The Philosophy of Diver Training

[DCBC]

Many years ago, diver certification agencies designed their basic/open-water/initial diver training programs to prepare the diver to:

1. Be able to act as a contributing member of the buddy team (incorporating training in surface and sub-surface rescue of a conscious and non-conscious victim); and

2. Be able to dive with their buddy, independently (without the aid of a Divemaster or Instructor).

Although some diver certification agencies haven't changed their fundamental philosophy, some have. The movement away from the "independent focus" leaves Divemasters and Instructors with the added duties of addressing a group of less capable divers in the water. Buddies are less likely to have the skill-sets necessary to help if the needs arises (rescue), thus placing even more responsibility on the diving leader. The diving leader often finds themselves as the only diver capable of performing an in-water rescue (which doesn't offer him/her much assurance if they find themselves needing assistance themselves). On the other hand, this allows people to spend less time completing the training and gets them exposed to diving at a faster rate; which may increase equipment sales.

Is this training philosophy a good one in your opinion, or should more time be spent developing independence in diver training? How does this philosophy affect you as a diver or does it?

 

[greylion]

Some divers want to dive on vacations only and then have long periods away from the water which makes it hard to maintain their diving skills. If they're lucky they may get away to do this a few different periods each year with months in between. Considering that reality, it is hard for a diver in that scenario to be truly independent in the water. You will certainly have plenty of good divers in a group like that, but plenty who never quite master the activity and never will. Those folks, and that's a lot of people, should make the majority of their dives with a dive master.

 

[Garrobo]

I look at ALL dives as a SOLO dive. I don't depend on a "buddy" for anything except to find our way back to the boat. Nice to know if one is nearby but so far I haven't had to rely on one or help one out in an emergency. I hope it stays that way.

 

[FireInMyBones]

Divers need to be self reliant but aware of their buddy. They act as another level of redundancy. For me a buddy is great to have and make the dive more enjoyable.

When I become a DM, I plan to inform students that I will be within swimming distance and easy to get to in case of emergency, but I will allow them to explore within predetermined boundaries. I do not want them to learn to be glued to my hip unless they are my buddy. It is the student's buddy that needs to be beside them always.

It is kind of like the parent that watches his/her child do homework and is there to help, but not to do the homework for them.

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

Some divers want to dive on vacations only and then have long periods away from the water which makes it hard to maintain their diving skills. If they're lucky they may get away to do this a few different periods each year with months in between. Considering that reality, it is hard for a diver in that scenario to be truly independent in the water. You will certainly have plenty of good divers in a group like that, but plenty who never quite master the activity and never will. Those folks, and that's a lot of people, should make the majority of their dives with a dive master.

I agree, if people want to dive once or twice a year in warm, clear water to see pretty fishes, I don't see why they should be prevented from doing so because they don't meet some people's definition of a diver.

On the other hand, I think it is incumbant on those divers to ensure that they are up front and honest about their skills. If you are not cabable of holding up your end of the buddy equation any potential buddy should be aware of that so that a dive can be properly planned (including not diving) if there is no buddy that is capable'/willing to take on that responsibility.

The idea of requiring different levels of certification or adjusting training to stop people from being people is just not realistic. Skills deteriorate as greylion said and simply trusting the printing on someone's C-card is always an opportunity for disaster. I'm not the worlds greatest and definately not the most experienced diver, but I do work on my skills and I've had some very experienced divers that gave me the opportunity to dive with them and learn and I will at any time give that same opportunity to anyone if it's appropriate. One of my best day diving was last year when I was buddied up with a just certified diver in Key Largo. He told me what he could and couldn't do, we planned appropriate dives and had 4 great dives where we did slow, shallow, reef dives. We never exceeded his abilities or our overall abilities as a buddy team.

 

[BDSC]

If I had the ability to change one thing about today's basic open water course it would be to make the class a little longer so as to incorporate some rescue skills in the class. I think everyone diving should be able to assist in an emergency or at the very least not be totally clueless as to what to do if their help is needed.

After I was certified back in 91, my buddy who took the class with me and I went to the Florida springs within two weeks and started diving on our own and I never gave diving without an instructor a second thought. We both felt totally prepared to dive on our own. Now we were rookies at diving no doubt and had a lot to learn about refining the skills we had learned in class but I never felt as if I wasn't prepared.

I think it's sad that so many people who are getting certified don't feel comfortable diving on their own and won't go without a DM or instructor with them. I don't think those people got their monies worth when they were trained. It's nothing wrong with feeling a little nervous or anxious the first times you dive on your own. That's probably to be expected. But it doesn't say much about the quality of their instruction if someone feels they are not ready to do so.

