An "Advanced Open Water Diver" is More Than Just a Certification Card

When scuba diving is just one of many activities that one can occupy with their time, commitment to the sport and training can take on many forms. Some students will take their beginning
certification and just dive for a while. Learning to become proficient takes time and being able to master those skills may take many years. Realistically, a new student is given very little to
learn in order to receive a scuba diver certification. Diving often and regulary, getting feedback from peers, and taking specialty classes will add to the diver's knowledge and skill base. Those
new skills will open their eyes to other diving opportunities (deep, night, search & recovery, wrecks, nitrox, drysuit, etc.).

As to the number of dives required to become an advanced diver, this is somewhat of a misconception. Some agencies will award their advanced certification with as little as five additional dives (nine in total) while others make their divers wait until twenty-five logged dives. More dives has a practical benenfit. The more you dive, the easier it gets.

As like in other sports, as your skills improve a divers will need gear tailored to specific diving environments. Attitude, ability, and confidence is important, too. While it's impossible to
quantify attitude and confidence, that is where an experienced instructor can evaluate how the diver is doing, how far they've come, and what they still have to work on. Continuing to need work
also doesn't mean that a certification can't be awarded, because like one's initial scuba diving certification, skills will improve over time and with ongoing practice.

I've chosen to make six specialties the foundation of becoming an Advanced Open Water Diver. The specialties I start my students out with and require as a prerequisite: Night Diving, Deep
Diving, EAN Nitrox, Drysuit Diving, Navigation, and Search & Recovery. These specialties will prepare the diver for incredible and diverse diving opportunities. While each specialty requires a
minimum of a couple dives, often, specialty dives will be combined and skills will start to overlap to help the diver to learn to task many activities at once and for many of those skills to become second nature. Twelve dives is the foundation required to complete the course requirements but should not be a guarantee of an advanced diver certification.

What kind of equipment is required for these specialties? While I don't sell equipment, and I believe that owning one's own equipment fosters continued diving and confidence in that equipment.
Just because a diver can't afford to purchase all the equipment at once, is not a valid reason to not start an advanced diving program. Very often rental equipment is available yet when not,
inexpensive yet quality alternatives are easy to find. When I dive, I carry all of the equipment necessary if not have it at my disposal to use on subsequent dives.

My primary equipment, includes my regulator system, plate and harness, wing, drysuit, dive computer, compass, dive light, reel with line, signal marker buoy, whistle, and scissors. I have a dive slate and pencil but don't always bring it with me. I also can carry an extra mask and a redundent breathing system when diving alone or in advanced diving conditions. My fins attach with spring straps. Not only does it make donning them easier, but reduces the chance of breaking a strap. If I dive with a redundant breathing system, the regulator hangs round my neck on surgical tubing that is fashioned around the mouthpiece of the regulator. Easy enough to cut off if necessary and flexible enough not to constrict my breathing. If in the event of an emergecy, the attachment points can be pulled off (not attached so tight that I could get caught by something else).

My regulator system includes my first stage, a primary second stage and an alternate second stage. This is standard to the industry although configuaration may change and routing and positioning
is flexible and can vary. I use to dive with an integrated alternate second stage, but I don't anymore to be consistent with how new students learn and typical rental equipment. My alternate
second stage is on a longer hose and is attached to me with a quick release that will stay fastened and conveniently available, but can be deployed immediately and conveniently. I use an analog
pressure guage which is attached in a location that is visible without having to seek it out, move it, or disconnect it. Attachment options vary with all equipment but everything is attached in a
manner that it is out of the way and free from possible entanglement but can be disconnected easily in the event of an emergency.

I wear a dive computer on bungee cord and it is on my arm and sits a little above my left wrist. The bungees make it easy to put on even with thick gloves and I don't have to worry about a buckle
coming undone and losing it. My compass is also on bungee cord and I wear it on top of my right hand. I've found that this position keeps it always available and when I hold my hand out in front
of me, I have the proper perspective to see it and the numbers indicating the direction I'm going but also keeps my field of view facing forward and in the direction I'm going. Having to look down
at a compass is like texting and driving -- don't take your eyes off the road! I always take a dive light with me. It doesn't matter if I'm diving in the daytime, a dive light helps one look into those cracks and crevices where all the critters are and it is a great tool to communicate with. It too is attached in a manner that can be removed and used but if necessary can be let go without worry of loss. A bungee cord is used to keep it stowed and out of the way when not in use.

A reel with enough line for at least twice the depth of any planned dive and a signal marker buoy hang from my right hip. Each is attached separately so each can be used independently. While
leaning forward or when in diver position, the signal marker buoy and reel don't hang below my stomach to prevent touching the sea floor or entanglement. A whistle is attached on my right shoulder
but can be removed if necessary. I always leave it attached to avoid dropping it. It can even work underwater. It is close enough to my mouth that if I do not remove it, I can still use it.

Scissors are brought on every dive as well. It lays flat on the top of the corregated airway of the low pressure inflator system attached with a couple bungee cords. It is easy to deploy and use
if necessary. The dive slate would go high on my left arm (if brought, as I'm right handed) and is usually turned down to be out of the way. The dive computer could be set opposite of the slate if
both are being used and both can be rotated at the same time.

I use a stainless steel plate as this reduces the amount of extra weight I have to carry and offers lots of attachment points. Being metal, I also don't have to worry about wear. During recreational dives, I use a harness system that is fashioned from two inch wide nylon webbing and allows various positioning of d-rings and buckles. I have metal buckles that can release the shoulders if needed. I have two large loops for my arms and one that comes around for my waist. Around the two pieces that come around my waist are two integrated weight pockets with a quick release in order to ditch the weight.

Everyone always tells me how much equipment I have, but I look at them and tell them how much equipment they are missing. An easy entry to this gear would include and in the order of what I
believe should be bought (even if everything else is preliminarily rented:

10ft bungee cord ($3)
2 snorkel keepers ($6)
1 scissors ($5)
2 brass ($5)
1 storm whistle ($10)

NIGHT (most dives shops don't rent lights)
3 dive lights ($100)

SEARCH & RECOVERY and DEEP
1 wrist slate ($10)
1 signal marker buoy ($20)
1 finger spool with 150ft line ($25)

NAVIGATION (some rental systems have compasses)
1 compass ($50)

(prices can go up from here)


Divers take for granted that a dive light is necessary during a night dive, but most don't think about lights during the day. Light technology has come quite far in the last few years and with advancements in this technology, the prices have dropped considerably. I've bought lights that cost over $700, but now lights with that kind of power can start under $100. Light kits with a primary light, backup, and a tank light can start around $100, too.

A signal marker buoy and line is not only indispensable for drift dives, but doing mid-water ascents. Doing a mid-water ascents takes a lot of practice, and until that point in time, deploying an SMB at depth can make it a little easier and safer. Spools are made from PVC and are virtually indestructible. Reel quality varies, but if you are going to invest in one, don't buy a cheap one. Not only can cheap ones break a lot easier, they also get fouled more often. Make sure you reel has at least 150ft of line and that the line is braided, not twisted.

Invest in a pair of EMT sheers or scissors. They are inexpensive and will cut through anything. Most divers spend too much on knives and most of the time cut themselves rather than use them as an effective tool.

Bungee cord can be your friend if used properly. It takes a little of the tension off the items it's holding on to, but gives a little as to prevent breaking. Buy a long length and keep it in your save-a-dive kit for all occasions.

Bolts snaps made of brass can be purchased at hardware stores. Stainless steel bolt snaps are marine grade and quality ones are easily found at marine specialty stores.

Compass quality can vary incredibly. I am partial to the Suunto SK-7, but will have to look at the SK-8 as it is brand new for this year. A good compass should be able to glow in the dark, have a viewing window, two lubber lines, a rotating bezel, and fine azimuth delineation.

Snorkel keepers make great ways to attach equipment to a d-ring and are easy to pull the equipment out and away or just break clean off in the event of an emergency. An inexpensive addition to any save-a-dive kit, as well.

When you are ready to buy scuba diving equipment, slow down...

I've worked with dive shops since I first learned how to dive. Some of them are great! As with many things we're looking to buy, especially things that we don't know much about, a lot of us refer to the internet to give us some general insight -- what we want, where to get it, and what will it cost. While some may come across a dive shop through sheer luck, others just pick the first at the top of the page or pick the cheapest. Scuba diving is not one of those products that the consumer should opt for the cheapest, easiest or quickest. Fit is important and you should buy within the price range that you want and for the type of diving you plan to do. There is also a high drop out rate in the industry -- people want to do other things with their time. If you are going to make an investment in scuba diving equipment, it should not be impulsive.


So, is it is okay to rent equipment? Of course. Some rental gear is quite good. Having your own equipment means that it is likely to fit you better, be the right kind of equipment for the places you are diving, be in perfect working order, and be modern. The best part about owning your own equipment means that you are probably going to be familiar with it because you are using the same equipment and configuration every time and you are likely to go diving more often than not. The thing you have to remember about rental gear is that the configuration may be different with each rental, each shop, and each location. This means that you have to be able to be flexible, be able to conform to it's limitations, be okay with poor fit, and expect that it will be well used. If the dive shop will rent it to you for your training, then it has to be safe enough to keep you from drowning. Equipment will perform differently diving to 10 feet in a warm pool than to 60 feet in the colder ocean. Also, remember that all of us are uniquely shaped and contoured!


So, is it okay to buy used equipment? Sometimes... As with all used scuba diving equipment, be sure to have a technician look at it, test it, and in the end, service it... I CAN DO THAT FOR YOU FOR FREE...!!! It is life support equipment, after all. A mask that doesn't fit you properly often leads to your whole dive experience being a bad one. There is a lot of pressure pushing against you when you're diving. If you have the wrong fins and are caught in current, will they help you swim to safety? Snorkeling and scuba diving equipment don't always cross-over. In the end, if you buy before finding out what kind of gear is going to work best for you, that decision may end up costing you more in the long run. While the dive shop is a great source of information, it isn't always the best one. Have you ever gone into a place to buy something and the sales person knows nothing about what they are selling? It happens in scuba diving, too. Don't let that old saying trap you either. "I've been doing this for 30 years!" The gear you buy is not going to be 30 years old and as equipment changes and improves, it is going to be different. Anyone that is not aware of all the current benefits and features cannot sell you the right equipment. That means that they have to know it, dive it, read the instruction manual, and in many cases, have taken it apart and serviced it!


As a professional dive instructor, I don't want you to be in "cheap" products. There is a difference between "cheap" and "inexpensive." I can help you find gear that fits you properly and is safe for you to use. "Is the glass in your mask tempered?" "Is your regulator balanced?" If you talk to fellow divers, friends and family, and even check online, it is likely that some of that information could be based on opinion, one person's personal experiences, myth, sales pressure, and some of it is just flat out wrong. See if you can get a consensus about the information you are looking to validate. It will help with the final decisions you make. Your instructor is the expert in his or her field. Their experiences, education, training, and perspective is invaluable. They've devoted their life to this industry!


If you can't find what you are looking for, ask the instructor or dive shop if they can recommend a person or place that can meet your needs. Yes, while I hate to admit it, I don't know everything! That doesn't mean that they are going to do the legwork for you, nor does it mean that you should patronize every shop in town or on the internet. There is an incredible value in developing a relationship with an instructor or two... a shop or two. Not only will you develop a trust and comfort, but you will have someone to dive with and perhaps even make some great friends! Diving is more than just a sport to many, it is their passion, and a lifestyle. Many have overcome fears, met challenges, achieved milestones and seen some of the most amazing and beautiful animals -- been to and seen some of the most amazing places on earth!


Some have argued that without the dive shop, diving would disappear. As the consumer, be assertive. Instructors and dive shops are authority figures. If you feel uncomfortable about something, tell them. Be sure to ask about their return or exchange policy on products, policy on canceling classes, or withdrawing from the program all together. While it is necessary for many instructors and shops to plan their month to month expenses on the students that enroll, equipment that is purchased, and day to day revenue, there must be responsibility on both parties -- ask if you don't know because they can't read your mind. Should I then just stick to buying everything on the internet? I would not. There are something's and sometimes when the internet is easy. The internet is not as fast as you think, either. If you buy something and it is not right for you, the time that it takes to return it and find something else eats away at valuable time that can be better spent. Most importantly, the internet does NOT always offer the best prices! YES, you heard me. There are times that the local dive shop will match or beat that price. I don't recommend walking into the shop and telling them what you will pay, but you can tell them what you can afford. Sometimes you might even get more bang for your buck and even better, as that relationship builds, there are face-to-face benefits that the internet just can't offer!

