Ted-

If you have ever seen a documentary of SEAL training you will notice that
each team is required to carry around a very large log. While SEALs are
trained to kill in many different ways, when they go to battle I doubt they
are expected to use a large log to beat the enemy to death. The instructors
use the log to make a point, and that is to work as a team.

The point of the shrinkwrap drill is that many (perhaps most) drysuit divers
put wau too much air in their suit. The drill pointed out that, aside from
some discomfort, you can (and you should be able to) function in a drysuit
with little or no air. Why do you want minimal air in your suit? Because it
is impossible to maintain a horizontal neutral buoyancy position with a
bubble of air rolling around in your suit.  Most divers swim with a
head/chest up position and wind up pushing the water out of the way rather
than swimming through it. Too cold? You got the wrong underwear.

And it's true, I walked away from the course in disgust, but I was disgusted
with my performance, not the course. The course just showed me that I was
lacking in some areas which are pretty basic.

I am aware of and have developed techniques to overcome some of my
shortcomings, but most techniques were based on the "I sure hope to hell I
don't have to actually do this one day, or I'm fucked" frame of mind. This
is not a responsible frame of mind for a married guy with 2 young kids.

For example using an anchor line or upline to a lift bag to control your
buoyancy (which is what most wreck divers do). It does not require much
thought as to the problems you will have if you loose grip of the anchor
line or your lift bag collapses and you have an hour of deco ahead of you.
Saying to yourself "well, I will just make damn sure I don't let go of the
fucking line" simply does not cut it and you are fooling yourself. Should
this happen to me in my present state of buoyancy control, I would either
sink like a rock or wind up on the surface embolised.

I know I could overcome these problems (anybody could who set their mind to
it) and I am envious of those who's situation allows them to commit to the
practice time needed to master these fundamental skills. The buoyancy thing
was just one of the issues I had. I look forward to when I can devote myself
to my favorite sport but at this time I figure that there is nothing down
there worth dieing for.

Don't pass judgment on this course from the posts. I am serious, DIR
fundamentals will open your eyes. If you get a chance to take it, Ted, don't
pass it up. If you are already a super diver then the course will make you a
better one, I have no doubts on this. I should have stuck with it as I
missed some really super material on the next day even though that first day
made up my mind that I was going to bag the sport until I can do it right.

   Jim

On 5/7/02 08:37 AM, "Ted Green" <scuba@md*.co*> wrote:

> 
> From:               Capt JT <captjt@mi*.co*>
> Subject:            Dir fundamentals instructor beats up student for DIW part
2
> 
>> BTW, I forgot to mention we were not allowed to hook up our DS
>> inflators, the squeeze made reaching your valves much harder.
> 
> Maybe I'm missing something here. The only time I have had the
> "shrink wrap effect" was on a descent when the dry suit inflator
> hose came off. No problem, reconnect drysuit inflator hose or
> inflate wing and return to surface. If you have a regulator or power
> inflator failure which prevents buoyancy control, ditch weight and
> return to the surface. "Shrink wrap effect" is a shallow water
> problem where the greatest volume change occurs, usually the first
> 33'. If your not putting gas in your drysuit until you hit the bottom,
> you have a skill problem, or you don't understand how to operate a
> dry suit properly, or you just like the sensation of your testicles
> being squeezed. To me, valve shut down drills while shrink wrapped
> would be pointless.
> 
> JT maybe you should take Andrew to one of the 40 degree quarries
> let him enter the water with his drysuit zipper open and let him
> demonstrate gas shut down drills, buoyancy skills, and deco stops
> with a flooded drysuit. Having to complete a dive with a flooded
> drysuit in cold water is probably a thousand times more likely than
> than his exercise.
> 
> While I'm not a member of the Jim Cobb fan club, I tip my hat and
> congratulate him as being the only one willing to say, "this is
> bullshit!" and walk away.
> 
> Ted
> 
> 
> Ted Green
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Dive Charter Boat: O.C. Diver
>                  Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland
>                  http://www.ocdiver.com
>                  410.742.1992  800.637.2102
>                  Fax 410.749.9410
> "Diving the Atlantic coast from Cape May NJ to Cape Charles VA."
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> --
> Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
> Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
> 

--
Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Send subscribe/unsubscribe 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]