Ow taught backwards?

[Nova SS]

When I went to OW they stuck everything on you and threw you into the pool.

Then they started taking stuff off.

Why dont they first put a mask and boots on you, get you used to mask flooding then work up instead of working down? I see were most people have problems with mask skills, is it just too much at one time for some people? Just getting used to a reg in your mouth is hard for some.

 

[OutdoorStud]

Thats just the way it has to be, its a steep learning curve to begin with, but it does get easier.

what are you going to breathe out of when clearing youre mask? it really needds to be done with a regulator on.

They only have a limited time to teach you a large number of skills in order to make you a scuba diver.

 

[Walter]

You have the right idea.

I begin my class (after the swim test) in the shallow end of the pool with a weight belt and a snorkel. Once several (no mask breathing, blasting, recovering from shallow bottom, getting comfortable with the snorkel in the mouth, breathing through a flooded snorkel) techniques with the snorkel are mastered, we put the snorkels down and pick up masks. We work on masks (clearing partially flooded mask, fully flooded mask and mask recovery from the shallow botton) until students are comfortable. We then put the two together, recover from a shallow bottom, clear mask and blast the snorkel clear.

Once those skills are mastered, I give them their fins and take away their weight (they are not properly weight at this point) belts. They learn 5 different (frog, scissor, flutter, dolphin and sculling) kicks and practice them. We are usually working on this when our first pool session ends. The second pool session is devoted entirely to skin diving (continuing with kicking techniques, proper weighting, three additional entries - they learned controlled seated in the 1st pool session, head first and feet first dives, as well as displacement clearing of the snorkel) skills.

I introduce SCUBA at the beginning of the 3rd pool session.

Most classes are poorly organized and taught, IMO.

 

[loosebits]

I agree. Too many people get freaked without a mask (do they still do no-mask drills as opposed to flooded mask drills?). A good homework assignment for OW student would be stick your head in a tub with nothing but a snorkel and sit there for a few mintues. This is probably a good skill for certified divers to practice from time to time (perhaps not in a tub but at your favorite local dive site ditch the mask and swim for a while). Not having that peice of silcone under your nose can be quite discomforting if it's been a while since you've practiced it.

It seems the minimum requirements for OW class has been constantly losing required skills or at least the time needed to practice and be comfortable with these skills. How else does one explain that what used to take 6 weeks can now be done in a 3 day weekend? And if one were to argue that a 3 day OW class is enough, were we just sending divers into the water too prepared with the six week class?

I wonder what percentage of divers continue diving after the 3 day class as opposed to the six week class that used to be the minimum.

 

[Walter]

Thats just the way it has to be, its a steep learning curve to begin with, but it does get easier.

It does not have to be that way. It's much better with the opposite approach.

what are you going to breathe out of when clearing youre mask? it really needds to be done with a regulator on.

Initially, you breathe from the surface, then you graduate to a snorkel and finally to a regulator. I rarely have anyone who has difficulty with no mask breaking or mask clearing in my classes. That's not because I only get great students, but because I use a more effective approach to teaching the skills.

They only have a limited time to teach you a large number of skills in order to make you a scuba diver.

It takes as long as it takes. If you need more time, use it. Do it right instead of cutting corners.

 

[Damselfish]

It's often recommended to spend time in the pool with mask and snorkel to get used to stuff and work on mask skills, and some classes do this. Many classes are too fast and don't provide enough time for people who need more. If you're not comfortable with what you can do in snorkeling gear best to work on that first, talk to the instructor, get extra time in the pool, practice in your bathtub.

But past that, it's hard to get used to a reg without using one. It's harder to work on mask clearing (naturally follows mask flooding!) without air from a reg. It's hard to have a reg and air without a tank. It's hard to carry a tank in the pool without some kind of BC to attach it to. It's hard to get UW to do things without weights. It's hard to do much in the pool wearing all this stuff with no fins.

So it seems like a lot of gear to deal with (that's just what diving is) but it all goes together and doing much of anything is generally much easier with a complete set of gear. It's actually much harder to do things when missing various pieces of it so they do that later.

 

[loosebits]

It's harder to work on mask clearing (naturally follows mask flooding!) without air from a reg.

I think a snorkel would work fine. There's got to be some use for the thing.

 

[Walter]

You don't even need the snorkel.

I find it amazing that people actually believe diving has to be taught in this manner. This backwards technique of starting with everything is a development of trying to eliminate teaching skills in order to certify people as quickly as possible. That results in more income in less time. The true cost is a tremendous drop in quality of classes.

 

[DBailey]

You don't even need the snorkel.

I find it amazing that people actually believe diving has to be taught in this manner. This backwards technique of starting with everything is a development of trying to eliminate teaching skills in order to certify people as quickly as possible. That results in more income in less time. The true cost is a tremendous drop in quality of classes.

But, on the other hand, not everyone needs to take every skill in a step-by-step approach.

In my opinion, if one opts for the less expensive group setting class, they will have to combine some skills and task load. It is what makes that class cheaper. Apprently this works for a large percentage of the diving community.

If you want the step-by-step process, you can sign up for a private class.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I agree. Too many people get freaked without a mask (do they still do no-mask drills as opposed to flooded mask drills?).

Some classes do. We have 10 weeks to teach the OW students at the university (11 if we use finals week) and we do a lot of no-mask work. I gave my students this quarter an option for our zero vis exercise, they could have their masks blacked out with foil or go without a mask and wear a blindfold. They VOLUNTEERED to go without a mask for 45 minutes while wearing a blindfold.

Not having that peice of silcone under your nose can be quite discomforting if it's been a while since you've practiced it.

Soooo true! Every so often I do no mask work whether in a pool or on an easy dive just to keep myself in practice. It's a good idea for every diver, that first time removing the mask after not practicing that skill for a while can be a shocker.
Ber :lilbunny: