Wart -- Do you agree that the current protocol is as I write? If so, do you really believe it is good practice to teach something that is NOT the correct way to respond in real life? Shouldn't we be drilling the way we want to react?
DM skills
- Thread starter haumana ronin
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If you are in a area where other courses (ei. Fundies) are not available due to distance, DM would seem to be a good idea. If nothing else, you are required to practise (and practise, as in my case) the skills to demonstration level. Many divers, I would assume, probably never practise the skills learned in OW. I know I was slack on that in the beginning. It can't hurt to keep going over this stuff. As far as practical stuff in the DM class, I feel that a lot that you learn is very interesting, but doesn't necessarily make you a better diver.ei: I'm still waiting to hear from that dope that dropped his outboard in 100' of water so I can help him raise it with all my physics knowledge. Like a university degree, you probably use a small percentage of your knowledge in real life situations.
The drill is for a non-breathing diver where equipment removal is required and no help is available. It's a very specific scenario. But that is the drill.
The reality. And I got PADI confirmation on my first rescue course ever taught; in a real life situation if you think the person is unresponsive and the distance is to great to provide rescue breaths, then you are allowed to go hell for leather to get to shore in order to find de-fib.
However.
My last rescue course back in October. I got all 3 students to do the full PADI scenario, towing and rescue breaths for a distance of around 200m just off-shore. The guys were almost vomiting from the exertion.
Now that same scenario is present in the DM course; surface the unresponsive diver and etc etc etc. Get the DM to do it in open water and they will be exhausted after the scenario. I would say it makes it more than adequate.
Skip the ditch and don business and replace the teaching time with some better gas management!
Richard, Richard! Gas management? What is that?
As I told my students yesterday, I'm not permitted to teach that -- BUT if they ask me a question.....
As I told my students yesterday, I'm not permitted to teach that -- BUT if they ask me a question.....
I have not found this to be true as a blanket statement.
As the purpose of the DM class is to focus on leadership and not really any new skills (perhaps a few new ways of doing some you already know), if you are not interested in leading dives or teaching, I do not recommend the DM class. There is also an annual payment to insure you against issues that may occur while other divers are under your care.
I see no reason not to include these as higher skills courses. Since you do, I do not know of anything higher than Rescue.
Richard, Richard! Gas management? What is that?
As I told my students yesterday, I'm not permitted to teach that -- BUT if they ask me a question.....
So you are required to teach a useless skill and forbidden to teach a valuable one!
Is PADI a Federal government agency or something, because that's exactly how they roll.
Richard, Richard! Gas management? What is that?
As I told my students yesterday, I'm not permitted to teach that -- BUT if they ask me a question.....
Padi just says you have to teach to their standard, it says nothing about teaching above it.
I don't see why people don't include Gas Management in any+every Class
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haumana ronin
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Weird. So what are the questions that you recommend someone "randomly ask?"Richard, Richard! Gas management? What is that?
As I told my students yesterday, I'm not permitted to teach that -- BUT if they ask me a question.....
- ??
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:zen:
The level of skill a dive master is supposed to have is first dependent upon the philosophy of the training agency and the role the dive master plays in that agency's training hierarchy.
At PDIC, that role was first and foremost a "scuba lifeguard" which gave any PDIC dive supervisor overall control for the safety of any dive site. The secondary role was leading dives, teaching snorkeling, or assisting with courses. PDIC dive supervisors could teach under direct supervision of instructors in confined water. PDIC had a system of checks and balances in which the dive supervisor was responsible for the safety of the class while the instructor was responsible for the education. The dive supervisor was expected to have a high level of fitness, strong swimming ability, and demonstration quality rescue skills. The instructor was supposed to have demonstration quality scuba skills. The idea was that as experienced instructors aged they should have faster, younger, stronger rescue professionals to assist with courses for safety and to keep instructors honest. These dive supervisors interned toward becoming PDIC instructors in the process.
When I first became a PDIC instructor, the entry requirements to be a PDIC "Dive Supervisor" were a minimum of 300 dives, 3 years experience, and 3 specialties. Rescue was part of both OW and AOW training. It took me a year to complete dive supervisor training and another year to complete instructor training. I had to sacrifice karate to meet the demands on my time.
This has vastly changed from the 1980's to today! Back then, a dive supervisor was really good in the water from the perspective of needing more diving experience and being more rigorously challenged in the water during training.
The level of skill a dive master has is entirely dependent upon that person's talents and experience combined with how rigorously he or she has been trained.
At PDIC, that role was first and foremost a "scuba lifeguard" which gave any PDIC dive supervisor overall control for the safety of any dive site. The secondary role was leading dives, teaching snorkeling, or assisting with courses. PDIC dive supervisors could teach under direct supervision of instructors in confined water. PDIC had a system of checks and balances in which the dive supervisor was responsible for the safety of the class while the instructor was responsible for the education. The dive supervisor was expected to have a high level of fitness, strong swimming ability, and demonstration quality rescue skills. The instructor was supposed to have demonstration quality scuba skills. The idea was that as experienced instructors aged they should have faster, younger, stronger rescue professionals to assist with courses for safety and to keep instructors honest. These dive supervisors interned toward becoming PDIC instructors in the process.
When I first became a PDIC instructor, the entry requirements to be a PDIC "Dive Supervisor" were a minimum of 300 dives, 3 years experience, and 3 specialties. Rescue was part of both OW and AOW training. It took me a year to complete dive supervisor training and another year to complete instructor training. I had to sacrifice karate to meet the demands on my time.
This has vastly changed from the 1980's to today! Back then, a dive supervisor was really good in the water from the perspective of needing more diving experience and being more rigorously challenged in the water during training.
The level of skill a dive master has is entirely dependent upon that person's talents and experience combined with how rigorously he or she has been trained.
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