Spotting for a valve drill

[LG Diver]

I'm not sure of the phrasing in JJs book (which is not a training standards document, btw), but if it is referring to "buddy breathing" they are actually referring to one diver on the long hose, the other on the backup reg, not a maskless exit with only one functioning regulator on the team. That's an insane number of identical failures to have happen and time would be better spent avoiding those failures rather than learning how to react to them.

OK- out of curiosity I checked it out, and here's what's in the book (chapter 3, page 19):

"How are your mask clearing skills

... B. Advanced Diver

Be able to buddy breathe (sharing one second stage) with the mask removed.

... C. Advanced Technical Diver (with complete gear and stage bottles)

While buddy breathing (sharing one second stage) with the mask removed, swim 100' (30m), replace the mask and clear it in less than five seconds"

* note that I didn't copy the entire section- there were several bullets for each category. I only copied the bullets referencing buddy breathing.

In any case, I'm relieved to hear that I won't be facing this skills test in future courses. I agree that this sounds like a crazy beyond-worst-case scenario.

 

[Soggy]

OK- out of curiosity I checked it out, and here's what's in the book (chapter 3, page 19):

"How are your mask clearing skills

... B. Advanced Diver

Be able to buddy breathe (sharing one second stage) with the mask removed.

... C. Advanced Technical Diver (with complete gear and stage bottles)

While buddy breathing (sharing one second stage) with the mask removed, swim 100' (30m), replace the mask and clear it in less than five seconds"

* note that I didn't copy the entire section- there were several bullets for each category. I only copied the bullets referencing buddy breathing.

In any case, I'm relieved to hear that I won't be facing this skills test in future courses. I agree that this sounds like a crazy beyond-worst-case scenario.

Interesting. Thanks for looking it up.

There are a few things in the Fundies book that don't line up with current DIR methodology. I think the focus of that book is "safer diving" vs strict DIR. Also a lot of things have changed since that book was first published.

 

[rjack321]

In any case, I'm relieved to hear that I won't be facing this skills test in future courses. I agree that this sounds like a crazy beyond-worst-case scenario.

You end up doing alot of gas sharing, and changing regulators. But buddy breathing from one 2nd stage is definately not part of Tech1 or Cave1.

The course standards are online, they are a far more up to date resource of expectations than the DIRF book.

 

[grazie42]

I´m just going to throw this out there...I´d say that the likelyhood of a GUE-team (with the valvedrill-sequence as it is) needing to buddy-breath is greater than for most other teams. If you "guess" wrong during a first-stage freeflow you could end up losing most of your gas. If you do that in cold water, it is not inconcievable that you will overbreath the reg you recieve as well...hence have a need to buddybreath. You could also have gotten "crud" in a reg during a cave dive...There are other ways you could end up in the same situation that aren´t really outlandish, IMO...

I know that this is more than one major failiure but it seems to me that it´s a fairly easy skill to master, why not spend 15minutes practicing it during class and then do it once in a while during regular dives? If you need to, it´s nice to be able to do it comfortably...

I´m just saying that the alternative-cost of learning to buddy-breathe "properly", considering all the other things you spend time practicing, is very low...

ymmv

 

[rjack321]

You have a buddy with a long hose and enough gas to get you both out (or 2x needed in a team of 3). I don't see why you'd need to buddy breath off a long hose or a backup reg for that matter. Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[Thalassamania]

When I have a buddy (or student … same thing) doing drills (and perhaps this just comes from teaching as long as I have) I am always in position to donate instantly, that would mean, in this case, I’d be breathing off my secondary and have my long hose in my hand before you started your drill. I’m surprised that GUE does not have that as SOP.

 

[Meng_Tze]

..I’m surprised that GUE does not have that as SOP.

Maybe because the donor also needs to practice donating quickly? If you swim around with your long hose ready to give away, there is not much practice in donating.... I dunno.... maybe this is a question for the DIR forum, or quest?

 

[TSandM]

Well, to be honest with you, I haven't noticed what my GUE instructor does when I'm doing drills, because I'm in communication with my teammates, not the instructor. (He's usually hiding somewhere, preparing mischief, anyway ). But really, I'm not sure how much time difference there would be between having the reg in hand, and deploying it. I can deploy my reg pretty darned fast, and I'm not that good.

I suppose in the worst circumstances, that half second or so might make a difference, but that would mean the person donating had failed to recognize the need for it for quite a long time.

 

[Thalassamania]

Maybe because the donor also needs to practice donating quickly? If you swim around with your long hose ready to give away, there is not much practice in donating.... I dunno.... maybe this is a question for the DIR forum, or quest?

Maybe, I'm just surprised, GUE usually has this stuff down. It would strike me as a bad idea to be “practicing” donating quickly in a situation where one should be vigilant and ready for the real thing. Can’t discuss it on Quest, I’m not interested enough to be a member and when something like this goes to the DIR Forum we can spend more time deciding if DIR is being bashed than dealing with the question.

 

[piikki]

Well, to be honest with you, I haven't noticed what my GUE instructor does when I'm doing drills, because I'm in communication with my teammates, not the instructor. (He's usually hiding somewhere, preparing mischief, anyway ).

OMG, s/he is just like any other instructor - diving solo when instructing then?? Nobody is eyeballing him. I am not sure if this can be DIR. Shouldn't DIR instructors always instruct in teams?