What people think of SCUBA training

[Saniflush]

When teaching an OW scuba class, I start in the shallow end of the pool with showing how the gear works I then have them inflate the BCD and swim around on the surface for a while as they breathe through the regulator. I then have them dump air from the BCD, go under, add a little air to the BCD, and swim around for a while. I then tell them they have learned to scuba dive, thank them for coming, etc. It draws a good laugh. Then I tell them that what they had just done is pretty much is all there is to scuba diving, assuming nothing goes wrong. For the rest of the class we will be working primarily on dealing with things that can go wrong.

The experience that led me to completely change how I approached OW instruction was teaching pool based Discover Scuba classes. I would have the DSD students (often children having a birthday party) in the classroom for about 20 minutes, then we would go into the pool--shallow end followed by deep end. The goal was to have fun under water. Once I got them into the deep end, we just swam around doing fun things until the time was up--total time including the classroom was 2 hours.

My revelation: the people in the two hour DSD class looked more like skilled divers at the end of that session than did my OW students at the end of the full confined water sessions, which usually took about 8 hours in addition to the classroom time.

I realized that the problem was that the OW class (at that time--it's changed) had almost no required time for students to be neutrally buoyant. They did pretty much the whole confined water class on their knees, and when they did the OW dives, it was often not much different. Consequently, it would not be surprising for a DSD student to feel like they learned in that short time how to dive, and they could easily look better doing it than someone who went through the entire class.

I then started my first experiments with getting students off their knees and doing the entire class while neutrally buoyant, and the difference by the end of the confined water sessions was enormous. Of course, most OW instructors refuse to believe that, and they still teach the entire class on the knees. That is why it is indeed possible for a DSD graduate to look and act like a more skilled diver than someone who is newly certified..

I would love to observe you teaching sometime!

 

[RyanT]

@stuartv hit on the distinction between going diving and being a diver. I like the motorcycle analogy as well. I think the thing that amazes me is how many people simply assume that diving doesn't require any real skills. Perhaps its just my own experiences and mind set, but I just don't view many outdoor activities as things that are merely a "sanitized-safe" zip-line kind of thing. For example, I've never done any high-altitude mountaineering or serious rock climbing. If someone tells me they do this, I'm going to respond by asking them questions about both the kinds of awesome experiences they must have had and the kind of skills it takes to do that activity. My response will not be limited to telling them I went hiking on a trail in the Rockies one time. I know this topic has been beaten to death, but living behind our computer screens has seemingly made the problem worse.

 

[Lorenzoid]

When teaching an OW scuba class, I start in the shallow end of the pool with showing how the gear works I then have them inflate the BCD and swim around on the surface for a while as they breathe through the regulator. I then have them dump air from the BCD, go under, add a little air to the BCD, and swim around for a while. I then tell them they have learned to scuba dive, thank them for coming, etc. It draws a good laugh. Then I tell them that what they had just done is pretty much is all there is to scuba diving, assuming nothing goes wrong. For the rest of the class we will be working primarily on dealing with things that can go wrong.

That reminds me of flying a helicopter simulator that a military pilot friend let me try. Sure, I could fly a helicopter. I became familiar with about three of the dozens and dozens of controls and instruments all over the cockpit. A lot of the rest of flying a helicopter, my friend said, was what to do when something isn't what you expect.

 

[J-Vo]

My wife wouldn't be a diver if not for DSD. She had about an hour dry instruction, 30 min of shallow skills, and a 45 min on the house reef. Max depth was around 45'.

I know it was against standards, but if her DSD instructor hadn't taken her out on the house reef she would never of had the motivation to get her OW. I've seen "experienced" divers with worse buoyancy than she had that day and I think it is because she started just swimming around neutral.

 

[TMHeimer]

I think you have identified the disparity: The difference between going diving and being a diver.

It used to be that the only way to go diving was to become a diver first. Now, you can easily just go to a resort and go diving.

Is that really a problem? I don't know. Just "going diving" is obviously more risky (if you're not already a diver). But, are lots of people dying or getting hurt from doing that? I don't know. OTOH, are more people becoming divers as a result of first going diving and finding that they liked it? I think so. Are more people developing an awareness of diving, even though they don't go on to become divers? I think so. Are those two things good, overall? I think so.

To me, it compares a lot to motorcycling. Lots of people have a motorcycle. Few of them are really motorcyclists. The former are the ones having the most accidents. Does that mean we should change the way motorcycle driver licensure works? Should we make it where you can't own a motorcycle or ride one unless you go through a LOT more training to really become a motorcyclist and not just someone who owns a motorcycle? I don't think so. I think we should treat adults like adults. Make sure they've been advised of the risks, give them the basic instruction, offer them advanced instruction, and let them decide for themselves how to proceed.

Yeah I guess that's about it. All about taking responsibility for one's self. For sure DSD has gotten many into diving that never would have. For me, the DSD looked like something that I would shy away from, and I snorkeled (shallow "freediving" if you like) for 40 years prior, body surfed big surf, been caught in currents, etc.. Probably the accidents that occur on DSD involve those who panic due to lack of experience in water--ie. the mask floods so the hold their breath and bolt. As you say, I don't know about all that either. OTOH, when we moved to the ocean and I was presented with the opportunity to take OW, I knew this would not be a "try it to see if you like it" thing, and figured I would really get into it. No need for DSD. But everyone's different.

 

[boulderjohn]

I know it was against standards, but if her DSD instructor hadn't taken her out on the house reef she would never of had the motivation to get her OW.

There are two discover scubas with different standards--pool only and open water. Going out on the reef is perfectly fine, assuming all proper standards were followed. It is part of the incentive that made me a diver as well.

 

[stuartv]

There are two discover scubas with different standards--pool only and open water. Going out on the reef is perfectly fine, assuming all proper standards were followed. It is part of the incentive that made me a diver as well.

You're talking about PADI? I know SDI only has the one standard.

 

[boulderjohn]

You're talking about PADI? I know SDI only has the one standard.

Yes. For example, a trained DM can run a Discover scuba class if it is only done in a pool, but if the class goes into the open water, an instructor has to run the class.

 

[stuartv]

Also, do you perceive a benefit to having the two standards versus just one standard that covers all the way to open water?

What I'm wondering is, if you just have one standard that covers open water, then an instructor could choose to offer a course that is only pool and conduct it as a DSD that is simply never completed. In which case, is there a benefit to making that officially a pool-only DSD for some reason?

 

[stuartv]

Yes. For example, a trained DM can run a Discover scuba class if it is only done in a pool, but if the class goes into the open water, an instructor has to run the class.

Ah. I think SDI used to allow DMs to conduct DSDs, but not anymore. And I feel like that was probably a good change. If you don't trust a DM with actual OW students in the pool, why would you trust them with DSDs?

I can see arguments both ways. But, my current thought is that, as an instructor now, I would not choose to trust people with virtually no training to be completely in the hands of a DM. I would sooner trust a DM with OW students in their OW dives (and I wouldn't do that, either).