Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!amd!decwrl!decvax!ittvax!bunker!gmm From: gmm@bunker.UUCP (Gregory M. Mandas) Newsgroups: net.rec.scuba Subject: Learning to dive the right way Message-ID: <528@bunker.UUCP> Date: Fri, 14-Sep-84 16:49:19 EDT Article-I.D.: bunker.528 Posted: Fri Sep 14 16:49:19 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 02:23:56 EDT Lines: 53 ? [] To anyone learning to dive I would suggest learning from your local university. This is because Dive shops are in business to make money and like to turn over classes quickly. This leads to a tendency to cut out subject matter not required by the certification association. Your local university must fill an entire semester/quarter with a quality course with enough class and lab (pool) time to qualify for credit hours. They are more likely to dive [ :-) ] deeper into subjects and require more of the student at exam time. This is the nature of the university environment. For your own region you need to look into the situation. I cann't say that universities are always better, but I feel as a whole they are. The specific material I am talking about is the medical consequences of diving. (Some schools include a CPR course.) Diving is full of dangers if the proper procedures are no followed. Query: Is it common knowledge that the symptoms of the bends can surface 15 years after the incident without any prior indication. Is it common knowledge that a study of the navy dive tables showed that if followed to the letter they may bend the average diver in cold water. I am kind of a snob when it comes to my training because I feel I received the best and am a safer diver because of it. Allow me to relay two incidents that point this out. As an assistant instructor one of our classes was out for their first open water dive. (which was the certification test, we did all our instruction in the pool) At the lake the same day was an "advanced" class from the local dive shop. Several of the shop's advanced students were cramping up due to the cold and improper preparation. Without a moments hesitation our beginners were preforming open water rescues. The second incident was in Tobermorey Canada. The day before we arrived a couple died. The local boat captains were not very interested when we requested to make the same dive the next day. (110 feet in 34 degree water to a fully intact ship wreak) After a discussion with the captain on the procedures and dive plans we were going to follow he allowed the dive. After watching the first of 10 dive pairs the captain went up-top and took a nap. I know this sounds a little high hatted but I fear for divers with minimal training. There are zillions of ways to get hurt diving. (Even while not diving trying to cross a street) The best way to stay alive is to know what you are up against. Do not skimp on SCUBA education. It is fun and can be safe. Greg Mandas (Do you know where the nearest recompression ittvax!bunker! gmm chamber is and the phone number? Be sure you supply the quarter in case it's you that needs to go.)