Do you self-train?

[Ocean One]

A wise old martial arts instructor once told me "Grasshopper, it will take you 500 repetitions to place your skills into short term memory, 2000 repetitions for long term memory and over 5000 repetitions to make it instinctual!" I carry that philosophy into all activites where I might die if I'm slow to respond. I have many more reps to go!!!!!!

 

[xSandman3]

I know some of you old timers are completely comfortable underwater, and some of the stuff I 'got thru' is probably stuff you can do all day without being bothered.

That's because we practice what we learned.
I constantly tell my students that they will practice the skills on their own after OW class, and ask them whenever I see them in the shop, at the beach, or on a boat if they have been. What you learned in class was the skills you need to not die...nailing those skills every time you practice will go a long ways towards reinforcing that.

 

[Mr.X]

My buddies and I practice frequently -- not just air-sharing, although we do that a lot, but also mask-off swimming, and ascent drills where we practice staying together and in good communication while doing free water ascents and hitting our stops. Although Mr. X is right that good instruction is very valuable in acquiring new skills and refining old ones, there is a LOT you can do by yourself.

As an instructor I promote students getting experience. However, I do not promote self-education by neophytes. I've seen too many examples of newbies doing weird, stupid and oft-times truly risky activities.

Give you an example: I had some 5 certified video students wishing to film a sequence that involved jumping off a low dock while all five held hands on scuba. I nixed the activity for several reasons...mainly safety. My divemaster (unknown to me and thought he was god's gift to diving) gave the five a greenlight to film the sequence the next day. Of course, someone got hurt. Guess who takes the blame?

Another felt that it was a terrific learning experience ( shallow water) to drain his tank to zero with a buddy. Guess who flooded his first stage? Guess who didn't have the common sense to tell someone he screwed up his equipment, leaving it for some hapless student to use next?

Of course, these are all extreme cases. They have shaped my perspective which is not to trust neophytes without some degree of supervision. I will also add that there are enough "skilled" instructors who bite it in pools when they are conducting skills in solo mode.

If anything, it's all about where a student is on the learning curve, some common sense, a skilled mentor and progessive structured learning.

 

[TSandM]

There is certainly a LOT to be said for good common sense . . . I've seen people decide that the time to try their first midwater air-share drill was on the ascent from a 90 foot dive -- not the best idea.

Practice the skills you have already learned, and use common sense about where and when to do so. Dedicating a shallow dive in calm water to skills practice is a good way to do it -- that way, if you lose buoyancy control while air-sharing, you are unlikely to get hurt.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

As an instructor I promote students getting experience. However, I do not promote self-education by neophytes. I've seen too many examples of newbies doing weird, stupid and oft-times truly risky activities.

-<snip>-

If anything, it's all about where a student is on the learning curve, some common sense, a skilled mentor and progessive structured learning.

I don't think the OP was asking about self-education so much as simply practicing the skills we teach them ...

So, do you guys practice things when you get a spare moment? I figured it wouldn't hurt, but just not sure if it is the 'done thing'.

I absolutely encourage my students to practice the basic skills they learned in OW. In fact, before I'll accept them into the next class, I insist on it. I want them to be completely comfortable with OOA drills, mask flood and clear, and reg recovery skills ... at a minimum. I want them hovering comfortably ... without having to resort to kicks to keep them off the bottom or surface. And the only way to do that is to practice.

Common sense is mandatory ... these are excellent skills to practice during a safety-stop ... or better yet, after you've completed one and before you ascend to the surface. Practicing in shallow water achieves a couple of things ... first off, it's safer if things don't go according to plan, and secondly if you can do an OOA drill while hovering in 15 feet of water, you'll discover it's a lot easier to do one at a deeper depth if it's needed.

I'm also a strong believer in mentors ... if you have the opportunity to do these exercises with a more experienced diver, so much the better. But if a diver cannot be trusted to practice previously-learned skills in shallow water without supervision, they should not have been certified in the first place.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ShanChan]

I learned to dive to get over a fear of water, so for me, its important to practice skills OFTEN. I agree with what others have said - the 3 minute safety stop is a great time to practice air sharing skills. I also like to use that time to flood/remove my mask, etc.

Another thing I do: I want to get more certifications, but I won't go beyond my comfort level (and I admit, I'm overly cautious). So, I read the book and practice the skills prior to the class. It helps.

 

[REII]

Keep practicing, and after each dive, as you log your dive, ask yourself what you could have done better.

You will continue to learn and hone your skills and with that you will feel more comfortable underwater.

TOM

 

[Mr.X]

I don't think the OP was asking about self-education so much as simply practicing the skills we teach them ...

But if a diver cannot be trusted to practice previously-learned skills in shallow water without supervision, they should not have been certified in the first place.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I agree. I don't trust divers who I have not trained. I don't trust instructors, or dive supervisors that I have not trained. Sometimes, I don't trust myself on a given day.

Isn't the word self-learning a misnomer? Isn't the best self-learning skilled mentoring? People rarely learn in total isolation. Even Robinson Crusoe had Friday.

I am not taking this thread too seriously, as people and marginal divers are going to do what they want when they are out of earshot. Personally, having seen so many hair-balled things underwater that I dive with a certain degree of awareness, paranoia, or skepticism.

 

[runamonk]

Try and practice something at the end of every dive. Just a couple minutes here and there. Once you can do it without having to fret or think about it as much it will be alot better when a real situation comes up.

 

[DHMO Diver]

I'm old(er) but new again to diving and my primary dive buddy (and wife or 35 years) always practice something on every dive. even if it is just mask clearing, sharing air for a couple of minutes or trying to swim a compass line. TSand M and NWgreatful... make good points about "practice" vs. "Training". It is after all "life support".