Level of Instruction

[MikeFerrara]

DiverBuoy once bubbled...
One can descend vertically just fine .... but one must be able to arrest one's descent BEFORE touchdown and negotiate into a horizontal postion. I teach this technique.

The vertical body position during descent allows eye contact mask to mask with your buddy in low visibility and allows the diver to ascend a few feet very quickly if they experience a squeeze. It allows the diver to clear a mask easily if it begins to flood more rapidly with each foot of descent. Buddys are in an immediate hookup position for emergency purposes (such as alternate air source use).

All this talk about horizontal DURING ascents and descents scares the crap out of me, but as long as you haven't lost anyone (yet)...

We have eye to eye contact when horizontal. In fact in this position we can move closer or further away as needed with a single flip of a fin. We share air just fine in the horizontal position (better for swimming in) We halt or reverse our ascent as needed with buoyancy control. In the horizontal position we land where we choose not where we fall.

Why would we lose someone descending horizontally?

 

[O-ring]

..

 

[O-ring]

..

 

[O-ring]

..

 

[MikeFerrara]

O-ring once bubbled...
..

Let me guess, that's the instructor standing there watching right?

This is exactly the king of stuff I'm talking about. My staff does not touch the bottom. They don't need the bottom. In the beginning and that word is important (BEGINNING) a student may need to but the only view they ever have of me or the DM's is hovering rock solid midwater. It doesn't take long for them to get the idea and emulate.

O-ring,
I just had a good lunch and was cheering up a bit, then you come with the pictures.

 

[O-ring]

Yep, instructor is standing. I think you all make great arguments, but the pictures are physical evidence of what goes on...maybe not everywhere, but definitely around here.

Look at the differences though...one class is taught to NEED the bottom...every skill is based on touching the bottom. The other class, although they might look like crap (they are learning) are taught to NEVER touch the bottom. All skills are demonstrated and carried out in the water column.

You tell me which students are the ones messing up your vis, silting out your wrecks, and destroying your aquatic life..

 

[mudguppy]

In a pool or platform situation I totally understand with new divers kneeling on the bottom. I know I had to do that until I learned more buoyancy skills. I quess I just wish I had learned more skills before they turned us all loose. Of course, by diving the more you dive the more experience and learning you gain.

There should be some way to teach more clear on horizontal and vertical descents/buoyancy to cut back on some of the silting up problems.

BTW...my buddy last weekend (who is not my spouse) did a great job of silting up the bottom and she was horizontal....all she had to do was wave her arms and hands around close to the bottom.
Couldn' see a thing!!

 

[O-ring]

I quess I just wish I had learned more skills before they turned us all loose.

One of three things happen:

1) The students learn how to dive properly and they are decent in the water coming out of OW and get even better with experience.

2) The students learn how to dive like crap and kneel on everything and touch down all the time, but they get a clue either through continuing education, the Internet, their buddies, or someone and wake up and improve through experience and practice.

3) The students learn how to dive like crap and kneel on everything and touch down all the time and they don't give a rat's ass if they mess up the dive sites, environment, etc. and remain obstinate, crappy divers the rest of their lives. They come on here and argue that everyone should get to dive, they have no concept of practice or fitness levels, and they are generally the people you want to avoid as dive buddies. Their skills are horrible, so they resort to name calling and insults toward good divers to make themselves feel better. They are the worst our sport has to offer..

 

[MechDiver]

landlocked once bubbled...
The question is.... at what point does the agency assume that they have taught me some skill. The point I was trying to make is that.... in reading the book I felt that the agency (it is not PADI) assumed that I have no skill.

The point is, you were degrading divers for using lines or other aids while ascending/descending and implying they had no skill in doing so.

My point is, there is a time and many places where those lines may save your butt.

 

[DiverBuoy]

I love those pics. I just wish you had some with the standing and the kneeling and the laying where the students are in open water. Really funny pictures though.