Skill or Stupid Stunt

[T.P.H.]

There are DM`s and then there are DM`s.Same with anything these days.But no matter what "it" is,never allow yourself to become too comfortable or I should say,complacent...that`s when the things you don`t want to happen...do.Practice all you can and enjoy your new skills of diving..it only gets better........for most of us.

 

[kidspot]

I might have missed this if it was discussed, but in what real world situation would you ever have to swap gear with someone underwater? I understand situations where removing your own and putting it back on can happen, but it never occured to me to trade with anyone until I read this.

Thanks.

Here's a recent thread dealing with the removal side, but not the "swapping" - might help... then again it might not

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=95326

Tim

 

[SDAnderson]

I might have missed this if it was discussed, but in what real world situation would you ever have to swap gear with someone underwater? I understand situations where removing your own and putting it back on can happen, but it never occured to me to trade with anyone until I read this.

Thanks.

I don't think that there is a "real world" situation where this would happen. The exercise is intended as a team and confidence builder. It isn't needed in and of itself but is valuable.

Sorry the DM had a fit; maybe understandable in today's litiguous environment but still unfortunate.

 

[Diver0001]

I might have missed this if it was discussed, but in what real world situation would you ever have to swap gear with someone underwater? I understand situations where removing your own and putting it back on can happen, but it never occured to me to trade with anyone until I read this.

Thanks.

Things don't always have to have a real world application to be useful.

R..

 

[SubMariner]

In PADI Re&Re bcd/wt system is required at the OW level. As for gear swap, it is actually done in the DM course: masks down to fins. Another wrinkle: it has to be done while buddy breathing.

If you were both certified divers & not actually under the supervision of the DM, I don't see why he was so bent out of shape about you doing the swap. Sounds as if he was being a bit of a mother hen, which is actually a GOOD thing in the end. He just needs to learn WHEN to worry.

Bonne chance,

 

[TekDiveGirl]

I don't think that there is a "real world" situation where this would happen. The exercise is intended as a team and confidence builder. It isn't needed in and of itself but is valuable.

I was about to reply but you said about exactly what I was going to say -- glad I read ahead before I hit the little reply button.

I agree with you completely.

Confidence building and team cohesion are what I would say that was going on in that skillset there. No real world application to switching gear.

Kimber

 

[NineGill]

Thanks for all the great replies.

Just to clarify, the DM was not acting as any kind of an instructor. He was there working on his own skills and helping his buddy (girlfriend) with hers. We were all in the pool at the same time with our scuba gear just like we're all in the pool together when we swim laps.

Also, I use the gear I was in for local diving so I sometimes think of it as "mine", but I totally understand about the liability.

That brings me to another point. I'm not only going to try to get my own gear quicker then I planned, but I'm also considering avoiding a DM cert in the future. Granted this is a long way out for me, but I like to have long term goals.

If liability for being around other divers somehow gets worse with a teaching cert , I think I'll just shoot for master scuba diver, tec certs and cross training with other agencies for my goals. I guess thats just the world we live in today, but I think it sucks!

Thanks again for all the replies. I hope to run into some of you underwater sometime; this really seems like a great group of people.

 

[kenlt]

Things don't always have to have a real world application to be useful.

R..

Granted, and I certainly understand the team confidence thing. I just couldn't come up with a good reason where this would be necessary or helpful during a dive. Thanks for all the responses!

Ken

 

[MikeFerrara]

Add a 45th vote for an over zealouse dive master. If your not in a class or other supervised activity (you'll know it because they'll make you sign a liability release and pay) then he is just another diver.

PADI teaches UW equipment removal and replacement and other agencies also use bail-outs, ditch and dons and equipment exchanges. As a former PADI instructor and an inactive IANTD instructor I can't see anything wrong with playing around that way in a pool or other confined/controled conditions.

One corection/addition I'd like to make is that PADI doesn't "teach" the equipment exchange in the DM course. It's a stress/task loading excersize and it's recommended that students do NOT practice or spend much time discuss the excersize before doing it. We don't demonstrate it and coach them on it. If the DM candidate hasn't yet learned buddy breathing we'll tech them that before the equipment exchange. If I think a student has been practicing it (or even if I don't), I usually have the student do the excercise with me (or some other surprise buddy) rather than their buddy of choice. I'll make sure that it doesn't go as they've practiced. LOL

 

[MikeFerrara]

Granted, and I certainly understand the team confidence thing. I just couldn't come up with a good reason where this would be necessary or helpful during a dive. Thanks for all the responses!

Ken

There is no practical use for the excersize. As I explained in my last post the only purpose is to make the student maneage a complex task (swapping gear) underwater with some stress (buddy breathing).