Practicing Skills

[dumpsterDiver]

While I agree with this in principle, there are some skills that could be fundamentally dangerous and should primarily be practiced in shallow(ish) waters, specifically when there is a decompression obligation. One example is a mask removal. While I have practiced them on my own and with my buddy to depths of 80 ft including an ascent on an NDL dive, I wouldn't ever propose to do such a thing at 160 ft with a decompression obligation. The risk of botching it (we're *practicing* for a reason) is just too great. Another example is a toxing diver rescue.

Really? I solo dive to that depth (or more) frequently and that is one of the very few skills that I practice . mask removal and replacement. I view it as a somewhat likely mishap and would feel uncomfortable diving to this depth if I was not confident that I could replace my mask.

 

[JeffG]

Really? I solo dive to that depth (or more) frequently and that is one of the very few skills that I practice . mask removal and replacement. I view it as a somewhat likely mishap and would feel uncomfortable diving to this depth if I was not confident that I could replace my mask.

So you will be in a situation where you have a deco obligation and you will practice?

Interesting. I practice to be ready for the "big" dives, I don't practice on the "big" dives. Those I just enjoy.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Basic Scuba Discussions

 

[dumpsterDiver]

So you will be in a situation where you have a deco obligation and you will practice?

Interesting. I practice to be ready for the "big" dives, I don't practice on the "big" dives. Those I just enjoy.

YES It is not a big deal in my book. I think it is good to practice some simple stuff like this when narced...It helps to remind me that everything is harder past 175 ft on air.

 

[JeffG]

YES It is not a big deal in my book. I think it is good to practice some simple stuff like this when narced...It helps to remind me that everything is harder past 175 ft on air.

Well, UP wants us to keep it to basic scuba disscusion and this is getting beyond that level. But I will say that IMO there are better ways to solve your problem. Helium.

 

[H2Andy]

...It helps to remind me that everything is harder past 175 ft on air.

to echo JeffG, you need helium ... you're getting close to the edge on air there

(some would say you fell off the edge at 100 feet)

with my (limited) experience on deep air, i would not plan dives past 150 feet on air

 

[Green_Manelishi]

YES It is not a big deal in my book. I think it is good to practice some simple stuff like this when narced...It helps to remind me that everything is harder past 175 ft on air.

I like to drink and drive slowly around town. It helps to remind me that it's harder to drink and drive 75MPH down the interstate.

Cripes man ... HELIUM ...

 

[TSandM]

Doug's post about being able to work as a team without much experience together really struck a chord for me. It was a very joyous experience for me to dive for the first time with kidspot. I drove up to Lahaina and we got in the water at the site completely unfamiliar to me, with a buddy I'd never even MET in person, let alone had a chance to dive with. And the dive was smooth and effortless and just absolutely delightful from beginning to end. I actually learned a ton about team diving from that dive. Sometimes you learn when the team DOESN'T break down, too

 

[Uncle Pug]

Sometimes you learn when the team DOESN'T break down, too

What are some of the things you learned?

 

[TSandM]

I learned that, when people have been trained in the same meticulously detailed fashion AND have practiced according to their training, they fall into sync very quickly.

Further, as you begin together, gearing up and checking and doing your dive planning, and realize you're both doing the same things in the same way and it's all familiar, you begin to relax more. I don't know about anybody else, but I'm always a little on edge diving with a new buddy -- more vigilant and more cautious. That edge gets blunted a little as it becomes apparent that we're together on things.

In the water, having a teammate who keeps position and keeps in communication ALSO reduces stress. As Joe Talavera pointed out to us in Rec 2, if you have to keep craning around to find somebody, you're inefficient in propelling yourself through the water -- You're using energy and gas to contort yourself around. If you can do a check on your companion just by moving your eyes or your head a little, or if you don't have to do even that because the light's visible, you keep moving forward smoothly.

And finally, if you sit down and do a good debrief after the dive, you may get feedback from a new partner that your usual buddies haven't given you, either because they didn't notice something, or because they've become so accustomed to it that it's no longer worthy of mention.