It's okay to ask for things in writing. Don't rely on "he said, she said." Send e-mails so that there is a paper trail. If you agree to their terms and conditions, it is fair for them to expect you to fulfill your part of the bargain. You can help to make your experience as fulfilling as possible by letting the one's you are working with know how things are going. Scuba is often totally new to the student. If it takes you a little longer to learn something, the instructor and dive shop will help you get there.


When you are ready to buy scuba gear, get a hold of me so I can sit down with you and go over everything that is right for you! It is free. You like FREE, don't you?

How many students in open water scuba diver class are too many...

Many traditional educational classes include a practicum, lab, requires group participation and a presentation. Scuba diving education is similar. After the educational component from which the student learns about the physics and physiology of scuba diving, the underwater environment, techniques, about waves, tides and currents and much more, students go to "confined" water or the pool. The instructor demonstrates the skills that the student will repeat. These new in-water skills introduce the student to the equipment, how it operates, how to manage the skills necessary to operate it, and even how to overcome innate anxieties or fears the new student may have. Breathing underwater is not a natural process, but with practice becomes easier. Some skills, like mask clearing are easier for some students than others.

 

After the student has demonstrated to the instructor that they understand the principals of the skills, can adequately show them to the instructor, and after numerous dives, the student becomes a diver. There is a lot of debate as to what level the student should be able to demonstrate the skills. Some say that the student should "master" them before moving on to the open water, but I think "mastery" of skills takes longer than most realize. Before my cave certification, I thought my buoyancy was pretty good. When you have only inches above and below you in which to move without kicking up silt and disturbing the ceiling, a "mastery" of buoyancy is truly required. With that being said, if the student had to master skills (like buoyancy) prior to receiving their certification, confined water and open water would be very much longer than they currently are. The average student could spend six to ten hours in the pool and their open waters dives, depending on location, could be as short as twenty minutes. I've seen instructors that limit certification dives to fifteen minutes. I have to say, and I'm sure most will agree, in an hour of water time, mastery is impossible! 

 

 As I mentioned, "adequate" is really a better word describing where many students get to by the end of their class. There are several factors that influence this as well. How many students are present at one time during pool and certification dives is really my focus. As with most other programs, often, class is taught for the "lowest common denominator." That is really disappointing. What does that mean? It means that within the bell curve some will do poorly, most will do adequately, and some with do very well. Even if only two were doing poorly, the extra attention needed to bring them to adequate means that the instructor's attention is devoted elsewhere. The other two that are doing very well are often not given as much attention as they deserve because the outward appearance is that "they got it." An inexperienced instructor could consider the students that do very well needing less attention. This is a mistake. At this point, it works out that now 50% of the class (if 8 are attending) are now falling behind. This is unacceptable. The student deserves more!

 

In my opinion, class size should never be larger than four students at a time. Even when students proceed with ease, keeping an eye on four divers is precarious. Once the student is ready for the open water, they should posses the skills and confidence necessary to make a safe ascent to the surface where they would establish positive buoyancy and wait for the instructor with the other three to arrive. Needless to say, I know that every instructor has had at least one experience where they looked back for a student and they weren't their. In the early days of teaching, that shot of adrenaline that suddenly shot through my veins caused me to think of the worse case. Today, I have far greater confidence in my students as a NAUI instructor than I ever have. That momentary anxiety never manifested in an accident or a student getting hurt, but it goes to show that in large groups an individual can disappear in two kick strokes in the low to no visibility of the Pacific Northwest.

 

I decided that this meant I take one or two students out at a time. NO EXCEPTIONS. Coming to the assistance of one diver is precarious but two is difficult. I want the student to have lots of water time. That can mean shorter dives, but more of them. It could also mean doing longer dives and still more of them. The greatest benefit to the student that the instructor can do is to say to them, "you need to dive more with me before I issue your open water scuba diving certification." Additionally, I always recommend that these new divers limit their depth to sixty feet while they practice slow and steady ascents and descents, learn to manage their gas and dive time, and start to get the hang of good buoyancy.

