, let alone being let in the water. They give off "you should stick to snorkeling" vibes or stay out of the water, period.

 

[KatieMac]

The old-timers, who took/taught the old hard ass diving courses, seem to think divers like you and me (I've got 14 dives myself, never the best swimmer, with some water fears I've gotten over) should never have been certified, let alone being let in the water. They give off "you should stick to snorkeling" vibes or stay out of the water, period.

Funny, because once I'm an inch under the water with a reg in my mouth all the anxiety goes away.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Funny, because once I'm an inch under the water with a reg in my mouth all the anxiety goes away.

Same here. I like to think of it as aquatic therapy.

 

[flyboy08]

I was SO pysced out on my last dive trip to try and shed weight as my primary learning goal for the week. I use 16 lbs integrated in my newish BC and dove always in shorts and a rash shirt. On this trip, I decided to buy a pair of Sharkskin pants....UTHO! (supposedly neutral buoyant)?

So eagerly I add 8lbs per side and jump in and immediately realize this aint gonna happen! I informed DM prior that I was going to work on weighting and he had and added 2 2lbs into my wing pockets. That worked out fine

So, instead of less, I dove with more that week. Just goes to show.....with every added piece of equipment, weighting is a moving target. I'm still on a mission to shed weight...my goal is 12LBS for no other reason than to want to try it. I didn't try, but should have come to think of it diving without the Sharskin that week, but I looked so cool

 

[uncfnp]

@Marie13 and @KatieMac if you think this is bad you should have been here when "vacation diver" were curse words.

 

[Steve_C]

BTW, I remember divers when they didn't have a BC or horse collar. They had to keep moving like sharks.

Thank you. You just answered my query to the posts about the good old days without a BCD and how you could remain still at different depths that none of those who recommended such would answer.

 

[The Chairman]

The old-timers, who took/taught the old hard ass diving courses,

Please... my first dive was in 1969, and I definitely don't feel this way at all.

 

[Marie13]

Not you, but certainly some of the other old timers.