Instructors should take some advanced training as well. Yea or Nay? Does it matter?

[Jim Lapenta]

That was a key point in my NAUI Intro to Tech and Helitrox classes. We had to justify our gear choices and explain the rationale behind them.

Even better when we were asked to make changes it needed to be demonstrated that we understood there were valid reasons for them.

Not just "because I'm the instructor and I said to do it". Most of the time everyone understood the reasoning. But when we showed any inkling of not being clear the reasons were explained. In detail so that we did understand them. No one got in the water without understanding why this had to or should be this way or that way.

It was really when I started to understand that none of this is a game. Bad decisions on gear, planning, gasses, etc. get people dead.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I also remember where you required each of us to tell you why we made the configuration choices we made ... I now do that with my students as well. It exposes a lot of weaknesses in configuration decisions ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Yes indeed. The reason I do that is to see if folks can justify a particular gear configuration rather than stating either "I read it in a book" or "my instructor told me to do this". It makes folks think about their configuration and understand if there are valid reasons for it, and not just blindly follow dogma.

 

[boulderjohn]

Yes indeed. The reason I do that is to see if folks can justify a particular gear configuration rather than stating either "I read it in a book" or "my instructor told me to do this". It makes folks think about their configuration and understand if there are valid reasons for it, and not just blindly follow dogma.

Not too long after our conversations about dogma, I was doing instructor training in south Florida. I had two instructor trainers in the water with me pretending to be students, and they were to perform skills while I was supervising and watching for errors. One of the "students" did a skill wrong, and I corrected him. He seemed puzzled, and I thought he was overplaying the dumb student part. He finally showed an understanding of what I was trying to show him and did it the way I was demonstrating. Back on the boat, he asked me why I was insisting on doing it the way I did. On the spot, I did not tell him the truth--my first tech instructor had dogmatically insisted that the skill be done that way, and I had dutifully followed orders without questioning it. I tried to come up with a reason, but it sounded lame, even to me. The instructor trainer said he always did it the "wrong" way, and he did not see what was wrong with it.

The next chance I had, I did it his way to see what it was like, and I was surprised--shocked, actually--at how much easier it was. I now do it the "wrong way" every time myself, and if I explain it to the student, I explain why I prefer it that way. The student may decide to do it the way I was first taught, but that will be the student's decision.

 

[crosshairs]

Then comes the issue of maintenance. I found the Aqualung Master parts catalog but there is not a schematic of the rod system and rinsing the mechanism is not clear. Not that I care as I will never have one but it would be nice if you are going to talk with students about maintaining gear to know what to look for if there is a problem. Other than the "take it to your local dealer for service" line that often is the answer to a question.

The over haul kit is on page 52 of the 2011 master catalog......it actually has less parts than a standard inflator and is quite easy to service. as far as rinsing it, its a BC, you rinse it just like every other BC out there.....

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I saw that. But maybe they are using different terms as I don't see the series of rods that connect the valves to the lever. And how do you rinse inside the bladder? Do you have to remove one of the valves? How does a user service it? Std inflator is easy and fast. Or you just replace it for 25 bucks. And again, what happens when a rescuer tries to inflate it from behind via the oral tube if the lever is fouled or even missing from being broken off or snagged and pulled off. All of these scenarios need to be addressed if you are going to teach it in an OW class in the diver rescue portion. Unless that is not taught in the OW class. Which if you send students out where these may be found in rental or just on other divers, how to assist someone using one needs to be covered.
I want to know as it looks like this is something I'll need to address in my classes and do so without access to one.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[TSandM]

My husband has incorporated the "explain why you have the gear you have, configured the way you have it" into his Techreational Diving class as well. It's fascinating to see how many people really haven't given much thought to why they dive the way they do.

 

[dive_turkey]

My husband has incorporated the "explain why you have the gear you have, configured the way you have it" into his Techreational Diving class as well. It's fascinating to see how many people really haven't given much thought to why they dive the way they do.

Not applicable to just diving. :|

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Not applicable to just diving. :|

Actually it can be. You'd be surprised how many people come up with "neat ideas" that incorporate potential gotchyas they hadn't thought about. Some of those I've caught include equipment that looks great on shore, but once in the water might block access to your drysuit inflator valve, or snag on something, or could accidentally disconnect your inflator hose. The results of poorly thought out configuration choices may range anywhere from potentially dangerous to just plain old PITA, but anything that takes your mind off your dive or introduces stressors into your dive or makes doing the simple things you need to do to control your position in the water more difficult are choices that should be reconsidered. Almost always there are better approaches ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[jadairiii]

First and foremost an instructor should DIVE. Not just teaching but actually diving for pleasure, preferably more than in-water teaching. The best teachers are always those that actually “do it” rather than just teach it. This is true in any environment, law, medicine, finance, auto repair, salvage, etc.

I would also think that the best teachers will challenge themselves when not teaching. Would you really want to learn alpine climbing from some person that only climbs in-door rock walls? Or a skydive instructor who has never progressed beyond tandem jumping? Or a cave instructor that has all (or most) their dives in Ginnie Springs?

Those instructors that continue to challenge themselves will ultimately be the ones that will seek additional knowledge and therefore be able to bring to the “table” more than just “what is required” to their students.

As for teaching dogma, a good instructor better teach a student the “whys” of gear configuration. And not only “why”, but the “what’s” also. “What” problem is that configuration solving, is it a real problem and “what” new problem may it create?

Of course the first thing any good instructor should tell their students is “if you heard it in a dive shop, it’s probably wrong”.

 

[dive_turkey]

Actually it can be. You'd be surprised how many people come up with "neat ideas" that incorporate potential gotchyas they hadn't thought about. Some of those I've caught include equipment that looks great on shore, but once in the water might block access to your drysuit inflator valve, or snag on something, or could accidentally disconnect your inflator hose. The results of poorly thought out configuration choices may range anywhere from potentially dangerous to just plain old PITA, but anything that takes your mind off your dive or introduces stressors into your dive or makes doing the simple things you need to do to control your position in the water more difficult are choices that should be reconsidered. Almost always there are better approaches ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

You're not wrong, except for what I meant. It happens in the military, too. I'm sure it also happens with rookie cops, firemen, and even punk accountants. There have been dozens of times I've watched a soldier prep up some really unfounded kit. Not everyone in the service needs a grappling hook, and after twelve years I'm still not ninja star qualified.

This point was to highlight the instructors role as an unspoken mentor as well. If you have goofy stuff on your kit, you will send novice divers out into the world seeking out geardo solutions to deadly problems.