 

I am not just an instructor, but I am a mentor. I encourage new divers to come to future open water weekends (which are free) and meet new divers, come dive with me on a regular and ongoing basis, and let me find dive buddies for them with a little more experience that I know and trust. Trust is earned in scuba diving. "Trust me" dives have gotten divers injured, or worse. Its a sad fact that some push too hard and too fast and want to do it all before they are ready for it. Recently, I had a student tell me they want to go cave diving. Not cavern diving, but full cave. While the enthusiasm was great to see, what bothered me was that they thought they were emotionally ready for cave. Cave skills are quite simple. Cave attitude is not. That means that "gung ho" has no place in cave, let alone in any type of diving. Patience, practice, confidence, and dives takes time. Years.

 

So what do large classes and really mean? Large classes are often predicated on the "funnel verses tunnel" system. Hope that if enough students go through the program that the dive shop will get more gear sales. I'm lucky to find dive shops that I partner with that share my perspectives. "Dive, dive often, and when you're ready for gear, we'll be here." And when they do have large classes, they have Divemasters in the water to be an extra set of eyes. I've never taken a technical dive class that had more than three people in it. A technical diving specialty doesn't preclude the chance of accidents, but my experience is that technical instructors require a higher degree of competence. Similarly, most technical classes require additional gear and are often more expensive. My advanced technical training classes costs ranged from several hundred to over two thousand dollars each and the trips to get to those locations ran into the tens of thousands. This is not to mean that spending lots of money is a key factor in safety, but few are willing to pay these costs without the devotion to scuba diving.

The last thing that I have to mention is the lack of many instructors to get their students to get to know each other. I've seen instructors take the group out as a whole, descend, surface in fifteen minutes, swim back to the shore, and dive over. I have to ask what experience they got from that. To make matters worse, the instructor is often away doing other things during the surface intervals (on the phone, on the internet, hanging out with their friends) rather than interacting with their students and making sure that no one is feeling alone and left out. There are divers that dive alone, but for the most part, divers want to talk about their experiences, share them with others, and be part of a community. I can't emphasize enough how setting up equipment, briefings, finishing two open water dives, and logging dives should take the entire day. To that point, I've seen divers with the look like "no one came to my birthday party," sitting alone by themselves, waiting for the torture of this experience to finally be over.

Learning to scuba dive used to take months. It was an arduous journey of trails and exhaustion. Much of the standards have been cut short or all but thrown out. Ask any diver that learned fifty years ago and they tell you stories that mimicked "military-style boot camp." I say all this with trepidation, but I care. I care about my students, I care about their safety, and most of all, I want them to continuing loving this sports their entire life. With drop out rates statistically reaching 80%, learning to scuba dive is not a great financial commitment but it's an emotional one. Please devote a year to decide if you like it. Let your skills develop and dive a lot. Try to dive one weekend a month. While that's only half of what I really want you to do, I will feel better knowing you have been practicing those important skills I taught you and your hours in the water has turned into days in the water (or better).

Safe diving my friends.

 

Cold Water, Colder Air, and Diving in the PNW

Cold Water, Colder Air, and Diving in the PNW

http://youtu.be/4deWo6xTKdw

Even a kid can do it...!!!

To dive or not to dive the Oregon Coast Aquarium...

...that is the question. Here's why.

I brought several divers to the aquarium about a year ago. As the leader, their instructor, and friend, it is my obligation to make sure that everyone is safe. As much as we all want to have fun, safety must come first.

I was really looking forward to it, too. What I saw really disturbed me. What happened bothered me even more. It was like the divers were being herded through like cattle... There were too many divers for the staging areas; too many volunteers that only had one responsibility which meant that none of them communicated amongst the rest of the volunteers; and when it was time for a supervisor, none were to be found that could make any executive decisions.  

I'll leave out the details of the logistics of getting to the aquarium, getting in, where to go and the like out as those are not relevant to the issues I had with the diving portion of this experience.

