Skills Poll

[CT-Rich]

I usually do something on every dive, but not religiously. early in the season I will swap out my reg, do a reg recovery or take my mask off and on. when I get new gear or add to my kit I will practice using it as much as possible. Last season it was shooting a marker from u/w. This season it will be using a pony and laying a line from my wreck reel. I had a friend get annoyed at me for doing an old school doff and don on a solo dive.

 

[TSandM]

Almost never. I keep skills sharp by actually diving, not practicing for diving

The problem with that is that, if you are doing a good job of your diving, you are probably never practicing the emergency skills you will need on the day things go wrong, because things will rarely go wrong.

I don't drill as much as I did when I was actually LEARNING my skills. But I get to demonstrate and participate in some emergency drills (mostly air sharing) when DMing classes, and whenever I get in the water in my doubles, I do like to take the time to do a valve drill, just to remind myself that I can.

 

[Searcaigh]

I shoot a bag if not coming up on a mooring or anchor line, always do valve drills when diving doubles on the surface before diving, but usually not when I am underwater. Breathe frequently from both second stages and use a pony / stage bottle frequently.

One skill I want to practice at the end of some upcoming dives that I learned a couple of weeks ago during my Trimix course is to ascend using a DSMB with no gas in my wing.

 

[PfcAJ]

Perhaps, but when it is 'go time' for those emergency skills (either in a class or for real), they don't seem to be an issue. Ever. I attribute a lot of that to frequent real life diving. I think that by diving often forces you to become very familiar with your gear and allows you to transcend drill and procedure and move into real understanding.

Ive known a fair number of folks who have "beautiful" skills that don't really get it. And I think that there is a tendency to over drill to the point where the noggin is removed from the equation entirely. I think that's bad.

 

[TMHeimer]

I don't think you can over-drill on the skills. The point about needing a skill in a true emergency is a good one. I would think the more often you practised no mask breathing, the more likely you will do it correctly that one rare time you have to. I would also think that by just diving a lot you'll become a better diver, but you are not going to keep your emergency skills sharp. Of course regarding all these points, a problem can be that if you've never had a true emergency you really don't know how you'll react. Knock wood. But I'd err on the side of practicing a lot.

 

[billt4sf]

I'm the "buddy" that asks to practice skills every 6 or so dives.

Someone should make a poll asking which particular skill people practice. Anyone for oral inflation? That's the thing I find hardest to do.

- Bill

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I don't think you can over-drill on the skills.

I think you can ... like anything else you can get so hung up on doing the same things over and over that you never have time to explore, progress, and experience something new.

I once dived with a guy who told me he'd practiced two years to do the dive we were doing (a nice 160-foot 1-gas deco dive, but nothing really special). I found that rather sad ... he was quite likely ready for that dive a year and a half earlier, and held himself back by over-drilling ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[iamrushman]

i do a little something every dive...

 

[TMHeimer]

I think you can ... like anything else you can get so hung up on doing the same things over and over that you never have time to explore, progress, and experience something new.

I once dived with a guy who told me he'd practiced two years to do the dive we were doing (a nice 160-foot 1-gas deco dive, but nothing really special). I found that rather sad ... he was quite likely ready for that dive a year and a half earlier, and held himself back by over-drilling ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well yeah I agree on that. But I'm not talking about planning a tech. dive, or other routines, just about the basic OW skills. You can practise them quite regularly (one a dive?) without hindering your diving routine.

 

[Frosty]

Maybee Im adhd or summat because Im always playing around with skills.