What type of training...

[Trace Malinowski]

Nor, of course, are we smart enough to contemplate all the various ways in which we might "fail" and so we are unable to practice for every type of failure -- which means that, in fact, we WILL be "Experiencing a specific failure for the first time in a real life environment..." and we can only hope that our general training has prepared us to cope with some specific failure/incident.

HOWEVER -- back to one of the original questions, What SPECIFIC FAILURES have you, as a technical diver, actually faced -- and bonus question, how did your scenario based training match up with what actually happened?

In my experience, the most dangerous failure is what I call "The Smug Alert" failure named after the South Park episode that inspired it. It happens when divers start to feel really good about their training and experience and become lost in a cloud of smug that reduces visualization and the ability to respect all dives, no matter how benign, as "real" and potentially life-threatening.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Nice, you crack me up with some of your posts - I agree completely.

 

[gitterdun]

In my experience, the most dangerous failure is what I call "The Smug Alert" failure named after the South Park episode that inspired it. It happens when divers start to feel really good about their training and experience and become lost in a cloud of smug that reduces visualization and the ability to respect all dives, no matter how benign, as "real" and potentially life-threatening.

Very well put.

That actually drives me nuts, when people say, "A benign Tech 1 dive."

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Very well put.

That actually drives me nuts, when people say, "A benign Tech 1 dive."

On the other hand, I know exactly what they mean.

My first few Tech 1 dives were complicated ... because I wasn't used to them. But after I'd done the same dive profile 50 or 60 times, they became easy. After I'd done 40 or 50 deeper, multiple bottle dives, Tech 1 dives became almost as simple as a recreational dive.

Sure, you still need to pay attention to what you're doing ... and you still have to be prepared to deal with things that might go wrong ... but all things considered, a typical 150-foot OW dive with a single gas switch for a few minutes of deco isn't really all that hard.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Trace Malinowski]

On the other hand, I know exactly what they mean.

My first few Tech 1 dives were complicated ... because I wasn't used to them. But after I'd done the same dive profile 50 or 60 times, they became easy. After I'd done 40 or 50 deeper, multiple bottle dives, Tech 1 dives became almost as simple as a recreational dive.

Sure, you still need to pay attention to what you're doing ... and you still have to be prepared to deal with things that might go wrong ... but all things considered, a typical 150-foot OW dive with a single gas switch for a few minutes of deco isn't really all that hard.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob,

You've illustrated exactly what I'm talking about regarding the "Smug Alert."

As a reminder to all ... on September 15, 2006, English diver and TDI board member John Bennett, best known to the diving world as being the first sport diver to reach 1,000 fsw on scuba, was declared legally dead after disappearing during a 45 meter (148.5 fsw) dive off the coast of South Korea.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Classes are always an artificial environment where the name of the game often ends up being "guess what the instructor wants to see".

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

And as an instructor, what I want to see is a real response not what the student thinks I want to see, so if it's not the best response I can work with the student on improving it.

 

[Doppler]

Sure, you still need to pay attention to what you're doing ... and you still have to be prepared to deal with things that might go wrong ... but all things considered, a typical 150-foot OW dive with a single gas switch for a few minutes of deco isn't really all that hard.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Funny thing is I was thinking about this just a few days ago... have a read... Doppler's Tech Diving Blog

 

[Blackwood]

And as an instructor, what I want to see is a real response not what the student thinks I want to see, so if it's not the best response I can work with the student on improving it.

I think most (good) instructors would feel the same. But being a student in a class context invites second guessing. It's something that I find hard to ignore.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Bob,

You've illustrated exactly what I'm talking about regarding the "Smug Alert."

As a reminder to all ... on September 15, 2006, English diver and TDI board member John Bennett, best known to the diving world as being the first sport diver to reach 1,000 fsw on scuba, was declared legally dead after disappearing during a 45 meter (148.5 fsw) dive off the coast of South Korea.

People die on 20-foot dives ... sometimes even experienced people. That's not what I'm talking about.

What I'm talking about is people who overthink, overprepare, and work themselves up into believing something is harder than it really is.

I did a dive not too long ago with a fellow who told me he practiced for two years before taking a class that would let him do a 140-foot dive.

Two years ...

Perhaps you chose to ignore the part where I said pay attention, and prepare yourself.

There's a difference between being smug and being realistic. Talking yourself into overcomplicating a dive is almost as bad as not taking it seriously enough ...

... Bob (Grateful DIver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I think most (good) instructors would feel the same. But being a student in a class context invites second guessing. It's something that I find hard to ignore.

Pretty much the point I was trying to make. I've found myself in that situation a lot ... both as a student and an instructor.

... Bob (Grateful DIver)