Shouldn't DSMB be required as part of training?

[Z Gear]

I received my training through SSI schools but had no physical training about how to use the DSMB. I don't know about the other schools but I find that the importance of this topic is some what over looked. My question is why has SSI not mandated this to be physically taught and practiced to students. I beleive it should be a part of the training since it is obviously a very important safety measure to know.

 

[fishb0y]

I teach it in my AOW class and review it in Deep. While I think it is a great skill, I don't necessarily believe it needs to be taught in OW.

 

[Z Gear]

I teach it in my AOW class and review it in Deep. While I think it is a great skill, I don't necessarily believe it needs to be taught in OW.

The only reason that I believe it should be part of the training is that many have the impression that since it is not taught or mandated then it not be that important. It is primarily not practiced in enough IMO. As far as I can see perhaps it would be wiser to change this approach. From my view and all who have been trained through this school, we should be better prepared and familiar with this item. It will only help everyone and prevent a possible incident. IMO.

 

[Hawkwood]

It is. Use/deployment of a SMB (or DSMB) is a requirement of the PADI OW program.

 

[Peter Guy]

As with all teaching, the real art involves what NOT to include. While teaching someone how to blow up an SMB on the surface is pretty trivial, teaching how to deploy one safely while underwater may well be more task loading than a brand new diver should handle. So if it is just "blowing up a bag" while on the surface -- you really don't need to be "taught" how to do that -- but if deploying UW, I'd wait until the student has a bit more UW time and experience (and as an instructor I do wait).

 

[Z Gear]

As with all teaching, the real art involves what NOT to include. While teaching someone how to blow up an SMB on the surface is pretty trivial, teaching how to deploy one safely while underwater may well be more task loading than a brand new diver should handle. So if it is just "blowing up a bag" while on the surface -- you really don't need to be "taught" how to do that -- but if deploying UW, I'd wait until the student has a bit more UW time and experience (and as an instructor I do wait).

If you do wait, than you run the risk of divers going into the water unprepared as did I and others who were in my class and those before me. It is more effort for the instructor to show students on this but it is vital and could save their life someday.

---------- Post added May 7th, 2015 at 09:10 AM ----------

It is. Use/deployment of a SMB (or DSMB) is a requirement of the PADI OW program.

Too bad it is not for the SSI program.

 

[Dhboner]

While it is a relatively easy skill for a relatively experienced diver to execute safely, Peter is absolutely correct that it might be a bit much to chew for a newly minted open water student. Good buoyancy and situational awareness are key to deploying an SMB safely with no danger of entanglement. In my (humble) opinion new divers should tow a float and flag until they have logged enough water time that they can stay horizontal and relatively stable in the water column (plus or minus 3 feet or so) before they are taught SMB deployment. The risk of entanglement is too great with new divers who are really not used to anything more than basic task loading.

 

[danvolker]

If you do wait, than you run the risk of divers going into the water unprepared as did I and others who were in my class and those before me. It is more effort for the instructor to show students on this but it is vital and could save their life someday.

I think you might be overstating the importance of the SMB a bit....there was no such thing in the 60's, 70's, 80's, and most had not seen these in the 90's.
While common today, divers were not "dying like flies" in the preceding 4 decades, due to lack of the smb.

Personally, I think it is a simple skill anyone should be able to teach themselves, if they see some other diver do it effectively, or if they watch a youtube video of how to do it. The real issue is do you have good neutral buoyancy in mid-water--that is the real skill to learn--to be taught by SSI or PADI, or NAUI, GUE or whoever. Once being stable at 20 feet is simple, playing around with a reel and a float really has no challenge to it. The problem is that too many classes never teach the students to hold a depth like 20 feet without the diver having wild up and down swings of depth.

 

[Z Gear]

I think you might be overstating the importance of the SMB a bit....there was no such thing in the 60's, 70's, 80's, and most had not seen these in the 90's.
While common today, divers were not "dying like flies" in the preceding 4 decades, due to lack of the smb.

Personally, I think it is a simple skill anyone should be able to teach themselves, if they see some other diver do it effectively, or if they watch a youtube video of how to do it. The real issue is do you have good neutral buoyancy in mid-water--that is the real skill to learn--to be taught by SSI or PADI, or NAUI, GUE or whoever. Once being stable at 20 feet is simple, playing around with a reel and a float really has no challenge to it. The problem is that too many classes never teach the students to hold a depth like 20 feet without the diver having wild up and down swings of depth.

That is odd, why is a requirement that is taught by PADI program as Hawkood stated above and not so for SSI? It doesn't seem to hold too much weight in my view.

At least the skill should be taught and encourage student to practice this often after cert. This is my opinion and I don't think I am over stating its importance.

 

[danvolker]

That is odd, why is a requirement that is taught by PADI program as Hawkood stated above and not so for SSI? It doesn't seem to hold too much weight in my view.

At least the skill should be taught and encourage student to practice this often after cert. This is my opinion and I don't think I am over stating its importance.

OK...Just what about deployment skills is so essential to the "survival probability" of a recreational diver?

1. You are NOT supposed to be diving in a shipping channel, and you are supposed to be coming up where your dive boat can be protecting you from other boats.
2. What about the SMB provides important value to you?