I’m looking to improve my dive skills this year, would like comments from any and all

[fnfalman]

LOL, books in the library probably isn't the best place to learn "tech" diving.

Hence visiting the shops and talk to the instructors about classes. But heaven forbids that one would dare to have the gumption to take upon one's self to do some studying before hand. I'm sure that the decompression theories are so astoundingly and intellectually challenging that I can't just go check out a book from the library to begin reading about the topic.

 

[Blackwood]

1.) Buoyancy Control
2.) Propulsion Technique
3.) Proper Trim

The effectiveness and efficiency of many propulsion techniques is predicated on trim, so I'd rearrange 2.) & 3.)

I'd suggest checking out the various technical diving organizations in your area be they GUE, TDI, NAUI Tech, IANTD, etc., and see who's offering what. If you want to get into real wreck diving (ie penetration and all), you'd have to plan on using double-tanks or multiple tanks and that usually means decompression diving and advanced nitrox/trimix/heliox.

I wouldn't say "usually." It's dependent on where the dives are. Personally, I don't know the first thing about Pennsylvania, but down in San Diego (for example) you can spend a decent amount of time playing in the Yukon without hitting mandatory deco (you'll hit thirds, turn and be out far before any decompression concerns).

I'm sure that the decompression theories are so astoundingly and intellectually challenging that I can't just go check out a book from the library to begin reading about the topic.

They aren't, however some of it is mathematically on par with the aforementioned "rocket science."

 

[Sloth]

Hence visiting the shops and talk to the instructors about classes. But heaven forbids that one would dare to have the gumption to take upon one's self to do some studying before hand. I'm sure that the decompression theories are so astoundingly and intellectually challenging that I can't just go check out a book from the library to begin reading about the topic.

It's fine to learn the academics of tech diving from various resources but keep in mind that like you say tech diving isnt rocket science its more like a bunch of loose ideas of how to not get into trouble. While you can learn a lot, say about decompression theory, unless you know how to apply all this loose information together you will get into trouble.

An instructor is going to solidity all these concepts into a practical applicable diving philosophy and he is going to make sure that you have the appropriate dive skills to do the dives.

I cant tell you how many times I have seen divers that know all about the academics of tech diving but have virtually no in water skills.

 

[fnfalman]

They aren't, however some of it is mathematically on par with the aforementioned "rocket science."

It's not just the math but the physics aspect of it as well. Yes, we can make decompression theories into a graduate college level class if we want to and talk about partial pressures all the way down to quantum mechanics level then we can talk about the driving forces that form the pressure gradients. But most tech divers are not physicists nor are they engineers. They learn the basic theories. They take the developed formulae and run the numbers to form their dive plans.

It's fine to learn the academics of tech diving from various resources but keep in mind that like you say tech diving isnt rocket science its more like a bunch of loose ideas of how to not get into trouble. While you can learn a lot, say about decompression theory, unless you know how to apply all this loose information together you will get into trouble.

An instructor is going to solidity all these concepts into a practical applicable diving philosophy and he is going to make sure that you have the appropriate dive skills to do the dives.

I cant tell you how many times I have seen divers that know all about the academics of tech diving but have virtually no in water skills.

I could have sworn that I have said several times about consulting instructors and laying out a curriculum...

But it doesn't hurt to read about the topic before hand. At least that's my idea of learning. If others were to want to wait until the instructors come and hold their hands and show them how to read the books, then who am I going to disagree?

BTW, there's a book written by one of those DIR dudes (I believe one of the guys that runs the Blue H company) about the basics of diving. Damn good book that shows how to rig up gears and what diving techniques required for what levels of diving for both technical and recreational diving. It even went into the hows and the whys of equipment configuration.

It's amazing what one can learn from just reading a book.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Let me clarify for the intellectually challenged.

Once you have removed a lb or two of weight and you can no longer hold a 15 foot safety stop with a near empty tank, go back to the prior weight configuration.

It's still not a good idea ... because once you've completed that safety stop you will still need to control your buoyancy from 15 feet to the surface. If you barely have enough weight to hold buoyancy at 15 feet, you will struggle to make a controlled ascent from that depth to the surface ... and as a % change per foot, that's the most important part of your ascent to control.

I always recommend to my students that they do their weight checks in the 8 to 10 foot range for this reason.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Sloth]

I could have sworn that I have said several times about consulting instructors and laying out a curriculum...

sorry my selective reading strikes again

I am a big fan of absorbing as much info as possible on any given subject but I would be a disaster in the water if my primary means of learning was from books and not from instructors.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Dude, chill. idoc is a long time, knowledgable and respected poster here that has a lot of good things to say about diving.

Actually I find much of what idoc has to say to be half-truth, exaggerated assumption, or of limited perspective due to a lack of actual experience on the topic.

Plus he seems to be on a personal campaign to hijack almost every serious discussion on ScubaBoard with what I suppose he sees as "humor".

But if you find it useful ... well, we're all entitled to an opinion ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[idocsteve]

It's still not a good idea ... because once you've completed that safety stop you will still need to control your buoyancy from 15 feet to the surface. If you barely have enough weight to hold buoyancy at 15 feet, you will struggle to make a controlled ascent from that depth to the surface ... and as a % change per foot, that's the most important part of your ascent to control.

I always recommend to my students that they do their weight checks in the 8 to 10 foot range for this reason.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Ok, that makes sense.

Do everything I suggested regarding removing 1-2 lbs at a time until you are neutral with a near empty tank, but do it at 10 feet instead of 15 feet (after you've completed your 3 minute safety stop), so that you won't have a sudden unexpected runaway out of control ascent when you get to 10 feet after being neutral at 15 feet.

 

[Van Isle]

Find out where the "bar" is for "better."

Find out where you are in relation to that bar.

Find out if you want to/can put in that effort to achieve that level.

Do that by diving with some divers who are really good. Either find some new buddies or pay for an assessment dive by a very qualified instructor. GUE has a newer program called GUE Primer that is a non-assessed course.

Check out some of the really good skills videos on youtube. Find the ones that make your eyes pop out.

Have fun!

VI

 

[Blackwood]

Check out some of the really good skills videos on youtube. Find the ones that make your eyes pop out.

Realize that many of them represent the best take of many, and that the subject divers don't always look that pretty.