Was doing the pool session for my PADI Dry Suit class the other day - with an LDS/instructor that I've not trained with before.
The instructor really challenged me in the pool. In a good way. Didn't let me get away with anything as being "close enough." I think I'm gonna like him as an instructor as I'm a big fan of constructive criticism and not settling for "good enough" especially when it comes to things that could have me or someone else end up dead.
The best lesson of the day though hit my like a 2x4 between the eyes:
I was doing the neutral hover skill in my dry suit, when out of the blue the instructor starts giving me what I initially thought was an "out of air" signal, but I couldn't figure out why.
I assumed he wanted me to "stop hovering" and was giving me the "cut" sign. I sort of stared at him for another second and then shrugged.
He then looked panicked and started doing the "cut" sign even more frantically. I'm figuring "I must be doing something horribly wrong in this neutral hover."
I stared some more and then gave him an "I don't understand what you want me to do" look, and signalled "thumbs up" and "chat" sign to ascend and talk.
Long story short - was the first time in my short diving career where I had gotten the "OOA" signal that WASN'T preceeded by an instructor saying "OK, we'll descend and I'll give you the OOA signal, and then you give me your regulator..."
We surfaced and the instructor smiled and said "What the hell was that?"
ME: "Sorry, I didn't know we were gonna do an OOA drill."
HE: "In the real world you never WILL know, and it won't be a DRILL when it happens."
ME: "@#$%, you're RIGHT!"
Lesson learned: There are certain things that just have to be spinal cord level reflex: don't think, just do.
The fact that he's an instructor doesn't matter.
The fact that I'm a student doesn't matter.
The fact that we were in a pool doesn't matter.
The fact that we were in a class doesn't matter.
The fact that we didn't discuss doing an OOA drill doesn't matter.
The only fact that DOES matter:
I got an OOA signal from another diver - possibly the most critical situation underwater - and I just stared at him, wondering what he was doing.
Now I ask each of you to be honest with yourself: What would YOU have done?
No need to answer here - I'm not looking for a "I'm-a-better-diver-than-thou" debate.
However, if you think you would have reacted in a split-second, then ask yourself if - during that split second BEFORE you reacted - you'd have been thinking "Why is he doing an OOA drill in a Dry Suit class?"
Is that reaction much better than mine?
Don't think, just do.
I'd like to think my reaction would have been different if we were on a "real dive" - and I'm pretty sure that after this lesson it WILL be - but I hope none of us ever have to find out for sure.
Ray - a safer diver today than I was yesterday!
The instructor really challenged me in the pool. In a good way. Didn't let me get away with anything as being "close enough." I think I'm gonna like him as an instructor as I'm a big fan of constructive criticism and not settling for "good enough" especially when it comes to things that could have me or someone else end up dead.
The best lesson of the day though hit my like a 2x4 between the eyes:
I was doing the neutral hover skill in my dry suit, when out of the blue the instructor starts giving me what I initially thought was an "out of air" signal, but I couldn't figure out why.
I assumed he wanted me to "stop hovering" and was giving me the "cut" sign. I sort of stared at him for another second and then shrugged.
He then looked panicked and started doing the "cut" sign even more frantically. I'm figuring "I must be doing something horribly wrong in this neutral hover."
I stared some more and then gave him an "I don't understand what you want me to do" look, and signalled "thumbs up" and "chat" sign to ascend and talk.
Long story short - was the first time in my short diving career where I had gotten the "OOA" signal that WASN'T preceeded by an instructor saying "OK, we'll descend and I'll give you the OOA signal, and then you give me your regulator..."
We surfaced and the instructor smiled and said "What the hell was that?"
ME: "Sorry, I didn't know we were gonna do an OOA drill."
HE: "In the real world you never WILL know, and it won't be a DRILL when it happens."
ME: "@#$%, you're RIGHT!"
Lesson learned: There are certain things that just have to be spinal cord level reflex: don't think, just do.
The fact that he's an instructor doesn't matter.
The fact that I'm a student doesn't matter.
The fact that we were in a pool doesn't matter.
The fact that we were in a class doesn't matter.
The fact that we didn't discuss doing an OOA drill doesn't matter.
The only fact that DOES matter:
I got an OOA signal from another diver - possibly the most critical situation underwater - and I just stared at him, wondering what he was doing.
Now I ask each of you to be honest with yourself: What would YOU have done?
No need to answer here - I'm not looking for a "I'm-a-better-diver-than-thou" debate.
However, if you think you would have reacted in a split-second, then ask yourself if - during that split second BEFORE you reacted - you'd have been thinking "Why is he doing an OOA drill in a Dry Suit class?"
Is that reaction much better than mine?
Don't think, just do.
I'd like to think my reaction would have been different if we were on a "real dive" - and I'm pretty sure that after this lesson it WILL be - but I hope none of us ever have to find out for sure.
Ray - a safer diver today than I was yesterday!
