Practicing Skills

[Uncle Pug]

Part Two ~ How to practice: SIM, DIM or 3M ?

1) "I'll teach you if you'll teach me": the Shared Ignorance Model aka "lets go divin' dude!"
2) "I'll teach you if you'll pay me": the Dive Industry Model aka "Specialty Classes"
3) "I'll teach you if you'll learn": the Mentor mentee Model aka "Wipe on wipe off"

One costs ego, one costs money and one costs nothing.

All are worth essentially what they cost.

I'll check back later.

 

[TSandM]

I was thinking about this after our conversation at Christmas dinner, UP. You said something which I took as a warning that focusing too much on skills takes the fun out of diving. And on the way home, I was contemplating that.

I do some dives just purely for fun, although on EVERY dive I am watching my buoyancy control, evaluating my trim, and practicing my back kick. Every dive is an exercise in being able to place myself precisely where I want to be at any moment, which I think is both an important skill and one which enhances the dive tremendously.

But then there are the dives like the other night, when Kirk and I went down for the sole, stated purpose of practice -- S-drills, valve drills, and line running and following exercises. We were WORKING (witness the fact that my SAC rate was about twice normal!) and you know what, it was SOOOO much fun. I had a grin from ear to ear when we ended the dive that lasted the whole drive home. Working together, watching the flow of responsibility between the two of us as we were cleaning up line, looking at how the communication was becoming second nature -- that's FUN.

I invited my husband along on that dive, and he said, "Naaah, you guys are going to want to do drills, and I don't want to drill in the dark." (Of course, I asked him, "What do you think a cave class IS?" The difference is that doing the drills is a form of play to me, even though they are quite serious functions. Playing the game of, "Can I do an air-share and not change depth more than 1 foot?" is a kick. I lose it most of the time, but it's still fun to try.

Regarding training at depth, I was very impressed with Joe Talavera's Rec 2 class that we took in October. All the skills Joe thought we ought to have to operate safely at 100 feet were practiced first in 20 feet of water, and then in 60, and then at "operating depth". We know we can manage valve failures, air-share, shoot a bag and ascend as a team from that depth, even if it isn't always exactly pretty. I do think you have to practice shallow first, though . . . My first tries at bag-shooting would have had very undesirable results if I had done them from 70 feet!

 

[TSandM]

1) "I'll teach you if you'll teach me": the Shared Ignorance Model aka "lets go divin' dude!"
2) "I'll teach you if you'll pay me": the Dive Industry Model aka "Specialty Classes"
3) "I'll teach you if you'll learn": the Mentor mentee Model aka "Wipe on wipe off"

One costs ego, one costs money and one costs nothing.

I'm assuming you do not have the costs listed in the same order as the models . . . ?

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

after having a couple of mishaps, my dive buddy and I have started practicing a few skills each dive. It has made me more comfortable in both myself and in understanding my buddies abilities.

I don't want to spend the whole dive practicing clearing my mask and so forth, but being comfortable with it has made me more comfortable in the water. I broke my mask this summer and someone loaned me one to use the rest of the day. Seemed fine on the surface but at depth it kept rapidly filling up over and over again. I did the whole dive with the mask filling half way up every other breath and having to clear over and over and over again. We weren't too deep, so I decided to complete the dive. Thought it was great practice in case this ever happened on a more challenging dive. Even though I was able to keep clearing the mask, it did make for a bit more stress, but it also helped me practice for a real emergency. I didn't know it was going to leak like a fountain until we got down. I alerted my buddies and they kept an eye on me working on their buddy skills.

Anyway since I have started practicing a skill or two on every dive, I enjoy the dive more and feel more relaxed in the water. The more I practice, when something happens the less effort it is for me to correct. It was Perrone Ford who first introduced me to this concept of ongoing practice. It has made diving so much more enjoyable for me.

 

[SparticleBrane]

I think the argument of "if you're doing skills you're not having fun" doesn't make sense. You're breathing underwater. That by itself is always plenty of fun!
edit: ...did Perrone disappear?

 

[Carribeandiver]

practice during your safety stop, what else is there to do?

 

[joe rock]

UP, great thought provoking post. I try and practice something on every dive. Per the "quarry" thread, I go to the quarry often to practice skills. It's a great way to hone the skill in conditions that are at depth. Usually on every dive with my regular dive buddy we agree on what skill we'll practice and when. Sometimes depending on what we're working on will dictate the dive plan (like practicing shooting a bag and doing an ascent on the line from depth) or it can just be incorporated into a dive for another purpose.

Doesn't take away from the fun, IMHO, it enhances my dives feeling confident in the skills I've honed (and they ALL still need work!).

As to the question of how to practice, I use both 2 and 3. While I prefer the mentor method, I continue my formal education too. I'm lucky in that my usual dive buddy has about 10x the experience I have and is a more than willling mentor.

Uncle Pug, as with most of the PNW divers that post here on SB, reading your posts over the last 18 months you've certainly earned my repect . I would love to have the opportunity to learn some skills from people like yourself, TS&M, NWGratefulDiver et. al.

JR

 

[Soggy]

If you are going to dive to a level be competent at that level. To be competent at that level you need to train at that level.

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.

One can *simulate* most skills (including simulated decompression stops and gas switches) from a reasonable depth without adding the actual danger of a virtual overhead.

I agree that always doing skills in very shallow water definitely can give a false sense of security if one allows it to, though doing a skill at 60 ft, 100ft, or 120ft is all the same.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

I think the argument of "if you're doing skills you're not having fun" doesn't make sense. You're breathing underwater. That by itself is always plenty of fun!
edit: ...did Perrone disappear?

Perrone hasn't been posting on the board or reading it much lately. I still PM or IM him a lot and he is always there to help. He has been a great mentor for me. You should drop him a line. He sent me some links on skills that have really helped me out a great deal. I am working on using those jets that you recommended Sparticle in another thread. I am really loving the SP jets, but not ready to dive up my SP twin jets either. Perrone sent a clip of various kick styles and it was very helpful to be able to see all the different kicks and then go out and try them. Still having a hard time with the frog but getting better. I am up to 1.5 miles flutter kicking in the jets and I can do a couple of miles in the twin jets.

I am hoping to do some black water diving next summer in the Copper River. Before I do those dives, I want my skills to be rock solid. I see skills not only and fun and challenging, but also as a way to take me down the path to new and exciting dive destinations that are on my wish list.

 

[Rick Inman]

(1) "I'll teach you if you'll teach me": the Shared Ignorance Model aka "lets go divin' dude!"
2) "I'll teach you if you'll pay me": the Dive Industry Model aka "Specialty Classes"
3) "I'll teach you if you'll learn": the Mentor mentee Model aka "Wipe on wipe off"

You forgot SLIN: Skills Learned on InterNet