First of blog series for teaching neutrally buoyant and trimmed

[TMHeimer]

The second blog post is all about getting students comfortable into water.

I feel quite strongly that going from the swim/float tests straight to scuba is counter productive for some students who need a more gradual process.

Spoiler: Spoiler alert for second blog post

Students learn skin diving/snorkeling before putting on scuba as well as perform a number of drills/skills that will be covered in depth. Plus a little more.

There's a lot of things that can be taught without scuba gear.

Absolutely a good idea for some. I've often thought that the OW course snorkeling drill should be done in early on, for sure before donning scuba unit. I believe it is (or used to be) with PADI doable at pretty much any point during the pool sessions.

 

[Scott]

Absolutely a good idea for some. I've often thought that the OW course snorkeling drill should be done in early on, for sure before donning scuba unit. I believe it is (or used to be) with PADI doable at pretty much any point during the pool sessions.

Conducting skin-diving skills early on, as in after the swim and float, was the norm years ago. It all changed when, PADI at least, had the idea of get them breathing underwater sooner.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Absolutely a good idea for some. I've often thought that the OW course snorkeling drill should be done in early on, for sure before donning scuba unit. I believe it is (or used to be) with PADI doable at pretty much any point during the pool sessions.

For whatever reason, skin diving/snorkeling is a dive flexible skill starting in CW2 in the PADI system, not CW1.

of course, nothing in the PADI systems prevents an instructor from stopping their OW class, switching to a free skin diving course, and resuming.

so this can be done with any agency.

Ive seen students freeze at different points in class. As mask removal is problematic (especially in open water in cold water), I like to do similar drills with a mask and snorkel than what students do later in scuba. Once they are underwater with scuba, they’ve already seen it and it isn’t as big of a jump.

All agencies adopt skills progression. I just add some smaller steps at the beginning.