"old school" training?

[Riles2226]

Wait, are you saying that gas laws are not included in OW theory?!

The level to which they are covered varies by agency but, in general, the OW classes touch on it but don't usually make you learn that this came from Boyle, that came from Archamedies, etc. I can speak for PADI and SDI, though and they do cover displacement and buoyancy along with pressure/volume relationships. The biggest difference is that they don't focus on all the formulas and specifics as much as making sure that divers understand the concepts and relationships.

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

I've often toyed with the idea of putting together an "old school" OW or AOW training course but when I discuss the idea with wanna-be divers or new divers I find none want to spend the time or money necessary to take such a course. When I explain that if they pass they walk out of with the confidence to plan and execute you and your buddy's dive plan under almost any conditions they look at me funny and advise that is what a guide or divemaster is for. Oh well, I can't fault instant gratification and the desire to "get the course over with."

 

[admikar]

The level to which they are covered varies by agency but, in general, the OW classes touch on it but don't usually make you learn that this came from Boyle, that came from Archamedies, etc. I can speak for PADI and SDI, though and they do cover displacement and buoyancy along with pressure/volume relationships. The biggest difference is that they don't focus on all the formulas and specifics as much as making sure that divers understand the concepts and relationships.

I did my OW in 2015, CMAS.
Theory was all Bole, Dalton etc. Questions were: What does Dalton's law say? Or which law is this?
Granted, I don't think that is really necessary to know which name goes with particular law, but it was what it was.
More importantly was practical pool part, done in 5 m deep pool . Buoyancy, buddy breathing with and without mask, don/doff with ascent and dive down. On my "exam" I had mask and reg ripped off, then doff in the middle of the pool, swim on the bottom and come up up the wall, then reverse. When I got there, valve was closed, so one more thing to overcome. It was a real moral and confidence booster.
I do realize that not all new divers want this kind of course. A lot of them wants a "bucket list done" course.

 

[Riles2226]

I did my OW in 2015, CMAS.
Theory was all Bole, Dalton etc. Questions were: What does Dalton's law say? Or which law is this?
Granted, I don't think that is really necessary to know which name goes with particular law, but it was what it was.
More importantly was practical pool part, done in 5 m deep pool . Buoyancy, buddy breathing with and without mask, don/doff with ascent and dive down. On my "exam" I had mask and reg ripped off, then doff in the middle of the pool, swim on the bottom and come up up the wall, then reverse. When I got there, valve was closed, so one more thing to overcome. It was a real moral and confidence booster.
I do realize that not all new divers want this kind of course. A lot of them wants a "bucket list done" course.

Yeah, good, bad or indifferent, CMAS standards have not followed with the simplification that many of the bigger names have followed. I'm up in the air as to which approach is better as I know that the CMAS-type approach turns a lot of people off but it also better prepares you as a diver.

 

[TMHeimer]

The level to which they are covered varies by agency but, in general, the OW classes touch on it but don't usually make you learn that this came from Boyle, that came from Archamedies, etc. I can speak for PADI and SDI, though and they do cover displacement and buoyancy along with pressure/volume relationships. The biggest difference is that they don't focus on all the formulas and specifics as much as making sure that divers understand the concepts and relationships.

My only training has been PADI. I do think that the amount of theory covered in the OW course is quite adequate. Knowing the names of Boyle, etc. isn't vital. The lack of Rescue skills in OW is always my concern, but that's old stuff.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I did my OW in 2015, CMAS.
Theory was all Bole, Dalton etc. Questions were: What does Dalton's law say? Or which law is this?
Granted, I don't think that is really necessary to know which name goes with particular law, but it was what it was.
More importantly was practical pool part, done in 5 m deep pool . Buoyancy, buddy breathing with and without mask, don/doff with ascent and dive down. On my "exam" I had mask and reg ripped off, then doff in the middle of the pool, swim on the bottom and come up up the wall, then reverse. When I got there, valve was closed, so one more thing to overcome. It was a real moral and confidence booster.
I do realize that not all new divers want this kind of course. A lot of them wants a "bucket list done" course.

