"Riding your Computer Up" vs. "Lite Deco"

[Lorenzoid]

What a common-sense approach BSAC has!

 

[scubadada]

It is worth mentioning that it usually takes weeks or months to get qualified as a Sports Diver. Typically they do one or two lessons a week. Maybe a weekend away will allow four lessons, more likely a couple of lessons and a couple of experience dives.

The conditions are relatively cold, relatively poor vis and tidal. Dive sites are usually wrecks with square profiles. This means that people must take diving seriously, turning up unprepared will result in a very disappointing day.

They have to have finished the whole course, including the experience dives.

It is quite a different system to the typical commercial agencies. The key is that it is about going diving. The type of diving is such that various things are necessary. These things are in the training. The idea is to get people who you will personally dive with for the long term and know you are in safe hands.

Not being a group, club, buddy, kind of guy, I'm not so sure the BSAC method would be right for me. However, it appears to be a very good training system, in some ways, better than the systems in which I trained.

 

[KenGordon]

Not being a group, club, buddy, kind of guy, I'm not so sure the BSAC method would be right for me. However, it appears to be a very good training system, in some ways, better than the systems in which I trained.

Indeed, if you want training to your schedule, are an anti-social bastard or otherwise unable to deal with a bunch of random nutters then paying someone may be easier. in the UK there are not so many resort style facilities which individuals can use. This is especially true at the entry level. If you want to do a solo 60m CCR dive it is easy, if a new diver wants a 20m bimble it is harder as there will be nobody to look after them. So it is generally easier to be part of a club and let people who have done it before book the boats or show you how.

The clubs are not entirely composed of people trained in the BSAC system. Often people will have done an OW or AOW course somewhere warm, got all enthusiastic and joined a club.

 

[scubadada]

Indeed, if you want training to your schedule, are an anti-social bastard or otherwise unable to deal with a bunch of random nutters then paying someone may be easier. in the UK there are not so many resort style facilities which individuals can use. This is especially true at the entry level. If you want to do a solo 60m CCR dive it is easy, if a new diver wants a 20m bimble it is harder as there will be nobody to look after them. So it is generally easier to be part of a club and let people who have done it before book the boats or show you how.

The clubs are not entirely composed of people trained in the BSAC system. Often people will have done an OW or AOW course somewhere warm, got all enthusiastic and joined a club.

I'm afraid you have me accurately pegged. I like bimble, we don't have that in our vocabulary, we should.

Good diving, Craig

 

[Centrals]

As far as I am concerned there are only two kinds of recreational dive: no deco or deco. There is no grey area for me.
So "Lite deco" is a deco dive and will be treated as such ie. full Monty. Anyone who has not been taught on the topic should never attempt it.

 

[lowviz]

@Centrals, this is the place for your opinion on this topic. I respect your view. But I would ask you to consider how you came about that hard-line stance. Was it something that you were taught? You don't need to reply, just consider it.

I've had my say in this thread and can't believe that it didn't melt down on the first page. I've gained much insight. Right now, I'm just enjoying the tangential discussions, especially that of BSAC.

 

[DevonDiver]

...I'm just enjoying the tangential discussions, especially that of BSAC.

There's definitely some benefit to discussing the BSAC system. The '88 tables and their deco allowance are often mentioned in deco debates. Usually it's done to support some stance that lobbies for recreational divers being' allowed' to do deco... and those doing the lobbying often have zero understanding of the BSAC system and ethos.

As Edward has illustrated, BSAC 'recreational' training includes appropriate non-accelerated deco training. The use of redundant gas systems is also heavily prevalent in BSAC clubs... and the UK in general. Also, the BSAC club environment affords far more opportunities for extended training and peer review, assessment and selection.

These, and other, factors make BSAC 'recreational' decompression diving entirely dissimilar to other recreational diving agencies; their syllabus, training standards and the prudent limitations they apply.

I think that some 'main agency' recreational divers leap upon the BSAC system to illustrate the 'unfairness' of the limitations recommended by their respective agencies. They attempt to illustrate that such limitations aren't necessary.

In doing so, those 'protestors' completely fail to understand the dynamics of a BSAC club environment and how limitations are diligently applied on a case-by-case basis; grounded in more intimate understanding of a diver's individual actual ability, attitude, preparedness and commitment to training and diving safety.

If Mr 'PADI AOW DIVER - BUT I BECAME AN EXPERT BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET' waltzed into a BSAC club they'd be likely to find far more restrictions on their diving scope than they would skipping around PADI dive resorts with credit card in-hand.

The essential fact is that BSAC provides its divers with adequate training and assessment in-line with the dives they are authorised to undertake.

That's inherently no different to what other agencies do.

Bottom line: A diver should be suitably and specifically educated, trained, assessed and equipped to conduct the dives they undertake.

 

[Centrals]

@Centrals, this is the place for your opinion on this topic. I respect your view. But I would ask you to consider how you came about that hard-line stance. Was it something that you were taught? You don't need to reply, just consider it.

What is a "Lite Deco"?
What is a "Proper Deco"?
I treat any deco dive as "Proper Deco" and receive full treatment ie. twin set, manifold with isolator, twin bladder, deco mix(es), pre-dive plan etc etc.
What other do is NOT my business.

 

[Centrals]

Bottom line: A diver should be suitably and specifically educated, trained, assessed and equipped to conduct the dives they undertake.

Unfortunately there are exceptional.

 

[lowviz]

...//... I think that some 'main agency' recreational divers leap upon the BSAC system to illustrate the 'unfairness' of the limitations recommended by their respective agencies. They attempt to illustrate that such limitations aren't necessary.

In doing so, those 'protestors' completely fail to understand the dynamics of a BSAC club environment [bolding, mine] and how limitations are diligently applied on a case-by-case basis; grounded in more intimate understanding of a diver's individual actual ability, attitude, preparedness and commitment to training and diving safety. ...

That is the real "take away" for me in this discussion.

I would imagine the dynamics of achieving the same end (competent diver) would differ from what I have experienced. One can see it in the names. PADI, NAUI both claim to be instructor organizations. All I can do is to get training/instruction from same. I can't "belong" to either.

BSAC claim to be a club. I don't see "Instructor" anywhere in the acronym. Is it possible for a non-instructor diver to "belong" to BSAC?