From: awright@gssec.bt.co.uk (Alan Wright)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.scuba-l
Subject: Re: ALAN WRIGHT - WHO HATES CRUEL DIVEMASTERS
Date: 10 Nov 92 18:17:33 GMT
Organization: BT, Software Engineering Centre, Glasgow, UK

In article <9211091516.AA06972@spiff.spatial.com>,
sgl@SPATIAL.COM ((Steven G. Lanaghen)) writes:

|>         I am a Public Safety Scuba Instructor (I teach members of Dive Rescue
|>         teams) and if it's any consolation, your instructors had to go through
|>         the same thing you did.  Instructors in particular HAVE to be the
|>         strongest and most informed.  I realize it's hard work, but it is
|>         something to take pride in as well - something that sets you apart
|>         from the average scuba tourist.  Recreational diving is great, and you
|>         don't have to be the strongest or smartest for that.  If recreation
|>         is all your after, you don't need to work that hard.  If your goal
|>         is to be an example and superior diver (Divemaster) or to teach
|>         others the skills (Instructor) - you get what you pay for!

Enough, enough! I admit defeat.

But seriously, I think reviewing safety procedures is good but some
people get a bit obsessive. I have some sympathy for Hans and his
buddy breathing. IMHO there is a limit to the benfit of repetitive
practising of this type of exercise. All flames accepted.

Once you have been through the buddy breathing exercises a few times
you learn nothing from constant repitition. That is why it is good to
rotate participation in novice training. IMHO you learn more teaching
others than you do being taught. A lot of what you teach people is
either forgotten or goes over their head. But for you to teach it
properly requires a very good understanding. Having said that I think
if you haven't done a particular exercise for a year you really
should run through it.

However, taking buddy breathing as the example, how many people will
ever buddy breath in a real emergency where performing the exercise
is the problem. I am not counting cave diving here since obviously
nobody goes in caves without complete redundancy :-). My other
assumption is that you and your buddy dive with at least two second
stages each (either octopus or BC source).

Okay, assuming both your sources or your 1st stage have packed up
and just as you start using your buddy's alternate source it gives
up as well. Now you have to buddy breath. The problem isn't going to
be buddy breathing, it is going to be panic because three or four
pieces of equipment have just given up the ghost and you are down to
your last option. I don't believe that having practised buddy
breathing 10 times in the last month is going to help. Anticipating
the reaction - it wouldn't have done any harm.

I have been diving when my buddy panicked doing something that should
have been routine. He was trying to clear his mask when he got water
up his nose and he felt he couldn't breath. Why should he panic, we
had been diving all week and I had seen him clear his mask on almost
every dive. It wasn't lack of practice and we were in only 12m so it
wasn't the depth (just for the record everything turned out ok).

Alan.
 
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awright@gssec.bt.co.uk (Alan Wright)
BT, Software Engineering Centre, Glasgow, UK
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