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Dave Sender: Dave Dalton Date: 4/6/99 12:48 AM >I agree completely that you have to get wet to learn to dive and I think >Jim Cobb posted the best explanation of how to acquire experience/wisdom >in the sport that I have ever had the pleasure to read. (Jim, when your >head gets down to normal size after that compliment, would you please >re-post that). In a nutshell it said if you want to be a better diver go >out and dive, dive, dive, dive in all sorts of situations, in murky >water, cold water etc. That is how I learned to dive in 1962. And last >year that's what I put my son through. And as a result of it he developed >into a very competent diver who knows how and why, not just "because >that's what they told me". Unfortunalty for me my big head is a genetic problem. Anyway as requested: ------------------------- Dang, Manny, you sure learned the hard way. I would like to add that the most important thing about getting trained is for the trainee to realize that no matter how good (or bad) the instuction is it is YOUR ASS. That's right, nobody is responsable for your ass but you. In this light, IMHO, it behooves the neophyte tech diver wannabe to: - Dive, dive, dive. Dive in the crappyiest conditions you can find. Get cold, uncomfortable and queasy over and over in 60-100' dives. Don't go into deco until you have done 60-70 dives in rotten, cold, shitty conditions with a SINGLE TANK. There is absolutely nothing you can do which will make up for experience. You must be absolutely and totally comfortable underwater at night, in zero viz, in strong surges, cold, etc. under all conditions before you take on a virtual or actual overhead obligation. There is nothing in the classroom which can take the place of this, nothing. Those 150 dive down in the Grand Caymans do not count, you need to be able to function when conditions are not ideal, as most tech dives are done in conditions which are not ideal. - Go ahead and fuck up. Go ahead and make your learning mistakes and scare the shit out of yourself now while you still have the opportunity to survive. Using a single tank is a key to this, you are forced to learn how manage your air supply. You are forced to intimately come to grips with the thing that keeps you alive underwater. You must learn your breathing patterns and usage. When you get to the point that you forget you have a regulator in your mouth you are making progress. - After you have done the above you have to have a real Coming To Jesus with yourself. Do you really want to do this sort of thing? Do you really want to make the investment in money, equipment and time to risk your life in this fashion? Really, truly? Do you life insurance which covers scuba? Have you had all the kids you are planning on? Is your Last Will & Testament squared away? Has the Doctor given you the OK? YOU are the only person who will know when YOU are ready. - Don't buy anything that you are not sure you need. To find out what you need look at a DIR configuration. I know, I know, but you will have to trust me on this one, go DIR and save yourself from doing a "Manny". Although learning the hard way does sometimes have it's advantages, I really hate all the ruined dive time I had with bogus equipment and almost quit the sport because of it. My trimix page has a links to all you need to know, check out the GUI web site and look under equipment. Thats what you need. - What did I say earlier? Oh yeah. ITS YOUR ASS! Don't depend on ANYBODY to pull your cookies out of the vise. You must be prepared to handle all contingencies. You must read and investigate all aspects of this "tech thing". You must understand decompression and understand completely what breathing high PP's of gas is doing to your body. You must understand your physical limitations. Other than vague liability concerns your instructor really does not give 2 shits about you after you are out on your own. It is your ass. Read, read, read. To understand when you are ready you must be aware of all the risks. In this sport, knowledge is life. While I don't have the experience of many divers on this list, I do know this: There are some people who should not be diving, and you need to determine without a doubt if you are one of them before you get to the point of no return. I know that if one day I come to this realization you will suddenly have the opportunity to purchase a complete DIR rig at a great price. There's nothing down there worth dying for. Jim Sender: Manuel Kallis Date: 1/13/99 5:33 AM >Firstly, go to the bank and get a personal load for about $10 to $15k, >then go directly to your nearest Dive store (regardless whether or not >they are qualified in Deep Tech instruction)and tell them how much you >want to spend, the store person (a snow skier with snorkeling >quailifications) will then inform you of what >you have been looking for and what you want. > >After parting with every cent you have, you will find yourself in >possesion of a shit load of gear that doesn't match up until you've >modified it many times. > >The instructor (after completeing his third open water course and 112th >dive) will teach you everything he knows in one theory session. Then the >practical portion. If you survive and go on deep diving you will begin to >gain confidence possibly after 12 months or so(20 odd deep dives??), and >will now start to actually feel comfortable and with skills to match. > >This is a natural evolution which only allows the good divers to breed, >ensuring prime breeding stock at all times. It also forces weak >instructors to fail and leave the sport of which they have become >accustomed to, thru litigation and the inability to properly insure >themselves thereafter. Sending them back to their destined path of >snorkeling. > >Hoping this helps >Hoping you survive >Manny. >-- >Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. >Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. > ------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn About Trimix at http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/trimix.html -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn About Trimix at http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/trimix.html -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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