If you aren't aware, you are not allowed to bring your own gear. You can bring your own mask, but that is all. All the gear is chosen for you by volunteers. Many of them were divers, but when it comes to fitting and sizing others, they have very little experience. I understand that a perfect fit doesn't have to be a priority, but some were in equipment that was just totally wrong for them. The issue of fitting and sizing becomes a concern as will be seen in some of the following narratives. There were plenty of each in all the sizes, but sizing variances due to manufacturer made a big difference. Additionally, many of the new divers that had only rented equipment before just didn't know what size they wore. It had always been picked for them at their local dive shop where they rented.

BCD sizing was first. A proper fitting BCD is important. A proper fit ensures that the BCD holds the tank firmly to your back, keeps the tank properly attached so it doesn't fall out, allows easy reach of the airway and power inflator, and in some instances is the place that the alternate air source, octopus, and/or instrument console are attached. Lift capacity was not a consideration for those that were in drysuits. Weight integration was not an issue as all wore weight harnesses. No fittings, bolt snaps, plastic quick releases were on the BCD's which meant that octos, and instrument console were left to dangle. While it is very likely that monitoring gas pressure, depth, and dive time was the least of anyone's worries, not having the octo in a location that can be easily accessed, deployed and used or shared surely is. Octos that are dragging behind the diver, dragging through the sand, are rarely there when you need them. 

Next was the weight harness. As this was a DUI event, DUI weight harness systems were used. If a diver had never used one before, explanation of ditching the weights was adequate but fitting was not. When I started to proceed to adjust the harness to be in it's proper position for me, I was told to not adjust it. I was told that the harness was to sit low on my hips. There are several issues with this placement. The first is the center of gravity and pivot point. For those in a drysuit, it would meant that the low fitting harness would keep the diver's legs so low that they would very likely be in a vertical position. Most divers I witnessed were. Divers that dive in this position will be very likely to have propulsion issues as well as are very likely to be dragging their fins all over and on the habitats. Most were. The biggest issue about having the system so low was the angle of the divers arms to the dump handles. In order to maximize leverage to pull the weight pockets out, ones arm must be as close to the body as possible and as close to 90 degrees as possible. As the harness drops and the angle increases, the ability for the muscles in the arm to pull the dump handles diminishes. It is very possible that one might not be able to ditch the weights at all. For recreational divers, ditching weight is a critical part of an emergency buoyant ascent. I couldn't understand how all the "DUI Reps" that were there didn't know this and why I had to fight to get the harness in the place that I wanted. It was such a battle that I almost didn't dive until someone just said, "let him put it where he wants." Later, that person told me that one of the reasons that they wanted divers in that position was to avoid drysuit runaways. Since this event gave divers the opportunity to try out drysuits, they might not have had a lot of experience in one. Modifying gear configuration in order to keep a diver's feet down to avoid a runaway is not a justifiable alternative to proper fitting and proper training and comfort in a drysuit.

Drysuit fitting was simple and quick. Most suits sizes fit divers adequately. After our drysuits were on and we were showering off (to keep bacteria from entering the aquarium tanks) we were reminded to use the BCD for buoyancy and only add enough air to the drysuit to relieve squeeze. I guess I should probably just nodded my head and stayed quiet, but I said that I use my drysuit for buoyancy and this individual went off about all the reasons why this was wrong. Without starting a debate about the pros and cons of each method, suffice it to say he was not a drysuit instructor, not a scuba diving instructor, had not logged over a thousand dives in his drysuit, and had no technical diving experience (particularly as a cave diver -- the type of diving that requires the best buoyancy techniques).

The equipment was completely assembled by the volunteers. A lot of it was assembled adequately, but personal preference played a varying role from setup to setup. I could see that some of the systems were being set up in a general fashion and that others were set up as they would had done for themselves. When the time came for me to check the equipment, confirm that the tank valve was on, the tank was full, the tank strap was firmly connected, the BCD height to tank was appropriate, I was told to "Not touch the equipment." Now I can understand if someone changed something that could effect safety, but checking your gear and checking your buddy's gear is part of the pre-dive planning that I teach all my students. Not being allowed to touch the gear was ludicrous.

