Problem solving exercises

[Pressurehead]

Problem solving exercises from the past that were great learning skills.
Had to do this a number of times for progression to the next level years ago:
1.All gear on the bottom of a diving pool 18' [5.5], you are in your swimmers [budgie smugglers, DPs] only.
2. Cylinders are turned off on the bottom on top of all the other gear.
3. Wetsuit [2 piece, front zip 5mm Moray], boots, fins, mask is weighted down with weights and not enough weight on the weight belt but plenty on the gear.
4. Tell the instructor the way it should go to plan.This is the funny part as it all goes to $h!t quick.
5. You are told you are able to surface as required [this not true, you fail, they lie, you do it again] to do the exercise.
6. Exit the water after removing your weight belt on the surface fully kitted up, nothing missing or out of place [like your cylinder not fully turned on, hose stuck under webbing, boot on the wrong foot, true , did see this etc].
7. A safety diver is in the water , any help from them and you fail.

Next:
Repeat the above in open water in 5-6m.
As a side note:
We also had to free assent form 18m, first time ditching the weight belt only, and again ditching weight belt and twin cylinder harness [twin 63s most times or 72s] No BC then for that depth , fenzy for over 18m.
Don't worry about the free assents , it was the other stuff that was the learning exercise.

 

[decompression]

Here’s one........

In open, cold water, high current.......

Shoot a bag, adjust your deco schedule as you were 5 minutes over and 10 feet too deep.......your deco reg is free flowing and your buddy lost their mask.......

 

[Pressurehead]

5 minutes over and 10 feet too deep

In open, cold water, high current.......

Shoot a bag, adjust your deco schedule as you were 5 minutes over and 10 feet too deep.......your deco reg is free flowing and your buddy lost their mask.......

Ok, What is the fix for the above? 5min over and 10' too deep from what depth and time, computer? More info.

 

[BlueTrin]

Ok, What is the fix for the above? 5min over and 10' too deep from what depth and time, computer? More info.

I suspect he has a backup plan.

I have been taught to make additional plans, prior to the dive:

• In case you breach depth
• In case you exceed time
• Both
• Loss of deco gas

 

[Pressurehead]

I suspect he has a backup plan.

I have been taught to make additional plans, prior to the dive:

• In case you breach depth
• In case you exceed time
• Both
• Loss of deco gas

Yes, I did think that, did he?
You know the saying : The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. [Translated from the original Scots-language poem by Burns ].

 

[norwhal]

Find a wreck with an opening that is too small to enter while wearing your rig. Under the watchful eye of your dive buddy, remove your rig, go through the opening and then put your rig back on. Of course your buddy will be of no help to you inside the wreck but at least they're nearby which hopefully will be enough to save you if you screw it up.

 

[Swedinsidemount]

Here’s one........

In open, cold water, high current.......

Shoot a bag, adjust your deco schedule as you were 5 minutes over and 10 feet too deep.......your deco reg is free flowing and your buddy lost their mask.......

I assume you mean while using a deco table? That would take for ever to calculate and you are losing air fast without a reputable buddy, you main focus should be to stay safely as long as possible deco/ss and surface imminently...

 

[Swedinsidemount]

For me the best practice is to just walk around the house with my bc on and every so often tear it off as fast as possible and then back on, also ditching my trim weights and grabbing my favorite d-rings(DSMB, Octo, SPG, etc.) it's mostly muscle memory which i find critical <TG>

 

[Pressurehead]

Find a wreck with an opening that is too small to enter while wearing your rig. Under the watchful eye of your dive buddy, remove your rig, go through the opening and then put your rig back on. Of course your buddy will be of no help to you inside the wreck but at least they're nearby which hopefully will be enough to save you if you screw it up.

OH , Something close happened to me.
In a wreck 27.5m [90'] in 1985 with a [ lady] diving instructor , we were both doing a civilian wreck diving course, we did all the right things,well planned, line with markers , secure the two hatches we came through, don't silt up etc etc,
Anyway she panicked, when the vis dropped from a little bit of silt, she bolted back along the line making it worse , removing some the line as she went, [thanks dear !] I remembered there is a hole in the hull in the next compartment, found that, the course instructor [PADI course director he was, no names no court martial] was near that hole looking in with my lost buddy [good to see you again], the hole is not big enough to swim through fully rigged , I ditched my whole set and passed it through [no regulator in mouth] and swam out and put it back on.
I passed ,she failed, it helps that I had been a diver for since 1968 prior to doing these civilian courses as part of my "Resettlement Training" for diving instructor.
In those day I thought "the more civilian diving instructors/ masters I meet the more I liked my neighbours cat, and I don't like cats" !
I became one, what does that tell you?

 

[decompression]

Ok, What is the fix for the above? 5min over and 10' too deep from what depth and time, computer? More info.

This is a bit hypothetical but a common level 3 failure scenario.....

But certainly in reality the student (tech 1) will have to problem solve how to manage a smb, recalculate their deco schedule, decide to feather deco bottle/share deco gas or recalculate deco schedule using back gas and assist their buddy with their mask switch.......all while deciding how to convey this info to their team......and decide if they ever want to take tech 2.......