What makes a master diver?

[MikeFerrara]

Perhaps things are better in North Central Texas than elsewhere?

Maybe.
Some time back there was a guy here on the board that used to argue with me over this training stuff like crazy. We used to really go at it and somehow he eventually got tossed from the board.

I had the chance to meet him once at Gilboa quarry in Ohio and after his first dive he was convinced.

One thing different about midwest quarries is that you can swim 100 yards and see 10 classes and who knows how many divers. When a diver has poor techique around here (even when they're 10 ft off the bottom) you get a monster sized mushroom cloud of silt. In contrast, I have video from lots of different places and the diving is just as bad with divers bouncing around and stuff but you don't see the same results.

It isn't just a midwest thing though. Check out vortex Springs on a weekend, especially in the winter. I don't think it gets any worse than that. If any one can watch a weekend of that and then defend the agencies they are either lying or just clueless as far as I'm concerned.

Any way you look at it, we can say what we've seen (or not seen) but the standards tell us what we should expect to see.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Its all I have ever seen.

From Roatan, where DM's lined people up on their knee's to show off their fin pivot and reg recovery skills

Yeah, that kind've blew me away too ... here was this DM telling me to get on my knees in 3 feet of water and do a mask flood-n-clear. Instead I hovered 10 inches off the bottom, removed my mask, took my reg out, smiled at the DM, put the reg back in, put my mask back on, cleared it and signaled OK. He made me stand up, then asked me once again to get on my knees and clear my mask.

I still don't know what he was attempting to prove, but I figured if I wanted to go diving that day I'd better humor him ...

to Alberta lakes where instructors have their students kneel in the muck, every diver holding a rope so that the instructor can find the next one in line to do a skill.

We get that here too.

My AOW deep dive was on the HCMS Mackenzie, kneeling on the deck doing a math problem.

Did they offer you a wreck dive certification for an additional fee? ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JeffG]

Did they offer you a wreck dive certification for an additional fee? ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Only if I got the answer right.

 

[stevewirl]

has this turned into a my agency is better than yours ????? or an im better trained than you .

every agency has alot to offer in different ways . iv learnt some cool tricks and drills from other agencys .

 

[Thalassamania]

Maybe.
... midwest quarries is that you can swim 100 yards and see 10 classes and who knows how many divers. When a diver has poor techique around here (even when they're 10 ft off the bottom) you get a monster sized mushroom cloud of silt. In contrast, I have video from lots of different places and the diving is just as bad with divers bouncing around and stuff but you don't see the same results. ...

I gotta admit, I don't know why y'all do it.

 

[JeffG]

iv learnt some cool tricks and drills from other agencys .

I've never heard of an agency teaching anything.

Instructors, yes, but not agency's.

So you could at least give credit to where it is due.

 

[JeffG]

I gotta admit, I don't know why y'all do it.

Allows us to do something when we are on vacation.

 

[stevewirl]

the drills are devised by the agency . and a proper instructor / properly rehearsed instructor will and can prform what he has been thought himself .

 

[Thalassamania]

the drills are devised by the agency

Do you believe that?

 

[stevewirl]

i do . i have witnessed the change in drills beeing distributed down trough the instructor review program held every year in ireland . new drills and methods of instruction and revied techniques are shared and taught