 

[mongodives]

DCBC of the 2 agencies I'm familiar with they both say an OW diver is capable of diving without the supervision of a DM or Instructor.
Only 1 of the 2 teaches bringing a buddy to the surface and starting rescue breaths at the OW level though.
I found it suprising that not all agencies teach it.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Many years ago, diver certification agencies designed their basic/open-water/initial diver training programs to prepare the diver to:

1. Be able to act as a contributing member of the buddy team (incorporating training in surface and sub-surface rescue of a conscious and non-conscious victim); and

2. Be able to dive with their buddy, independently (without the aid of a Divemaster or Instructor).

What makes you think these are not still the goals of at least some diver certification agencies? I thought you were a NAUI Course Director. Have you looked at their S&P lately? Because to the best of my knowledge those are still the goals of a NAUI Scuba Diver (OW) class. The skills required to pass the class would bear that out. The assumption, of course, is that the instructor teaches the course to the standards of their agency.

I know that both the YMCA OW class I took and the NAUI Scuba Diver classes I taught required the diver to be able to bring an unconscious diver to the surface and to be able to surface-tow that diver for a minimum distance in order to pass the class.

The movement away from the "independent focus" leaves Divemasters and Instructors with the added duties of addressing a group of less capable divers in the water. Buddies are less likely to have the skill-sets necessary to help if the needs arises (rescue), thus placing even more responsibility on the diving leader. The diving leader often finds themselves as the only diver capable of performing an in-water rescue (which doesn't offer him/her much assurance if they find themselves needing assistance themselves). On the other hand, this allows people to spend less time completing the training and gets them exposed to diving at a faster rate; which may increase equipment sales.

Is this training philosophy a good one in your opinion, or should more time be spent developing independence in diver training? How does this philosophy affect you as a diver or does it?

Again, I think there's a whole lot of assumption going on here ... perhaps based on location. Where do you see all these dependent divers anyway? In Puget Sound we have to train divers to be independent from the get-go ... because there aren't any divemasters or "dive leaders" to take newly-minted divers by the hand and guide their dives. The newly-certed OW diver is expected to be able to plan and execute their own dive as soon as they receive their C-card. They will be expected to choose relatively benign dive sites, and plan relatively simple dives until they get some experience and develop some comfort ... but we have appropriate sites for that. Dive clubs and shops often provide mentors to help guide the new diver along ... but these are not guides, they're just more experienced buddies.

When I got OW certified in 2001, my first dozen or so dives was with a woman who had just gone through the same YMCA OW class I had. We planned and executed our own dives independently of any DM or instructor. In fact, our YMCA instructor encouraged us to do just that ... and wouldn't take either one of us into AOW until we'd logged at least 20 dives.

Self-sufficiency is a learned trait ... like in-water comfort, it takes some diving. You have to have some fundamental tools to develop it. But both the YMCA program I took and the NAUI program I taught required that you learn those skills in order to earn your initial C-card.

I'm not sure what you're reaching for here, Wayne ... I'm not sure what most of your posts are reaching for, except perhaps a wish that we'd go back to the "good old days" when men were real men and diving required balls of steel. Those days are gone, and good riddance. To my concern, there's nothing wrong with the philosophy of dive training. I can fine plenty wrong with the execution ... but that's more a symptom of the low standards required to become an instructor than the philosophy of diver training.

And let's not forget that each individual agency has its own philosophy ... it's not a homogenous thing ... and some are more self-sufficient than others.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DCBC]

DCBC of the 2 agencies I'm familiar with they both say an OW diver is capable of diving without the supervision of a DM or Instructor.
Only 1 of the 2 teaches bringing a buddy to the surface and starting rescue breaths at the OW level though.
I found it suprising that not all agencies teach it.

Thanks for your reply. I suppose the definition of what is meant by "capable of diving without supervision" is like asking how long is a piece of string. It's subject to interpretation. Unless both divers have rescue training, are they ready to dive without supervision? I think not, but some certification agencies disagree.

 

[Walter]

Sinbad and greylion, the fact that some people dive infrequently is a reason their training should be more complete, not less. Their skill proficiency will decline through disuse. I would think it would be a better idea to have their proficiency decline from a 10 to an 8 than from a 3 to a 1.

I also believe it is a diver's responsibility to practice their skills after a long lay off prior to diving again. This is important for their safety and the safety of their buddy.

Assuming you disagree with my points and you believe vacation divers are not worthy of or don't need more complete training, why train everyone in the same manner?

Getting to the original point.....

Is this training philosophy a good one in your opinion,

In my opinion, it's an extremely poor philosophy.

or should more time be spent developing independence in diver training?

I believe it is essential.

How does this philosophy affect you as a diver or does it?

I tyry to keep an open mind because there are lots of excellent divers. I run across them all the time. With that in mind, I'm well aware that many divers are about half a second from full blown panic and I assume any unknown diver is in that category. If I'm diving with them, I'm ready to respond.