After the gear was assembled, it was brought into the area near the tanks. During this waiting period, I asked about the safety divers and emergency procedures. I asked what their protocol was if there was an accident. Why? Because a part of every dive briefing includes one. No one could tell me who would call 911; who would bring emergency services to that area (if they could even find it); who would identify who was in need of help; and most of all how to get divers out of the water (the entries and exits are usually precarious rock entries -- not a place that the diver can be "dragged" out -- like from a beach and on the shore). There was so much going on and so many people moving around and doing their own thing, that I could easily see that a diver could have an issue in the water and no one would be the wiser. It was quite noisy in there and not very well illuminated. A diver calling for help could be lost in the background noise and easily missed as they slipped below the surface.

Once we got in the water, a guide was present while the divers explored. I didn't see much of our guide, but upon leaving the aquarium I did see a diver in a different tank on his back struggle to right himself while the other diver in the water was occupied elsewhere. The regulator was in the diver's mouth and eventually they righted themselves, but the "guide" could have easily looked up to find that the diver had drowned.

I haven't looked into the statistics of accidents at the aquarium during these diving events, but I bet they are low to non-existent. Perhaps a fall or a slip... Whether or not anyone has ever been hurt, I find that I cannot recommend that anyone attend this event and dive at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The event is poorly managed, there are too many people that don't know what is happening around them, and in my opinion, it's just too dangerous. Visit the aquarium, but don't dive in it.

Were these experiences solely my own? Was I having a bad day and making mountains out of mole hills? I asked several others that had dove the aquarium before about their experiences. Most enjoyed the experience but didn't see what I saw. A few of the more experienced saw things they didn't like, but didn't say anything nor voice any concerns at that time. They did their dives and went home. Some even said to me, "that's not my problem." I can't help but wonder how many new divers just went along with what they were being told to do regardless of how they felt about it. I ingrain in my students that any diver can call off or end any dive for any reason. If they feel that anything doesn't make sense to them, ask questions about it. I didn't hear any of the divers asking questions that day. I saw these issues... I know that many others did too.

#oregoncoastaquarium

#scubadiving

#divetheaquarium

#divetraining

https://jcaelitescuba.com

JCA Elite Scuba

Children learning how to dive in the Pacific Northwest

Believe it or not, kids often do better in scuba diving education because they haven't grown up with preconceived notions about the water, the equipment, or what it takes to be a scuba diver. I've taught kids as young as ten and all of them have surprised me. I've taught more adults, but often the roadblock to advancing is deeply rooted in anxieties that are often unjustified. I know I can't tell a diver to ignore fears, but when I tell a kid that a particular fear is something that they don't need to worry about, its, "oh, okay." They might tell their parents that they feel uncomfortable, but they get reassurance two-fold; from their parents and me.

Adults have fear of drowning, fear of sharks, fear of being left on the open ocean, fear of equipment failure, fear of running out of air, etc... The kids' responses are the best:

Fear of drowning (When I ask them what happens if they take the regulator out of their mouth underwater): "Duh." Yep, that look of, "are you serious?" "Do I look stupid?" I never have to tell kids to not take the regulator out of their mouth and just keep breathing. To them, it's just common sense!

Getting eaten by sharks: "Cool." I don't have to remind kids that a person is twice as likely to be killed by a vending machine than eaten by a shark. When they ask me if I've ever seen sharks and I tell them, "yes," it's always, "Cool." "What did you do?" "I swam up to them." "Whoa..." "That's what I want to do."

Left out in the open ocean: "Does that mean I don't have to do chores?" Fantastic answer!

Equipment failure (equipment failure is rare; accidents are typically diver error -- so when I ask what is the easiest way to make sure everything is in good working order before getting into the water): "Buddy check."

Running out of air: "That's what the SPG is for. I like air." I ask, "How much?" They answer, "A lot."

Confidence is a huge advantage for kids. Parents regularly promote their children's abilities and emphasize doing their best. Isn't it amazing that adults seem to forget that or back track as they get older. We start doubting everything. Kids learn that the activity becomes natural with practice and doing it often is a reward. They focus on all the cool things that are going to happen and not on what is very unlikely to happen.

We can learn a lot from kid's perspective on learning new things. There is a perspective about diving in the PNW -- "If you can do it here, you can do it anywhere." I really believe it. Not only are the conditions variable, the weather unpredictable, and a lot more equipment necessary, but the water is cold.

