The training is not easy, but the end result is a better diver and instructor.
The ultimate goal is demonstration quality skills that are performed with ease and efficiency. It is the getting there that is so difficult. The skills are not just the open water basic skills but all the skills through Divemaster, all demonstration quality. All done while teaching someone how it is done, the right way.
Tonight, started with a bailout.
After the bailout everyone geared up and read the first of 4 notes written and weighted down on the bottom.
1 ditch scuba unit
ESA
snorkel 50 yards
go to 2
2 ditch mask and fins
swim 50 yards
recover mask and fins
go to 3
3 recover scuba unit
get neutral and hover
wait for buddy
perform scuba rescue
4 perform demonstration of
mask clears
regulator recoveries
fin pivot
swim 50 yards fast
Almost all the tasks were completed. A little rust had to be knocked off. But overall, I think the year started out right with definite forward progress.
Next academic session is on wednesday.
3 comments:
Hey Dean
When it comes to skills, I am starting to get a little confused.
It goes something like this, Speed it up! slow it down, speed it up, get it done, slow it down.speed it up, your going to fast, slow it down. Would you please share your insights on this to help me understand and reconcile the feedback. Also, when you are doing a skill demo in a student setting for practice, do you mimick the skill before you demo it or do you just demo it?
Gary,
Good Questions all. For me, I give the signal for the task, then perform the skill "demonstration quality" with all that entails at a moderate speed. Then ask the student to perform the skill.
Every evaluator has an ideal in their mind as to what demonstration quality is for each skill. This is not always exactly the same for everyone. It should be very close though!
Some skills should be done slower so that the student can see and understand, while others (as discussed last night ie fin pivot) can be done slightly faster.
For instance, when demonstrating a rescue, you don't stop forward movement to the exit. Another example would be demonstrating a hover at neutral buoyancy. You should not be constantly adjusting air in and out of the BC, while bobbing between positive going up and negative going down. Hit it, adjust with minimal fine tuning then rock solid at the choosen depth.
Skills like mask clears can be done slower demonstrating comfort with water on the face and proper technique to rid water from the mask.
As an instructor you will have to find that balance between speed, repeatition, individual needs and advancing the class as a whole to the end goal. Sometimes this can be challenging.
As we have discussed in class, not everyone learns the same way or the same speed. Some people require a little time to process, some additional supervised practice and surprisingly sometimes time away from the pool to think about it.
I hope this helps on your quest!!!
Thanks for the reply, your feedback is always of help.
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