The bits PADI miss out

[Janos]

Originally Posted by dweezal

i am probably being way too pedantic about having tank valves off but is it covered in the BSAC course under some kind of boat etiquette ?

One of the nice things about BSAC is that not all teaching is done on courses - there is a lot of ongoing mentoring. I certainly haven't stopped learning.

FWIW, I keep regs pressurised but turned off. But if it's on my back then it's turned on.

Janos

[scubak3ato]

Hi ya,
i was always taught that the area you qualify in, is the area that you are certified for and therefore if you qualify in the UK waters then you should be made aware of smb's and reels. Thus being, if you do your dives off the coast using a boat then boat skills will be taught as part of your openwater dives

The thing is on dive 1 through to dive 4 most people had enough to contend with on buoyancy and there positioning in the water. appropriate use of lpi/dry suit inflator/vent exhaust correct descents and ascents. buddy pairs etc..

Learning to dive is like driving your car, once you passed, not everyone feels ready to make a romp up the motorway @ 70mph in an Aston
The fundimentals on safety are set and you should be made aware of all other equipment or evironmental changes in the places they are most likely to visit.
I would always recommend newly qualified divers, from whatever training organisation spends time with a more qulaified diver/dive professional learning skills suitable for the environment they will be diving in if that means, smb/reels, boat entry and exits then that is when you are ready to absorb the extra information and move onto the next stage




Comments from Janos, i think that all divers instructor or skilled dive buddies should offer advice and mentoring, it is the only way we all learn to adapt in the enviroment we are diving in.

[Sipadan]

Would agree with the above. I don't know where Mark trained, but it's a bit daft doing an OW course in the tropics and then expecting to be ready to dive in the UK. I would have thought it sensible to do your course where you intend to dive. If you do a PADI course in British seas, then you should be taught to use an DSMBs and all the other bits and pieces.

[Dundee]

Originally Posted by dweezal

and particularly my turning the tank valve off and venting the hose pressure before clipping the tanks in the holders.

In my humble opinion, turning off somebody elses cylinder is not a great idea, even if you are just helping. I find it personally annoying when somebody starts fiddling with my gear after a dive as has happened by "helpers" on a few Red Sea trips.

Originally Posted by dweezal

another question is how to deal with a free flow. i have had 2 sets of hire kit do this now and it was never part of the course apart from how to breath from one. are there methods you can use to stop it ?

One way of attempting to stop a freeflow is to blow back into the reg to try and close the valve. You can also do this by hitting the mouthpiece opening sharply with the palm of your hand. It doesnt always work.

regards

Chris

[sas steve]

Originally Posted by Mark Chase

Free flow should have been covered under PADI OW. I certainly was on my course. Ascending whilst breathing off a free flowing reg.

Tank pressure off is an interesting one? I never really considered it but I do think the course was very poor for UK divers.

No SMB work, no DSMB work, nothing on shot etiquette usage etc nothing on boat etiquette usage etc nothing on shore diving. Frankly, nothing to prepair a diver for UK diving.

Since my experience of OW AOW I have always recommended that divers contemplating diving in the UK use BSAC to train. Their training is far more relevent to UK conditions.


Id go so far as to say I wish I had the time to go back and do some of the BSAC courses. If I had done I wouldent be scatching me head over tide tables


ATB

Mark

What a lot of people dont understand or even realise is that the PADI OW course is an introduction to diving and not designed to teach you everything in one hit. There is a huge amount of flexibility in the course to consider things like sea conditions temperature visibility etc, each individual instructor can also use their own knowledge and experience to teach the"art " of diving in the prevailing conditions, this can include the use of SMB's and boat and shore diving protocols.The only thing PADI state is that the extra tuition should be relevant and nessessary and not be seen as task loading. As the use of an SMB is pretty much the norm in the UK this would be an accepted skill under the standards.
Iv'e been a PADI pro for 20 years and a CD for 15 and promote this philosophy to all my guys.
If in doubt about the appropriatness of teaching a particular skill then talk to the guys at PADI,Thats their job

[Howard Payne]

What a lot of people dont understand or even realise is tat the PADI OW course is an introduction to diving and not designed to teach you everything in one hit. There is a huge ammount of flexibility in the course to consider things like sea conditions temperature visibility etc, each individual instructor can also use their own knowledge and experience to teach the"art " of diving in the prevailing conditions, this can include the use of SMB's and boat and shore diving protocols.The only thing PADI stae is that the extra tuition shold be relevant and nessessary and not be seen as task loading. As the use of an SMB is pretty much the norm in he UK this would be an accepted skill under the standards.
Iv'e been a PADI pro for 20 years and a CD for 15 and promote this philosophy to all my guys.

What he says

[sas steve]

Originally Posted by Howard Payne

What he says

just pipped me to a quick edit.
Iv'e added if in doubt about a particular skill then talk to the guys at PADI.

Cheers Howard

[Aerodive]

Originally Posted by Sipadan

just a general point. some things don't (officially) get taught on any course, with any agency. it's great that you are asking questions about this kind of stuff, but some of it comes down to experience and personal preference. some people will argue until they're blue in the face that 'their' way is right. the smart people will see both sides of an argument and may agree that what someone else does in a given situation may be acceptable, but different to what you do in another.

Hear Hear!,
A round of applause for common sense!