Continuing your skills?

[lottie]

On the dive last friday (wreck dive) - one of the divers had a problem with the BCD strap that holds the tank in place as it wasn't set up properly (it was her BCD not the LDS').
The DM tried to sort this out (with assistance from me as well ) and had to take his BCD off to check the buckle on his (and how the webbing was put through the buckle), so that he could do the webbing and buckle on the divers correctly.
I haven't taken off my BCD underwater since I did my OW. But surely the skills we learn in the OW course should be practiced on a regular or semi-regular basis??!!

So this begs the question - how often do YOU check your skills???

[Papa Bear]

You should have fun with it! I sometimes take mine off near the surface, under great conditions, and sit on the tank at the safety stop or on the surface. The more you play with it and become super familiar with it the less chance you have of something small causing you a major problem. Bailouts are fun to do and should be something easy for the experienced diver! That is why they are called experienced

[rubber chicken]

As I frequently assist on OW/AOW courses, I get to practice the basics a lot. I often perform the skills behind the students as i'm working toward my IDC/IE and want to nail them down pat so that I can just concentrate on the theory and teaching bits.
Gotta admit though, if fun diving or guiding I don't really practice the skills, except for bouyancy obviously! Though i have started doing mask removals on safety stops.

Suprised, your DM couldn't remember how the camband was threaded though. It was drilled into me on my course.

[Papa Bear]

It is easy for west coast diver the original LA area code 213 and you can't go wrong Buckle open Middle, Close, and far slot! Try it it is easy 213!

[lottie]

hey rubberchicken, thats an interesting point to know.
Watching him trying to figure out which way the camband was supposed to go, looked (to me, having not done the DM course) complicated. Maybe he'll review that part of the materials again...which goes back to one of my previous threads about re-reading course materials....hmmm...

I was trying to hold the tank and her BCD while he was trying to sort out the clasp (or whatever its called). The DM did also say Thank you to me (and the other guy) for our help as well, which I thought was good.

Right, I'm off back to my sick bed (if your curious - checkout my blog)

Ciao

[Sarah]

Some of the cam bands and all the loops through various slots can be hard to figure out ABOVE water, let alone under it, lol

[acelockco]

A common thing I see all of the time is divers neglecting to wet the cam bands BEFORE connecting to the cylinder. What happens is they seem tight enough before the dive, but as soon as they get wet of course they strech out.....and the cylinder is falling out.

Make sure you completely remove the strap from the cam before you install they cylinder, this will force you to reinstall the strap and the cam. Before you know it, you will be able to do it with your eyes closed.

This is basic OW stuff though.

[yohanson]

So this begs the question - how often do YOU check your skills???

Not nearly as much as I should. In my rescue class, my instructor mentioned that we should all practice our basic skills as well as our rescue skills regularly. He mentioned that on more than a couple of occassions.

[Sarah]

Hi Friends.

Just a protocol note. If you have an issue about whether a training agency in your opinion lacks the skillsets in the curriculum you believe appropriate, directing that towards the agency and leaving a member out would be a great way to make sure people never feel singled out for the policies and standards of the certification agency they paid.

We always want to make sure that all members here always feel eager to come home from work, log in and see & share with our fellow SMN dive friends in the fun of our sport.

Thanks!

[Finless]

Hi Friends.

Just a protocol note. If you have an issue about whether a training agency in your opinion lacks the skillsets in the curriculum you believe appropriate, directing that towards the agency and leaving a member out would be a great way to make sure people never feel singled out for the policies and standards of the certification agency they paid.

We always want to make sure that all members here always feel eager to come home from work, log in and see & share with our fellow SMN dive friends in the fun of our sport.

Thanks!

I'm not certain that you can direct any, well, much criticism at any agency but only the intructors who taught you. A common concensus of opinion amongst us UK forum types is that the instructor is more important to your learning, improvement etc than the course itself. Afterall, diving isn't rocket science and everybody learns pretty much the same material.

People seem to pick on PADI a lot because of their teaching methods but all you need to understand in the ethos behind the training. With PADI you are taught the theory and some mechanics but it is up to the divers to flesh out that learning with experience. I liked that way of learning and it never did me any harm.

The best way to improve initialy is to dive with experienced divers ............ if you can ever get one to buddy up with you!

Oh, and practice practice practice!