Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Message Display

>I had the opportunity to dive with various Navy Seals in unusual
>circumstances for them: training actors for motion picture action
>sequences.
>
>On the matter of fins, it appears that, just as for weapons, they have
>the choice. Most stick to the standard issue undersized jetfin (for
>maneuverability and storage reasons), but many also say they choose the
>ForceFin.
>
>On the matter of SEAL vs PADI training, as you say, they address totally
>different needs. And both are VERY GOOD at what they do. PADI does not
>purport to train anyone to do any kind of warfare diving. But seals do
>sometimes wish to turn civilian, and there is indeed a crossover path
>for SEALS wishing to obtain a civilian PADI (or any other agency)
>certification and to dive in a civilian way. Further, a seal wishing to
>become a civilian agency divemaster or instructor will have to train
>with this agency, as it not so much his ability to dive as to teach the
>civilian way which will have to be covered. So it is not unusual to meet
>seals in regular shops or schools.
>
>Kind regards
>
>John Simenon



John,

Never meant to imply otherwise. I suppose I got lost in the previous
exchange (that'll learn me to jump into the middle of a thread instead of
the beginning!). I got the impression that some people thought a civilian
shop was involved with military training (a point I think we all agree
makes no sense on the face of it).

Military guys going for their civilian instructor tags... that's a whole
other issue. Of course they have to cross all the civilian wickets set up
by the civilian agencies, since there is damn little cross-over in skills
(unless PADI is now issuing c-cards for laying sachel mine charges! ...
Let's see the look on their faces when you lay THAT card on the table at
your next air fill or dive boat sign-in!!   <g>)

I see in the last Alert Diver that PADI is now issuing a direct cross-over
for Navy 2nd class divers (that's a Navy rate... not an editorial comment
on their skills <g>) to civilian Advanced Open Water. I got the impression
from the article that it was something fairly recent.

As far as the fin issue. I just went skimming through the Joint Combat
Camera files looking for released photos of Navy divers/SEALS to use for
filler slides for a lecture of mine coming up, and I must confess I didn't
see anyone wearing Force Fins. I DID see guys wearing fins other than
Jetfins so that doesn't mean somebody's not wearing them. I did see a bunch
of jetfins or jetfin copies. But you are correct, there is a degree of
(dare I say it?) "personal preference" when it come to gear.

Robb W

====================================
CDR Robert B. Wolov, MC, (FS), USNR
Department of Orthopedic Pathology
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Washington, DC 20306-6000

wolov@hi*.co* (preferred)
wolov@em*.af*.os*.mi*


--
Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Send list subscription requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]