Divemaster Stress Test!

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Try taking off and donning each part of gear while the reg is out of your mouth.
Take a breath, drop reg, remove mask. Take a breath, put mask on. Take a breath, remove reg, remove fins. Etc.
This will help you build comfort at doing things underwater without a reg in your mouth, like you do if you're sharing a regulator buddy breathing.
 
Did my stress test yesterday. Most important was to relax: move slowly, keep heart rate slow, take your time. If you don't exert yourself - you won't load up on CO2 as quickly. Second thought is to set up a sustainable breathing pattern and a nice rhythm of swapping.

My buddy in the class is a less experienced diver - and he was a bit challenged to set up a good breathing pattern - but we made it work. I'd do two breaths - he tended to do more like 5... :) But we finished it without too much trouble.

Also give some thought to your weighting. I was weighted to stay on the bottom stably with full lungs - even when my BCD was off. Having a stable platform to work from (i.e. not bouyant) made the swap easier.

Other thoughts. We started the drill wearing each other's gear - and swapped back to our own - so that the gear we put on under water was most familiar. I also left the BP/W that I've been doing the class with at home. My buddy didn't want to touch that in the gear exchange. :)

Everyone in my class (two buddy pairs) did a successful gear exchange on the first attempt.

Good luck!

Bjorn
 
Being in the middle of my Divemaster experience, I can empathize. It took me 4 times to get this right and after some reflection I understand why. It is very unusual to have to share a reg underwater. Even my instructor mentioned that after I passed. I viewed this test as no more than a problem solving experience, which it is to a great extent. I now see this exercise a valid means to see how one reacts under pressure. I was not mentally prepared in the beginning for this however, after some visualization and relaxation exercises, I had no further problems. I really do attribute my difficulties with not taking the exercise seriously enough to begin with. Live and learn.
RichH
 
Thanks, guys. I was thinking about the weighting. I struggled alot because the equipment we use has integrated weights (not to mention the fact that I have been doing most of my diving in a lake so I normally only use weights when working with OW students), so a weight belt might help.

I also think I might be comparing myself too much to the instructor who could (obviously) do this much better than me. What can I say? I like to challenge myself. :)

It helps to have the outside point of view to correctly approach this exercise! Thanks a bunch!!
 
Awesome drills! haha! My favourite drill is the one whereby we leave all the equipment (mask, fin, snorkel, everything) at the bottom, and we have to free dive down to the equipment, rig up underwater, and ascend safely.

The OW class does this with Fins/Mask/Snorkel only, SCUBA and SCUBA with black-out. The Black-out is a lot of fun because after the surface dive, they can't see to find their kit on the bottom. It takes confidence to swim around in 18' of water in the blackness, holding their breath... This may seem a bit over-the-top, but my course runs between 50 and 65 hours; Students have had lots of time to get use to the equipment and become more confident. They usually say "What's next!!" and it's time for the Gauntlet (a series of underwater hoops that they have to swim through at different depths; the last one is smaller, so gear has to be removed... :)
 
Exchange masks first, and if you are difficult to fit, start with your buddy's mask and switch back to your own. It makes EVERYTHING easier when you can see through the rest of the procedure.

I personally see no benefit at all in practicing to make this exercise "smooth". It is a test of composure, and not useful in any other way. If you remain composed and manage the buddy-breathing, then whether the rest of it is smoothly done or not is really immaterial. And yes, if you use integrated weights, you have a problem when you take your gear off, because the gear is negative and you suddenly are not. That is one of the few learning points of the test!
 
Maybe it is not the stress test but test stress.

I know in my case I have a long time nervousness at being evaluated even though I usually evaluate well at whatever it is. There were a few scuba things that i did regularly with no problem that I stumbled through when they suddenly became part of a test.
 
Just got it done on Friday and it was not difficult with some planning (thanks to SB for that tip!). Remember there is no time limit so take your time and stay calm.

The night before, I swapped my octo for a standard 2nd stage on a longish octo hose (40") and we used that to buddy breathe from. My normal octo (a sherwood minimus) is downtuned to keep it from freeflowing (like many secondary 2nd's are) and as such, it can be a bit difficult to pull air from. Also, since it's low profile, the purge button can be "difficult" to reach as it's different. I figured a standard easy to breathe 2nd with the standard round purge button in the middle made for one less thing to think about and fiddle with. Having the longish octo hose gave us a little more room to move around.

Since it said "exchange gear with a buddy" we interpreted that to mean that we're a buddy team and as such we're there to help each other out and lend assistance as needed.

We decided ahead of time 3 - 4 breaths before passing the reg back and that the person with the reg was the one doing work (doffing or donning gear) while the other person remained calm and just kept the first at hand so we didn't get separated (holding on to a shoulder strap). If the reg-less diver needed air sooner it was just a matter of getting the other's attention (a pat on the head or shoulder) and signaling for the air.

We decided on a sequence: one fin, other fin, SCUBA unit and finally mask. Mask was last because my buddy was worried about the saltwater burning in his eyes.

We also decided not to unclip BC or fin straps, just loosen them all the way. That way the recipient didn't have to fiddle with clipping things back up while donning.

We also decided that nothing gets handed over until the other person is at the same stage and we're both ready. For example, diver 1 removes ONE fin and then gives the reg to diver 2 to do the same. We then breathed a round calmly while handing over the removed fins. Then diver 1 proceeded to don the fin while diver 2 waited as before. After 3 breaths the diver donning the fin would stop and get ready to give the reg back so that the other diver could get some air. If the fin was not yet on, diver 2 (who now has the reg) would lend a hand and help get diver 1's fin secure. After we both had exchanged one fin we proceeded with the other and then the rest one step at a time, lending a hand as necesary and respecting the breathing rotation.

My buddy's BC was way too big on me, so we decided to start out with the BC's swapped. I had to hold the cumberbund closed with my hand or keep my elbows pressed against my ribs in order to keep it on until I got my BC back. Also it was much more floaty than mine so I was slightly positive (even with 2 kg extra lead) until I got my BC back. In retrospect I'd have done a weight check before dropping down swapped that out first.

We did get it done on the first attempt and the instructor gave us both 5's. His main comments were that we planned it out exceptionally, remained calm and got through it as if it were easy. He commented on my being underweighted, but since I kept it under control it wasn't an issue. He was also very happy to see us work it through together and help each other out during the task (helping tightening down or untwisting straps, securing the primary second from getting rapped in the BC, etc). He mentioned that in the past the DMC's he's worked with had tended to be very "every man for himself" not helping out and practically yanking the reg from each other's mouths.
 
I'm not sure that hints and tips for the 'equipment exchange' are fair game.

The whole point of the exercise is that students are given minimal time to prepare. They should not be told the night before or given enough time to look these things up on the internet (hard to police, obviously). The point of the exercise is how you deal with a situation there and then. Not how you deal with it when you have had ample prep time. This is about how the candidates cope with a problem, not an open book exam.

My 2c
 
I'm not sure that hints and tips for the 'equipment exchange' are fair game.

The whole point of the exercise is that students are given minimal time to prepare. They should not be told the night before or given enough time to look these things up on the internet (hard to police, obviously). The point of the exercise is how you deal with a situation there and then. Not how you deal with it when you have had ample prep time. This is about how the candidates cope with a problem, not an open book exam.

My 2c

I have issues with the entire concept. Switching gear in the pool, although fun, proves nothing.

If you want to give a DMC stress and a problem to solve, have a diver surface spit out his reg, splash around, then silently drop back down without a regulator and see what the DMC does.

flots.
 
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