Level of Instruction

[DSJ]

I did my BOW way back in '88 when PADI was still teaching BB (which I was told is now neglected). I also recall my instructor giving the sign for "drop your mask and do two laps before finding and replacing it" on most of our pool sessions (I had a completely clear mask, so I was lucky my colored snorkel was attatched).

Is this still a part of the pool classes, was it dropped, or was it never an official part of ciriculum?

David

 

[DiveTub]

David
Buddy breathing is no longer required it is an optional skill to be taught at the instructor’s discretion. I still teach it as it can only produce a better BOW diver.

Mask removal/replacment and no mask swimming are requirements of the PADI BOW Course

 

[DiveTub]

O-ring once bubbled...

These are the ones you want to see? The remove and replacing BC is questionable at best, but the rest of them aren't that hard to do in the water column...you can do them, right?

Yes we can do them in the water column and after so many hundreds of dives I am sure anyone could.

But what I would love to see in the video is DD's GUE BOW Class on their very first time in Scuba Gear, doing these skills in the pool without touching the bottom, or the sides for that matter.

Also was wondering how long it takes after you have put the students into the pool for them to be comfortable on their very first skill that would be neutral bouncy, not having any lead up using Fin Pivot with the LP Inflator or Oral Inflation of the BCD, seems they would be on there way to the surface with no starting reference for there buoyancy control. They would need to be very competent at it before attempting any further skills, also what happens when a student does touch the bottom for any reason, do they fail the course?

 

[DiverBuoy]

O-ring once bubbled...
but the rest of them aren't that hard to do in the water column...you can do them, right?

I can but can your students ... that's all that matters

 

[neil]

I've been getting a lot of better ideas from the instructors and others here (I think I wanna be Mike Ferrara when I grow up ), so the last class I taught, I started to have students perform skills while hovering. No problems. Not very pretty at first, but no problems. I will still introduce skills while on the bottom in the shallow end but nobody touches bottom in the deep anymore. It just didn't seem to be that big of a deal for them. In OW I did the same, although my pulse was significantly faster. Mask clearing, reg recovery, all off the bottom. Very cool. I'm very much against the PADI fin pivots in OW, but hold my nose and do 'em anyway. My explanation to the class varies from, "shut up and just do it", to "you want that c-card or what?". Of course in my NAUI classes, life is much simpler .

Neil

 

[DiverBuoy]

neil once bubbled...
My explanation to the class varies from, "shut up and just do it", to "you want that c-card or what?". Of course in my NAUI classes, life is much simpler .

Neil

Really funny!

 

[MikeFerrara]

DiverBuoy once bubbled...


I just add weight before these skills. For example, I'm using weight integrated, so I add a weight belt to demonstrate the skills. I can ditch these with one hand over the side of the pool when through.

I don't change my weights to demo a specific skill. I don't teach overweighted as some do. I demo all skill weighted and trimmed for the horizontal. So when I demo a fin pivot I need the arch in my back to keep my fins down otherwise I rise hirizontal. I unlike some do see the use of a fin pivot but I won't mess up weighting to do it. At the point student are doing it we have not yet worked on their trim so it isn't an issue for them, just me.

 

[MikeFerrara]

DiverBuoy once bubbled...


I see you've edited your post. I didn't think you meant that.


As an aside ... I'd love to see a full video of your pool class without touching the bottom.

Confined Water Dive 3 Perf Req #1 says:

"Independantly establish neutral buoyancy under water by pivoting on the fin tips, or, when appropriate, another point of contact (both oral and low-pressure inflation).

Confined Water Dive 5 Perf Req #2 says:

"Remove, replace, adjust and secure the scuba unit on the bottom, with minimal assistance, in water too deep to stand up in."

I don't have a housing for my camcoreder but it's on the list.

As I already stated We use the bottom where standards state that we must.

All other skills though I demo horizontal and off the bottom. I do not insist that students never touch but I am setting the example. Module two is a liitle soon to expect a student to hover while replacing a mask because at this point they have never hovered but I hover (horizontaly)when I demo it. And yes we do this in water shallow enough to stand, I still hover while I do it. I do the same for free flowing reg breathing. Hey, if a reg free flows it will be at 90 ft on a wayy with no bottom in cold water. When that happens you better not need the bottom. The first time they get a masked knocked lose there won't be a bottom handy.

I'll see what I can do about aranging some video.

 

[MikeFerrara]

neil once bubbled...
I've been getting a lot of better ideas from the instructors and others here (I think I wanna be Mike Ferrara when I grow up ), so the last class I taught, I started to have students perform skills while hovering. No problems. Not very pretty at first, but no problems. I will still introduce skills while on the bottom in the shallow end but nobody touches bottom in the deep anymore. It just didn't seem to be that big of a deal for them. In OW I did the same, although my pulse was significantly faster. Mask clearing, reg recovery, all off the bottom. Very cool. I'm very much against the PADI fin pivots in OW, but hold my nose and do 'em anyway. My explanation to the class varies from, "shut up and just do it", to "you want that c-card or what?". Of course in my NAUI classes, life is much simpler .

Neil

Thanks for the complement but you don't want to be me. Any way if any of my rantings were of value that's great.

Check out the "meeting the enemy" thread and PM me if your interested in our little group.

 

[MechDiver]

Sydney_Diver once bubbled...
But what I would love to see in the video is DD's GUE BOW Class on their very first time in Scuba Gear, doing these skills in the pool without touching the bottom, or the sides for that matter.

I'll believe this absurdity when I see an independant video showing exactly that. I can't think of enough words to decribe this. What these people go to to prove to the rest of us how great they are...or think they are.