Post # 58, March 15, 2013,
I had many students with the same fears and apprehensions so took the time to post this bit of history and encouragement ;
" ladyfishfelt,Ditch and Recovery (D&R) (aka Doff and Donn in Eastern US) has been around almost since the beginning of civilian dive training
Diving to the bottom, removing the SCUBA unit, weight belt and the mask, returning to the surface for a breathe of air, diving down to the Scuba unit clearing the mouth piece, replacing the weight belt, replacing and clearing the mask and returning to the surface was introduced to the civilian diving world on page 58 of the 1955 edition of "Underwater Recreation," . Underwater Recreation, replaced the 1954 dive manual "Underwater safety" which first civilian manual published in July 1954 by the LA County program.
It was created as a training exercise to insure the basic diving student was comfortable in the water and was well prepared for any and all emergencies they may encounter in the harsh California diving environment. Often the LA Co UW Instructor would require the D&R to be repeated in the ocean prior to diver certification.
There are only three classifications of divers in the LA Co Program, Basic, which is probably equal to a supper duper popper diver in other programs, the three months long Advanced Divers program (ADP -the worlds first in 1966) which would equate to probably a Dive master and the famous or infamous four months long Underwater Instructors Certification course aka UICC. Each program required (requires?) D&R as a component of the training with increasingly greater depths.
In the instructors program a D@R is required in 33+ feet of open ocean, as well as free assents from 66 & 100 feet (Oh My! Oh My!)
There are two schools on instruction, one is train for nominal conditions and hope for the best out come, the other and to which I prescribe is train and retain for worst case conditions and be well prepared to handle worst case conditions.
I commend the NAUI instructor who is teaching this young lady..She will be well prepared and trained competent diver.
SDM "
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Post #60, March 16 2013
The next day another post of encouragement
ladyfishfelt,
Don't worry...You will do just fine! There are many many others who have faced the apprehension you are experiencing.
You have a great instructor who is teaching you diving the way it should be taught. When you finish the course you will be a diver rather than one who dives.
Do to timing, education and geographical location I have been a consultant to four diving companies. I recall a meeting many years ago with the late Harry Rescigno, the founder of Sea tec/Inflatable systems about a new inflation unit. I had proposed a number of changes to a product. Harry responded "I am making this inflation unit for the masses of people who dive, not for divers-- and there is a difference"
I suspect with your training you will be come a diver rather than one who dives..
SDM
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I will now finalize with the following statement:
ladyfishfelt,
I am delighted that you successfully performed your D&R ( D&D) with out difficulty. .
You certainly had ample encouragement/discouragement from this tribe of well meaning posters, many I suspect have never performed a D&R. I also suspect if they were required to perform a D&R would probably encounter the same apprehensions that you faced only a short tine ago.
The fact remains you performed the D&R exercise and did it well.
I commend you for your perseverance and performance and I also commend your unnamed NAUI instructor who is interested in certifying only well trained divers
SDM
LA Co Underwater Instructor. #11
NAUI instructor #27
PADI Instructor # 241
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