What are your favorite/most important pool drills?

[JamesK]

I like to swim on may back and maintain good trim/buoyancy, or simply just hover on my back and try to maintain a depth with my eyes closed doing that. Harder then one would think.

 

[Fishpie]

Have some fun......barrel rolls, forward and backward rolls, stand on your head do some high speed swimming.

 

[boulderjohn]

I think that for everyone, the best things to do are dependent upon the current level of skill, the kind of diving that is anticipated, and whatever new skills are desired. It is an example of what is called systems thinking. Start with an image of where you want to be. Then make a realistic assessment of where you are now. Then plot a path from one to the other. Don't waste time on skills you ahve already mastered when there are other skills with which you struggle.

 

[z28lt1]

The few times I've done some pool time I've worked on skills that I don't do very often. Deploying and reeling in the sausage from depth (glad I practiced, dropped the new reel the first time I tried it in a potential new configuration - would have been bad had the bottom not been 1 foot away), locating and using the knife - cutting rope/line, tying knots, securing video/camera equipment in different locations in the event of a buddy ascent, etc..... I work on buoyancy every dive, and the pool is a great opportunity to do that as well, but many of these other things I've only worked on in my head or in class.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Practice the uncontrollable free-flow scenario (simulated). The objective is to reach behind your head and manipulate your tank valve --in a real occurrence of free-flow, all that noise & bubbles does is just add to the stress level --as well as waste precious breathing gas-- so just shut it down.

Breath your buddy's octo . . .or worst case being by yourself on single tank --breath your own octo or back-up reg and do a CESA. When you have to take in breaths during the ascent, reach back again to feather/modulate your tank valve open as needed and then shut it down (work your deflator hose with your left hand, and your standard Right Post Single Tank Valve with your right hand). Pause and perform a safety stop if you can with a slow ascent to the surface, remaining gas permitting . . .all the while feathering/modulating your tank valve again as needed for breaths.

A great drill for you and your buddy to practice. . .

 

[Bob DBF]

The most important drills are the ones you don't want to do because they are a PITA, you are uncomfortable with them or, you never really did them to begin with.



Bob
------------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[Kevrumbo]

The most important drills are the ones you don't want to do because they are a PITA, you are uncomfortable with them or, you never really did them to begin with.



Bob
------------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

Then the motivation should be to work through the process now in the benign controlled conditions of a pool, instead of first time for real in an actual emergency contingency. . .

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...4-first-incident-free-flow-3.html#post4417530

 

[rx7diver]

Any other recommendations, or things that are simply fun to do?

Crewfish,

Here are a few more the local university scuba students do:

1. Practice "showing" your weight belt: Slowly swim up to the surface breathing normally from your regulator, switch to your snorkel, take off your weight belt (hold it by its release, and don't let go of it!), "show" your weight belt (i.e., hold the release out of the water), replace your weight belt (careful: don't trap any hoses, etc., and make sure it's not twisted, and that it's put back on correctly with a right-hand release).

2. Practice turning your tank on at depth: While floating (or swimming) prone, mid-water, and breathing normally from your primary 2nd stage, reach over your right shoulder behind your head with your right hand, to your tank valve shut-off knob, and simulate turning it off and then simulate turning it on. Don't actually turn it off! Remember: Don't hold your breath while you're concentrating; continue to breathe normally from your 2nd stage!

3. Practice recovering your regulator: While floating (or swimming) prone, mid-water, and breathing normally from your primary 2nd stage, remove your primary 2nd stage from your mouth and toss it over your shoulder behind you. While maintaining your depth​ and your horizontal attitude and keeping your airway open*, recover your primary regulator by reaching over your right shoulder behind your head with your right hand, to your 1st stage, locate the regulator hose where it connects to the first stage, encircle this hose with an "OK" sign, extend your right hand so that you "find" your primary 2nd stage in your right hand, place this 2nd stage in your mouth, purge it, and resume breathing off of it. Do NOT recover your 2nd stage using the "arm sweep" method.

*Keep your airway open: Remember your training! Don't ever hold your breath! Whenever you are at depth and the regulator is out of your mouth, you should be "bubbling" (you can hum, or hiss, etc., if you like)!

4. Maintain buoyancy using oral inflation. Disconnect your power inflator. Use oral inflation to change your depth in the water column as you're swimming about. Remember: Keep you airway open when you're not breathing normally off your regulator and not orally inflating your BCD.

Let me add, don't practice any of these skills unless someone capable of rescue is watching you! And, finally, I am not an instructor by any stretch! So take any of what I wrote above with a grain ...

Safe Diving

rx7diver

 

[lowviz]

..//...Any other recommendations, ...//....

Remain in the water column with absolute lack of motion (other than breathing) for five minutes.


-have fun.

 

[Max Speed]

Purging my regulator beneath unsuspecting swimmers.

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