[dave12345]

today i followed a instructor 2 trainee dms & two students first dive seemed ok only 7 mts. second dive surface swim out to 6 mts then decend .i kept my distance as not to be in the way.i was desending nice and slow when one of the students in a semi dry suit came hurtling down on his back his inflater hose out of his hand . i tried to fin & drop to catch him as i was allready on my way down but found in a drysuit not a chance. my point is this would have never crossed my mind and a valuable lesson learn't . the reason i went with them my buddy didn't turn up

 

[Kev]

today i followed a instructor 2 trainee dms & two students first dive seemed ok only 7 mts. second dive surface swim out to 6 mts then decend .i kept my distance as not to be in the way.i was desending nice and slow when one of the students in a semi dry suit came hurtling down on his back his inflater hose out of his hand . i tried to fin & drop to catch him as i was allready on my way down but found in a drysuit not a chance. my point is this would have never crossed my mind and a valuable lesson learn't . the reason i went with them my buddy didn't turn up

Sorry, not meaning to be obtuse but I don't get it. What did you learn?

Best

Kev

 

[Two Hats]

Sorry, not meaning to be obtuse but I don't get it. What did you learn?

+1

Although with 2 DMTs to help an Instructor with only 2 students, someone wasn't doing their job.

 

[dave12345]

you can't catch up while trying to dump air from a dry suit to some one free falling probably over weighted being a student in a semidry

 

[dave12345]

also if i ever do the dm course i will know how different semis &dry suites are on decents and account for this

 

[Kev]

you can't catch up while trying to dump air from a dry suit to some one free falling probably over weighted being a student in a semidry

Got it, thanks. I take it you use your drysuit for bouyancy not your wing?

A buddy of mine saved a DM's life a while back in similar situation. The guy jumped off the boat with his BC inflated but his gas off. Not much fun when he sank like a stone without being able to breathe.

Use your wing for bouyancy not your suit, head down, dump from the back and fin like buggery.

Best

Kev

Edit - Sorry that is all a bit unclear. The guy obviously dumped gas out of his BC after he jumped off the boat, he was not massively over weighted. Who thinks to buddy check the dive guide eh?

 

[Two Hats]

you can't catch up while trying to dump air from a dry suit to some one free falling probably over weighted being a student in a semidry

I see what you were getting at, it's just your initial post was bit hard to read (no offence intended)

You shouldn't need to 'catch up'.
That was the job of the DMT, and if he had to 'catch up' then he failed, he should have been close enough to stop their descent before it went out of control.

Good effort for trying though, especially as you were just 'tagging along'.

 

[dave12345]

yes i do use my dry suite for bouyancy i was taught that on peak bouyancy course but now you have got me thinking about using bcd to respond quicker

 

[Two Hats]

PADI instructors generally teach to use just the drysuit for buoyancy underwater.*
However, it must then be remembered that there is a large amount of air, moving around the suit the whole time.

By using the BCD/wing for buoyancy, and just 'taking the squeeze off' the suit this large volume of air is not rolling about in the suit.
Although, you do then have 2 sources of bouyancy to consider and deal with on ascent.

Practice, try both, have someone show you, see what you feel comfortable with.


*This is how I was taught on my drysuit course, and how I have seen a lot of instructors teach it. I believe it is to try and keep things simpler, by only having one source of buoyancy to deal with. I'm sure there are many instructors who teach using the BCD as well.

 

[Kev]

yes i do use my dry suite for bouyancy i was taught that on peak bouyancy course but now you have got me thinking about using bcd to respond quicker

Its all a lot easier that way round mate. I just use the suit to take the squeeze off and dive the wing.

Being able to use your suit is useful but I would only consider it if the wing failed.

Best

Kev

 

[dave12345]

thanks for the advice kev & london i will have ago next week

 

[Kev]

thanks for the advice kev & london i will have ago next week

Enjoy it mate, let us know how you get on.

 

[Two Hats]

Enjoy it mate, let us know how you get on.

Ditto.

But if you have a feet first ascent, it was Kev's fault, he told you to do it

Seriously though, as with all new skills, try it first somewhere relatively shallow, so that if you do cock it up, it's not a major problem.

 

[TerryH]

No idea what was going on here, but it makes no difference TBH what the Instructor/student is
wearing. All that should matter is that they are both facing each other and descend with
direct eye level contact. If the student starts to go a tad (and that's all it will ever be) ahead of the
Instructor, a quick grasp and a regain of control takes place.

 

[markymark75]

Well done on the catching up - tagging along I wouldn't have managed it, but were I instructing it wouldn't have been necessary!

I've argued this point before. I'll always be using the suit for buoyancy (rebreather experience has taught me not to try managing buoyancy in 3 different places), but if I'm with a trainee I'll be a) on open circuit, and b) significantly overweighted, so that I can deal with whatever they might do next.

In answer to TerryH - I agree entirely, but that doesn't seem to be the way that PADI work (1 to 1 with an instuctor).

 

[TerryH]

In answer to TerryH - I agree entirely, but that doesn't seem to be the way that PADI work (1 to 1 with an instuctor).

Ideally it's 1:1, but a larger group shouldnt matter, it's all about positioning and if it's 1:2 get the
students to look at each other and the Instructor gets to cover them both. If it's 1:3 then same
again, but the spare is buddied with the Instructor who is close enough and can see the other pair
to sort.

In the UK 1:3 is pushing it TBH and if we were on that ratio i'd have an assistant.

 

[dave12345]

just to make sure that in my original post . I was not making reference to or implying any wrong doing by the instructor or trainee dms,as i am not qualified to do so.i have learn't quite a lot from the replys ,to be honest i only use my bcd on the surface but being a padi rd diver makes me think do i stop diving in my comfort zone just in case .but then my enjoyment of diving goes

 

[19696]

The instructor shoud have been close enough to stop the student descending too quick.

When I'm teaching new divers, i am generally overweighted, and use my suit for buoyancy so that I can get gas out of it if I happen to find myself with a student in each hand.

 

[RogerViking]

how deep was it to the bottom on this dive..?

 

[dave12345]

about 7.5 were i was waiting 16 mts just on the drop off .just to make clear this post is about how quick someone in a semidry suit can decend compared to someone correctly weighted in a dry suit