Question How to practice deco ascents?

[ntlhui]

...

All practice is good practice. Just do it

I beg to differ...

Practicing skills incorrectly isn't practice - that's just learning the wrong thing!

Practicing skills without feedback isn't practice - that's just doing something!

Perfect practice is practice, where you get feedback (either from someone else or from you recording yourself and being critical of yourself) and actually draw conclusions from that feedback.

 

[Wibble]

I beg to differ...

Practicing skills incorrectly isn't practice - that's just learning the wrong thing!

Practicing skills without feedback isn't practice - that's just doing something!

Perfect practice is practice, where you get feedback (either from someone else or from you recording yourself and being critical of yourself) and actually draw conclusions from that feedback.

Maybe. But if you've been shown how to do it, then get on and do it.

Also, there's the element of self improvement. Not all scuba skills need an instructor hovering nearby.

Metaphor: learning to play a musical instrument requires a good tutor, but the real learning comes in the hours practising on your own. Scuba core skills -- buoyancy, trim, finning -- is like that.

 

[Imla]

Can you expand on what you mean by "Flow Check" and Basic 1-5, please. I'm guessing I've heard these but explained in slightly different terminology.

Like @BlueTrin writes, Flow Check is a systematic control of valves. However, they might not necessarily need to be open. The check is to control that they are closed or open depending on what they are supposed to be. It is also done after an attempt to fix a failure to verify which valves are open and closed. Usually in GUE, the "flow" of the flow check is (o2 for ccr) right post, iso, left post, suit gas, stage under arm 1, stage under arm 2, and stage(s) on leash. Depending on where you are in the dive some of these will be closed. In this setting, the Flow check will be a low hanging fruit in introducing task loading, and preparing for the more challenging "blue water" valve drill. It will give you a chance to reposition drysuit and move around gas from suit to wing if needed for easier balancing.

Basic 1-5 are as Blue Trin states.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Can you expand on what you mean by "Flow Check" and Basic 1-5, please. I'm guessing I've heard these but explained in slightly different terminology.

Others have explained already, and while it was implied I'm not sure if anyone explicitly noted that these terms are from GUE's vocabulary. Other training agencies may have their own names for such things and may do them a little differently. The OP is preparing for GUE classes, but this thread can be useful to anyone regardless of training agency.

 

[Dann-Oh]

Others have explained already, and while it was implied I'm not sure if anyone explicitly noted that these terms are from GUE's vocabulary. Other training agencies may have their own names for such things and may do them a little differently. The OP is preparing for GUE classes, but this thread can be useful to anyone regardless of training agency.

I will be going through the TDI program when I start decompression and tech training. I've heard of most of these skills/tasks but by different names.

1) 2nd Stage Remove and Recover
2) Alternate 2nd Stage Switch
3) Deploy Long Hose
4) Mask Clear
5) Mask Remove and Recover

 

[rjack321]

I am not sure why you would ever need to practice a deco ascent. Really it is no different to any other ascent, just that you stop at certain depths for certain times. In any case, you do this on every ascent, just stop at 6 metres and then 3 metres (20 and 10 feet) on a normal dive any you have done it.

I cannot say that I have ever practised such a thing nor seen anyone do it.

Huh?
Nobody is born with some innate ability to do an S-drill or shoot an SMB from 9m within a reasonable depth variation. "reasonable" depends on agency standards and/or instructor sure.

But going from recreational level skills to technical diver level skills requires practice.

 

[crofrog]

That would be around 21m-6m, which sounds great in terms of efficient practice, optimally I would even some times do 9m/min from 21m to 12m to practice both speeds. I would love to do this. Is it considered safe, though, to do multiple ascents from 21m to 6m? There seems to be some debate about that?

A lot of people have done it, not sure if that means it safe but I personally feel like most of the risk occurs in that last 20ft. For me and people I dive with ears get tender which is the limiting factor. I’m sure there is more risk than not doing, but I can’t tell you what’s safe.


If you look nay the modeled tissue loading it won’t be very high as your avg depth will be around 40 ft

 

[Beau Holden]

If you're in a shallow lake, spend 30 mins next to a 6m/20ft platform and hold your position. Ditto in a pool, staring at tiles on a wall. For some variety ascend 1m/3ft and hold for 2 mins, descend 1m/3ft and hold again.

This is exactly what I did.

 

[BlueTrin]

Other variations you can do while being static

- unclip a backup torch and put it back or check/unclip/clip something when you are free to task load a bit

- get your wetnotes, write down three columns, time, depth and remaining pressure, every 7/8 minutes when you are not doing something, write down these values in the wetnotes. If you are doing something, then write them down at the next opportunity. Try to guess your sac rate At the end of the dive review, how many you missed and review the sac rate vs your mental estimation.

- when you arrive at the platform, put a reel or spool on the platform under your head, after a drill see how much you moved away from the object

At some point it will not take much of your focus to hold a stop …

 

[Ayisha]

I beg to differ...

Practicing skills incorrectly isn't practice - that's just learning the wrong thing!

Practicing skills without feedback isn't practice - that's just doing something!

Perfect practice is practice, where you get feedback (either from someone else or from you recording yourself and being critical of yourself) and actually draw conclusions from that feedback.

The OP is certified as at least a GUE Rec 1 diver, and has been taught the skills that he is considering, has watched video of himself, and has been given feedback by a GUE instructor - and passed.

He appears to be most concerned about how much repetition of depth and ascents/descents might be too much and how to most efficiently practice skills during limited opportunities rather than trying out entirely new skills.

Practicing skills that one has already learned and keeping them honed while task loading is important, especially if he is pursuing GUE Tech 1.

For others who haven't been taught certain skills and haven't practiced them at a static depth and then with task loading under supervision, having them go horribly wrong during an uncontrolled ascent is much more of an issue. I agree with you for anyone who hasn't been taught to heed more caution about incorrect practice, but the OP can and should practice to keep his skills on point.