Things you learn from DM

[Scubakevdm]

Evans, I want you to wear your 5 ft hose. (edited by moderator, due to insulting language). Keep up the good work.

By a strange coincidence, you happened to be right about one small thing: that a diver only needs a 7 ft hose when he/she also happens to be wearing a can light.

But that is where your entire shortcut to thinking breaks down, simply because (edited by moderator due to insulting language).

You guys with your little 7' hoses. Pitiful. I use a 700' primary that is routed through my DPV. If I sense a diver OOA I aim my scooter, lock the trigger and donate. You guys are dangerous and I refuse to dive near you.

 

[HammerNoMore]

If I sense a diver OOA...

Of course you are sensing this by noting the difference in the eletrcial impulses caused by the diver's distress right?

James

 

[Boogie711]

Everyone feel that? The giant sense that a troll has been evicted from the building?

Ahhhh....

 

[DBailey]

List of bad habits:

*Diving without a snorkel
*Diving without a digital depth/timer
*Diving with an archaic 5 ft hose under any circumstances
*Diving deeper than 50 ft in a thick wetsuit
*Diving with more than 10 lbs on a weight belt
*Diving without the appropriate back up gear for the nature of the dive

I would still like some explanation on some of these, except the hose one. I think that one has been bantered around enough.

Snorkel: doesn't do me much good in a quarry or lake.

Thick wetsuit and 50+ ft. depth: still wondering about this one. Is this due to the amount it compresses and you get colder due to less insulation?

Amount of weight on the weight belt: I guess this really depends on the rig that you are diving.

 

[cornfed]

NT

 

[Big-t-2538]

Whatever the agency minimum is, that would be your ideal starting point in terms of minimum number of dives to begin training as a D/M. During your training, you will gain a slew of dives as you help with classes.

Where to start...I'm not even sure if this is all worth it, but this whole line of thinking is just absurd in my mind.

Folks if you're interested in DM training, give yourself a good eval first....if you're uncomfortable with anything you learned in BOW through your current status, why are you contemplating moving on to a position where others will rely on you as a safety net?

The best time to start is when you feel you're in a position with your diving (both skill wise and psychologically) to move into a leadership position and you think you can excel within those new guidelines.

List of bad habits:

*Diving without a snorkel
*Diving without a digital depth/timer
*Diving with an archaic 5 ft hose under any circumstances
*Diving deeper than 50 ft in a thick wetsuit
*Diving with more than 10 lbs on a weight belt
*Diving without the appropriate back up gear for the nature of the dive

O.K...I can see the argument for "diving with a snorkel"

but others I have contention with are...

Why does a BT/Depth gauge need to be digital? What's wrong with analog?

I'm not going to re-hash the long/short hose argument

Diving deeper than 50' in a wetsuit??? Seriously...what's the point you're trying to make here...unless you're some kind of Dry-suit salesman I'm really missing it.

As for no more than 10lbs on a belt....well, depending on where you're diving, the diver's physiology, and a whole host of other factors....the amount of lead you need is the amount of lead you need. There are some "advantageous" placements for lead that can help or hurt a diver's trim, but if someone feels and demonstrates that their trim is best in the water with 15 pounds on their belt, why is that a bad thing?

Now...for the one point you make that I do agree with...I do agree that diving without the appropriate back-up gear for a dive is a bad thing.

A good instructor can guard you against making these mistakes before they develop into bad habits, and training as a D/M as soon as possible is a good way to develop your diving skills to perfection.

Training as a DM is not goign to perfect your diving....practicing your learned skills, and getting out in the water diving is what makes you a better diver. If you're going to try something new, take it in small steps. Don't task load yourself by adding a camera and a BP/W for your first wreck dive in the lakes.

A good instructor won't accept you as a DM candidate without a good in-water eval and some time spent with them on the surface discussing dive training in general.

 

[HammerNoMore]

O.K...I can see the argument for "diving with a snorkel"

Ok, now I'll bite since we've discussed things before and you are not a troller...

Why is "diving without a snorkle" a "bad habbit"?

Now...for the one point you make that I do agree with...I do agree that diving without the appropriate back-up gear for a dive is a bad thing.

I think that one was added just to make it look like it wasn't a troll...

 

[Big-t-2538]

Ok, now I'll bite since we've discussed things before and you are not a troller...

Why is "diving without a snorkle" a "bad habbit"?

The biggest reason I see is this (note: I'm just saying I see this as a reason...not wearing a snorkel is not necessarily a bad thing)

As a DM or instructor, students look up to you...they look at you as a "role model". If you're not wearing a snorkel, new divers will think it's o.k. and just follow your example.

I for one feel that almost all new divers need to be wearing a snorkel until they see fit to make an informed decision on their own to dive with or without it. A snorkel is a very useful tool in a panicked diver situation "Inflate your BC and put your snorkel in your mouth", or for a long surface kick/swim in the ocean and it should be a mandatory item for new BOW students.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Where to start...I'm not even sure if this is all worth it, but this whole line of thinking is just absurd in my mind.





O.K...I can see the argument for "diving with a snorkel"


I'm not going to re-hash the long/short hose argument

How about dving with a 7' snorkel?

 

[simbrooks]

As a DM or instructor, students look up to you...they look at you as a "role model". If you're not wearing a snorkel, new divers will think it's o.k. and just follow your example.

A snorkel is a very useful tool ..... for a long surface kick/swim in the ocean and it should be a mandatory item for new BOW students.

Of course it is used to promote some basic skills in the pool sessions and there it should be warn. Apart from one skill in my first OW checkout dive (snorkeling out to tied off flag on a compass ref on the surface) i dont think we used them again. However i will say that most of the time whether in jackets or back-infate wings i and most people i see lie on their backs to kick out, in this position a snorkel is again of no use. I will dust off my snorkel when i decide to snorkel or free-dive in the future, til then it rests in a box awaiting that day.