The bits PADI miss out

[dweezal]

I have completed the PADI OW and AOW with about 30 dives in between.

there are simply loads of questions and items that are not covered by these courses and its forums like this one which are now the focus of my attention.

one of the items which is puzzling me is the simple steps between shore - boat - shore. one of the experienced guys on a recent trip made a comment about my helping some people off with their kit at the end of the dive (mostly holiday makers) and particularly my turning the tank valve off and venting the hose pressure before clipping the tanks in the holders.

to me this is what i have always done, but perhaps i am missing something ? the idea of a fast moving boat with tanks on concerns me.

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 ?

i will use the search button for other items but the question above was a little to specific to get a positive answer.

D

[MarkP]

Originally Posted by dweezal

I have completed the PADI OW and AOW with about 30 dives in between.

one of the items which is puzzling me is the simple steps between shore - boat - shore. one of the experienced guys on a recent trip made a comment about my helping some people off with their kit at the end of the dive (mostly holiday makers) and particularly my turning the tank valve off and venting the hose pressure before clipping the tanks in the holders.

to me this is what i have always done, but perhaps i am missing something ? the idea of a fast moving boat with tanks on concerns me.

I like to keep all hoses pressurised whilst on the boat. If I'm moving through water from boat to shore with my kit I like to keep it all on and breatheable. It's embarrassing to fall in and drown an three feet of water.

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 ?

It should have been. It's a mandatory part of the course.

[IanDennis]

There are plenty of PADI instructors on the board who would be happy to help you with any specific queries or things that you need to cover in connection with the OW/AOW course.

I would be more concerned if this was happening predive as inexperienced divers can sometimes forget to do full buddy checks. At the end of the dive then I would suggest leave pressurised but off to prevent water entry- some might prefer to leave fully pressurised if disembaking the boat with full kit.

With regards to freeflow, then we would need to know more about the circumstances, kit etc before being able to comment on why a freeflow has taken place. As you know the OW course teaches you how to breathe from a freeflowing regulator second stage - you could bend the hose or shut the gas off to stop the freeflow but these may not be appropriate solutions to the problem when underwater, far better to either continue to breathe the second stage or secure your buddies alternative air source.

Please feel free to Pm if you have any further questions

Ian

[dweezal]

i see your point about the pre dive buddy check, i have seen one guy back roll into a drift dive with strong current and his air was off.

i am only talking about when the dive is over and we are prepping for return to the shore. i havent seen anyone wear full kit on the journey to shore, BCD and tank is always off and stored.

i get the point about keeping pressure in the hose but having tank off incase of SW ingress.

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by IanDennis

you could bend the hose

Really need to think carefully about this and I'm surprised that its still
included. Hoses are so strong now, that even tying in a knot might not stop
or even restrict the flow. In fact one manufacturer actually uses it as a
sellling point and claims that you can use it, even if it is tied in a knot.

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by dweezal

I have completed the PADI OW and AOW with about 30 dives in between.

there are simply loads of questions and items that are not covered by these courses and its forums like this one which are now the focus of my attention.

one of the items which is puzzling me is the simple steps between shore - boat - shore. one of the experienced guys on a recent trip made a comment about my helping some people off with their kit at the end of the dive (mostly holiday makers) and particularly my turning the tank valve off and venting the hose pressure before clipping the tanks in the holders.

to me this is what i have always done, but perhaps i am missing something ? the idea of a fast moving boat with tanks on concerns me.

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 ?

i will use the search button for other items but the question above was a little to specific to get a positive answer.

D

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

[al kennedy]

Originally Posted by dweezal

I have completed the PADI OW and AOW with about 30 dives in between.

there are simply loads of questions and items that are not covered by these courses and its forums like this one which are now the focus of my attention.

one of the items which is puzzling me is the simple steps between shore - boat - shore. one of the experienced guys on a recent trip made a comment about my helping some people off with their kit at the end of the dive (mostly holiday makers) and particularly my turning the tank valve off and venting the hose pressure before clipping the tanks in the holders.

to me this is what i have always done, but perhaps i am missing something ? the idea of a fast moving boat with tanks on concerns me.

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 ?

i will use the search button for other items but the question above was a little to specific to get a positive answer.

D

kit on a boat - stored with regs pressurised, tank turned off. minimise risk of losing all your gas before you get to a site, and keeps regs fully seated in the valve and therefore keeps water out. turn tank on before kitting up in case you fall in...

stopping free-flows - check the venturi adjustment knob on the regs is at the minus (-) setting (or equivalent) if it's not in your mouth. if it free-flows in the water turn it mouthpiece down and check the venturi adjustment. if it free-flows on land stick your thumb in the mouthpiece (disrupts laminar gas-flow) and check venturi adjustment.

Al

[IanDennis]

Originally Posted by TerryH

Really need to think carefully about this and I'm surprised that its still
included. Hoses are so strong now, that even tying in a knot might not stop
or even restrict the flow. In fact one manufacturer actually uses it as a
sellling point and claims that you can use it, even if it is tied in a knot.

I did think about referencing the miflex hoses but as they seem to be the exception rather than the norm then bending still works some of the time. As you will see from my post I did state that it was not the best solution.

[dweezal]

looking at this for the future i think i need to do a couple of things

1: join the local BSAC club (went tonight to check it out)
2: carry on with my preference of having tanks valves off, but with one modification to keep pressure in the hose to prevent SW ingress.

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 ?

thanks for the advise and opinions

D

[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.