MY journey into tec diving

[Marie13]

A page from Mark Powell’s new intro to tech diving book. Clearly shows reaching your valves is easier in a horizontal position.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Marie13

When you are running low on air it makes no difference of the position your body
I will guarantee if needed you arm will magically grow at least six inches to reach the valve

Good morning from a lovely sunny warm day with a slight cooling ocean breeze in CenCal

SDM

 

[Diving Dubai]

I'd say reaching valves is easier in horizontal position than upright on knees. The hand movement would also be different upright. Minimal value in learning valve drill on knees. Why not start horizontal on a platform that supports correct trim? Slightly negative in the beginning, if needed?

I'm not disagreeing - my point is that there can be different ways to introduce skills. You gave an example of a platform - what happens if you're in a pool?

I don't even know if the picture it linked to valve drills, I'm not near my books. My point was, that it's fashionable to knock PADI and this i just a picture (not great but still)

As an instructor I have to adapt my teaching methods to suit each student. I don't' use nor teach Doubles - so lets discuss dsmb. I'll get the student in a pool first and have them stable and stationary because I want them to work out how best to use their motor skills to carry out the tasks of retrieving the dsmb and reel through to inflating it. Once that's' mastered they'll be neutral - probably on fintips because our pool is shallow. Then in open water we'll have them stable against a visual reference and finally "blue water" no visual reference

By the time I've finished with them they can be stable to +/- 3' or 1m max while shooting a blue water dsmb - but if someone took a picture of me in a pool on their first steps you wouldn't' know that. That's all the point I was tryign to make

 

[CptTightPants21]

I'm not disagreeing - my point is that there can be different ways to introduce skills. You gave an example of a platform - what happens if you're in a pool?

I don't even know if the picture it linked to valve drills, I'm not near my books. My point was, that it's fashionable to knock PADI and this i just a picture (not great but still)

As an instructor I have to adapt my teaching methods to suit each student. I don't' use nor teach Doubles - so lets discuss dsmb. I'll get the student in a pool first and have them stable and stationary because I want them to work out how best to use their motor skills to carry out the tasks of retrieving the dsmb and reel through to inflating it. Once that's' mastered they'll be neutral - probably on fintips because our pool is shallow. Then in open water we'll have them stable against a visual reference and finally "blue water" no visual reference

By the time I've finished with them they can be stable to +/- 3' or 1m max while shooting a blue water dsmb - but if someone took a picture of me in a pool on their first steps you wouldn't' know that. That's all the point I was tryign to make

Valve drills that are practiced "vertical" are the ones that are done on land with the diver in his harness and the tanks resting on a table or bench. You are right that there should be incremental training when learning a new skill, but there is no reason for being vertical in the water during a valve drill while learning---it instills bad habits and actually makes the drill much harder (if a person can reach their valves on steel doubles while vertical there is a good chance the tanks are too far forward/high).

Best way to begin learning the procedure is on dry land, but if you want to do some of it in the water, start by having them turn off and on one valve at a time several times in shallow water (2-3 meters) while horizontal.

 

[stuartv]

Here's the question.

The first time you lean valve shut down skills, in confined water that is probably less than 10' deep. Do you think?

A You should be fully horizontal, in trim with little or no movement in the water column

B The first time you lean valve shut down skills you're in a stationary position concentrating on your hand movements and the actual drill, and then transition to completing it horizontal, in trim with no vertical movement?


Yes not great pictures but you need to think about context

A - when you start the drill. The goal being A from start all the way to finish.

 

[TrimixToo]

@Marie13

When you are running low on air it makes no difference of the position your body
I will guarantee if needed you arm will magically grow at least six inches to reach the valve

Good morning from a lovely sunny warm day with a slight cooling ocean breeze in CenCal

SDM

Just amazing how that works, isn't it? Always worked for my J-valve too. Motivation matters! But better positioning does make it easier.