Sometimes on a dive I take my mask off, put some air into my face to get a nice air bubble around my eye and that is now my mask. OK good for an emergency if you need to be able to see without a mask and a bit limiting. The expression on other divers faces and questions after the dive are from the hilarious to aren't you being an idiot?

I just explain at least an air mask wont fog up. They are like they didn't teach us that in PADI OW or AOW.

 

[Blackcrusader]

My only training has been PADI. I do think that the amount of theory covered in the OW course is quite adequate. Knowing the names of Boyle, etc. isn't vital. The lack of Rescue skills in OW is always my concern, but that's old stuff.

When I started doing the Sports Diving courses in BSAC rescue courses were part of the novice component. So was navigation drift diving night diving and all sorts of other nice things. But then again if you are in a BSAC club where you are doing twice a week pool training and classes and constant reviewing of stuff you have been taught along with new courses for a couple of years then that beats all the PADI training which is learn the course once in your life and never review it ever again.

 

[TMHeimer]

When I started doing the Sports Diving courses in BSAC rescue courses were part of the novice component. So was navigation drift diving night diving and all sorts of other nice things. But then again if you are in a BSAC club where you are doing twice a week pool training and classes and constant reviewing of stuff you have been taught along with new courses for a couple of years then that beats all the PADI training which is learn the course once in your life and never review it ever again.

Well I won't argue with that. But you mean you're doing training and classes twice a week every week??? I do constant reviewing of my stuff on my own. I read over a page or so of one of my PADI manuals daily and go through the motions (on land) of the 24 PADI OW skills once weekly, as well as a page daily of my CPR book.
You did say "constant reviewing of stuff you have been taught"--does this mean every week your club goes twice to a pool to do skills? That would seem overkill. I'd rather spend 99% of my dive time just diving.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Well I won't argue with that. But you mean you're doing training and classes twice a week every week??? I do constant reviewing of my stuff on my own. I read over a page or so of one of my PADI manuals daily and go through the motions (on land) of the 24 PADI OW skills once weekly, as well as a page daily of my CPR book.
You did say "constant reviewing of stuff you have been taught"--does this mean every week your club goes twice to a pool to do skills? That would seem overkill. I'd rather spend 99% of my dive time just diving.

Reviewing things doesn't mean mask clearing, different techniques for rescue say how to get our partner into a small boat by yourself and how to use the swell of the ocean to get a dead weight into a small boat without capsizing it. If there are only two of you doing a rescue is far different than being able to call a dive boat over if you are diving in larger groups.

Being able to remove all your gear blindfolded so if you got entangled in a net on a night dive and your torch failed knowing you way around your own gear by hand. Maybe it was overkill but that training has stayed with me and has proved useful. Also the courses were for progressing from Novice to Sports Leader. Navigation training was a lot of fun. BSAC Sports diving was also all DECO stop planned diving and we didn't all have computers back then in the 1980's. You had to bring your tables and writing boards to be able to calculate your DECO both before and during the dive if necessary. Planning a dive often took almost as long as the dives in some cases. Never see with with a PADI briefing mostly it is please follow the brief dive plan and the guide if you are with a dive center and some limit dives to time rather than air capability.

The chaps who ran the BSAC club I was in also worked as professional divers so they were pretty insistent on you learning all the time. Also if the boat was in dry dock all members had to help out.. if you claimed not to know a lot about boats you could always be given a scraper to remove the barnacles and things. You had to learn how to tie different knots in the ropes as well. You'll never learn that in PADI but is it covered in the BSAC Manuals.

 

[tursiops]

You had to learn how to tie different knots in the ropes as well. You'll never learn that in PADI but is it covered in the BSAC Manuals.

You'll find that in the PADI manuals too.....just not in the OW course.