Scuba teaches responsibility, focus, attention to deal, relaxation, team work, and patience. Get your kids diving early and watch how those traits are carried forward into other activities and shapes them into confident adults.

Redundant Breathing Systems... Confidence... the next step...

  Recreational diving and technical diving used to be a lot closer in the activities performed. Diving was done by a select few that were very well trained. They dove a lot and practiced their skills, including the emergency skills on a regular basis. One of the biggest myths in scuba diving is that you can run out of air underwater. As discussed in a previous blog, running out of air, unless done on purpose, seldom happens, and as I expressed, "you cannot run out of air." Please read the blog to find out why... Even so, basic scuba divers learn at least a couple of emergency techniques to deal with out of air situations. The emergency buoyant ascent and the emergency swimming ascent are two. A controlled emergency swimming ascent is part of every scuba diver's open water training. The question you have to ask yourself is, "do I remember how to do it?" Look up "s-drill."

 

As a NAUI dive instructor, I teach my students to be good dive buddies. Nonetheless, just because you are in the same ocean as your buddy, doesn't mean they will be in arms reach if you ever run out of air. Sharing air with a buddy is the prefered method to ascend safely to the surface. 

Most certification agencies don't encourage "solo diving." As a diver with technical experience, I understand that a technical dive is a solo dive. Technical divers plan accordinly and often follow decompression schedules that means they are required to stop at different depths. That being said, each diver on a technical dive site may not be able to exit the water together, so sharing air to the surface is problematic. Technical divers also plan for the worst case scenario and bring what they need to resolve those issues at depth. Recreational divers plan that in a worst case scenario, they've got to get to the surface.

 

Until you are ready to start your technical training, there are things that you can do to better manage your gas. You can follow a "rule of thirds." This might not be your best option unless you are diving with a very large cylinder. Most divers want to get the most time out of every dive and leaving a third of your gas in the cylinder usually means shorter dives. You can learn to manage your air consumption. Yes, your air consumption usually gets better over time, but how much air you are consuming on your dive is only part of gas management. The time to a site, time on a site, and the time to return to the shore are also part of it. Those takes time to learn and lots of dives to master.

 

There have been divers that jokingly have asked me if I was going to run out of air. They see the extra cylinder I regularly dive with and wonder what that's all about. When I do dives, I don't plan on running out of air, and while I have never had an equipment failure nor an out of air emergency, it could happen.

Divers carrying redundent breathing system can develop a level of confidence beyond emergency skills. I've seen it. I believe that the diver should be as confident even without the RBS. Look at it this way, if your dive buddy isn't near enough and there is an issue, you can be your own buddy and make your ascent safely and slowly, breathing all the while. 

If you don't dive with an RBS, have you been mentally rehearsing those skills and going over the maneuvers and procedures on a regular basis? One of my newest students demonstrated his confidence on a dive at Clear Lake. His regulator free flowed and he did exactly what he was supposed to. We shared air to the surface. He was totally cool during the whole procedure.

Likewise, one can't say that just because you have the equipment, that using it effectively is going to happen, either. Just like emergency skills, RBS skills need to be practiced. Ascents with and RBS have to be practiced. A few of my students have shared a confidence they didn't know before diving with their RBS. If they ever were on their own, they don't feel that the lack of a dive buddy is a danger. 

So, are you going to fork out a couple hundred extra dollars (minimum) for equipment you'll never use? The purpose of owning it is for emergency purposes, but owning it alone might not reduce any of the risks of diving. In fact, I was recently made aware of a change in policy requiring an RBS on a particular dive site. This dive site had a regular policy that an RBS was required in order to participate. Being an instructor myself, the dive guide felt comfortable sharing some of what they saw. Untrained in its use precipitated to several divers actually running out of air. While no injuries occurred, they could have. The common mistakes included: the diver starting the dive out on the smaller cylinder; switching to the redundant cylinder to extend bottom time; and in one instance, even completing the dive on the redundant cylinder because they interpreted, "returning to the surface with 500psi in the tank on their back," meaning that at 500psi the diver must switch to their redundant cylinder. 

If you want to learn more about the RBS and learn how to use it, let me teach you how.