When does "Gas Management" get taught?

[boomx5]

And then Boomx5 bushwhacked me, had me on the phone after my 5th post on SB, forced me to drink cool aid, and the rest is history... It's all true, give or take a lie or two (about Scott).

~ Jason

Lol...I cannot confirm nor deny these allegations.

 

[Kim]

I was taught rule of thirds and SAC rates with the IANTD Overhead Environment course. Before that I'd done PADI Rescue but hadn't been taught any of it from PADI. I didn't know anything about rock bottom until I joined SB.

 

[**ping**]

Rule of Thirds was taught during Padi Wreck Speciality.

 

[NC myerssl]

Have to agree with some of the others, myself and my daughters were calculating SAC rates for the AOW test in NAUI. In addition to this, it was brought up in our OW class as well, (rule of thirds etc.). By the time I got to Master Diver, we were calculating RMV's and applying some of the principles for the dives with different tank sizes on our backs.

 

[lamont]

It's in the SSI Deep Diver specialty book. We were taught SAC rates and gas management in that class.

I recall some gas management in my SSI deep book, it was still just scratching the surface though...

 

[TheRedHead]

I recall some gas management in my SSI deep book, it was still just scratching the surface though...

As always, depends on the instructor. Mine was a tech diver who tried to teach it in depth. Sad part was most of the class wasn't really interested.

 

[Ben_ca]

On the boat with 500 is what I remember from PADI OW....

Just to echo Jason, Scott's a good guy to dive with... he gave me a taste of Kool aide also

 

[lamont]

Coming back to this:

I took a look through the PADI "Encyclopedia" and couldn't find a word about it. I don't recall any information from either the OW or AOW books about the subject. Do any of the other OW/AOW agencies have this topic as a standard part of their curriculum?

I've only seen it in my SSI Deep class book. Beyond that I think its only taught when you start going into overheads (all the tech agencies cave/wreck/tech courses).

OR, to ask the question another way, WHEN should "gas management" be taught to new divers?

Basic Open Water.

I don't think it needs to be 100% to pass BOW but divers should be exposed to it and there should be some proficiency there. Divers should at least be able to make an estimate of how long an Al80 would last for them at 30 feet, 60 feet and 90 feet within about a factor of 1.5. For an AOW cert and going to 100 fsw, I think the diver should be pretty proficient.

And, at least as far as I can tell, the vast majority of people can dive safely without knowing anything about planning how much gas they need to make their dive (if only because the equipment is so safe) so maybe it isn't really much of an issue for the typical recreational diver.

Thing is that we continually read on here about incidents where people go OOA at 90 fsw and other very dangerous situations that are either near-fatilities or near-DCS cases. I'm not so sure that people are always diving safely when I keep reading about these incidents...

 

[daniel f aleman]

Thing is that we continually read on here about incidents where people go OOA at 90 fsw and other very dangerous situations that are either near-fatilities or near-DCS cases. I'm not so sure that people are always diving safely when I keep reading about these incidents...

Well, for an average OW student, would "gas management" really make that much of a difference in reducing those incidents? I can't tell you how many times at SI I look at the computers of OW divers that have exceded 60'; or listen to them brag about what they did below that would drive their OW instructors out of the business if they found out about it. I wouldn't want to educate beyond ability and lack of self-control. I always champion Rule of Thirds to anyone who will listen... but...

 

[Lightning Fish]

I teach turn pressures at OW and whilst I don't go into too many details indicate that we'll be turning at x bar, to be back at the line with y bar which gives a reserve in case something goes wrong.

...estimate how long a tank will last at a given depth, relating dive planning to air consumption and calculating a turn pressure. ....

This is pretty much what I was taught in OW (or AOW) through Padi. It probably came up because a student asked about gas management (the question was probably more along the lines of how will you know if you have enough gas for the dive or when do you turn back) and the instructor provided an answer.

Bill.