Many divers want to practice

[batmanusa]

Many divers want to practice year round, or before their season starts but don’t have a regular place to do this. We are in the process of developing a regular program at two local DC pools to address this concept for those who reside in the Washington DC metropolitan area. If you have any helpful advice please fill free to leave it.
Thanks
Bat

 

[Garrobo]

I do mine at the local YMCA during adult open swim. Pool's usually empty at those hours.

 

[captron]

Fly or drive to Florida for a long weekend. Lot's of great diving locations.

 

[ItMustBeJames]

We are in the process of developing a regular program at two local DC pools to address this concept for those who reside in the Washington DC metropolitan area. If you have any helpful advice please fill free to leave it.

Are the pools in DC proper or are you out in the 'burbs (e.g. Nova)? PM me if you're setting this up in Nova.

This is something I'd be interested in. My LDSs can arrange pool sessions, but they're not available on a regular basis. Just having time to run mask clearing or doff/don or other drills would be nice. What would it cost?

 

[cmufieldhockey8]

Fly or drive to Florida for a long weekend. Lot's of great diving locations.

I'm sure many people would do that if it was a practical option.

 

[fisherdvm]

Consider setting up rules so that the one who's butt is on the line can enforce. You might not want people to drop weight belts, may not even let them giant stride entries, etc... to minimize damage to the pool or to themselves. One pool we use, you have to take the tank off if you are going to practice entries.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

I'm not that interested in the idea personally, just because I don't like chlorine...but my suggestion is to post this in the mid atlantic bottom feeders forum to get more local feedback.

 

[ClayJar]

I don't have any advice for you just yet, but if you build up some advice, please share it. Baton Rouge is rather land-locked, actually, although it certainly wouldn't seem that way. It's blackwater diving or driving several hours. ("Water, water everywhere, but my the viz does stink.")

One of the things I'd like to work on with one or more of the local shops is a monthly (or so) non-class pool time. I know of many local divers who haven't been wet since their last vacation (or since their checkout dives), and having access to a pool with a DM present would be an *excellent* way to get them in the water. Even if money, time, or ego may be barriers to actually taking a class, just spending some time in the pool would be very useful.

Currently, I'm just wrapping up the last bits of NAUI DM over the next month or so (to be complete on our April checkout trip), so I can't do anything but float the concept right now (considering I'd almost certainly be the one to do all the requisite work). Once that's complete, I really want to see what can be done. There's certainly a real need, and my preliminary studies have shown an apparent demand. The logistics, I will gladly spend my time working on.

 

[batmanusa]

Are the pools in DC proper or are you out in the 'burbs (e.g. Nova)? PM me if you're setting this up in Nova.

This is something I'd be interested in. My LDSs can arrange pool sessions, but they're not available on a regular basis. Just having time to run mask clearing or doff/don or other drills would be nice. What would it cost?

Yes the pools are in the District of Columbia. Both are in very good neighborhoods. Addressing cost, we haven’t set a price yet. I thought we’d build the program first.

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

I think you could build quite a following if you could have sessions at pools in the city plus on the VA side of the river and in MD. Let's be honest, people in any of the three will go twice as far in that state/city to do the same thing they won't cross a border for.

kidding aside, I'd love to see something like that. I just got my OW two weeks ago and am desperate to get some pool time while the quaries warm up. I'm tempted to drive up to Balt to visit our friends at Off the Wall so going into DC would be great.