A Tribe Called K2 Buhl-oog!

This Post was written by, and seeded from Duane Johnson  of Precision Diving On February – 26 – 2009

I recently had a conversation with a potential student about how I teach team diving techniques compared to what is taught in traditional diving classes. It occurred to me that many divers do not know the difference between team diving and buddy diving. They feel that if they stay with their buddy and can air share in an emergency, that is team diving. It is not, team diving is much more than sticking with your buddy and helping out in an emergency.

First, let’s define buddy diving as it is taught in traditional diving classes. When people go through these classes, they are taught to stick with your buddy, do air shares, and some basic buddy rescue skills. While these skills are important, it does not take the place of working as a team. Buddy diving, is simply looking after each other. The buddy is just there. It doesn’t do much for the safety of the team nor the objectives of the dive. One of the biggest areas where buddy diving fails is in the pre-dive planning stage. In traditional PADI diving classes, students are normally taught BWRAF as their pre-dive plan. That is an acronym for: BCD, Weights, Releases, Air, Final OK. There is no discussion as to how they will descend, swim around, communicate, when to thumb the dive and ascend. This is where buddy diving breaks down.

So, what is team diving? Let’s use the analogy of a football team. US football, not soccer that is. In football, the team works together to work their way down the field to score a touchdown. Everyone on the field has a job to do in order to ensure success. If one area of the team fails, then the quarterback gets sacked, the running back fumbles the ball, or the team must punt away the ball. If an offensive lineman does not do his job effectively, then the quarterback or running back can, potentially, get hurt. The same is true for team diving. The team must work together to ensure the safety of all members of the team. Next time you watch a NFL game, watch the offensive linemen. They are always pointing to something, shouting at each other, etc. The quarterback reads the defense and may change the play at the line of scrimmage (i.e. call an audible). This is an excellent demonstration of constant team communication. Each member of the team knows where other teammates are at at all times. Just as in diving, we must be able to effectively communicate to let the team know where we are at, what to look out for, etc. We do this with passive and active light communication.

It all Starts in the Beginning

To ensure team success, the entire team must be on the same page. Not just in knowing what is expected, but in skill and experience level. Inexperienced divers can learn a great deal from experienced divers, but they must learn it at their current experience level before moving on to something more aggressive and out of their level. This is one aspect of diving where people get into trouble. They simply try to do dives, or take classes, that are above what they are really capable of handling. The problem is they don’t know when to put the brakes on their diving and say, I need to get better before moving on. They don’t do a honest assessment of their diving skills. I had to learn this the hard way, see here.

As part of the pre-dive plan, the team must get together and determine how the dive will get done. They must determine what the goal of the dive will be, who will lead, what the gas plan is, etc. For shallow reef dives, this can be very simple and take only a few minutes. For complex decompression dives, it can take days.

The Team that Descends Together, Stays Together

The majority of diving problems occur during the initial descent of the dive. As a team, it is important to stay together during the descent. There are multiple team descent techniques that can be employed, depending on the water conditions. This is where you need to have learned team diving from a good instructor to knows team diving protocols, not reading off the internet.

A good number of diving accidents have occurred when diving alone. Now, that doesn’t only mean solo diving. It includes when buddies lose contact and separate from one another. If the team descends together and gets to the target depth, then the leader can communicate to the team the direction to swim. This helps keep the team together and swimming off in the right direction. In other words, everybody starts the dive together.

Lending a Helping Hand, or Two, or Three

When the proverbial crap hits the fan, I want my team members there to help me out. This shouldn’t be confused with being self-sufficient. If I’m having a problem with a gas leak, my teammates can see my valves where I cannot. They can tell me which one to shut down, or just do it for me if I am dealing with another problem. They are there to provide me gas, if for some reason I need it. In other words, my teammates must be on the same page as me so that we can prevent small issues/problems from becoming larger (i.e. the incident pit). When diving as a team, all resources become team resources. This includes equipment, gas, etc. But it also includes that person’s experience. This is where solo diving courses fail because the diver solely relies on their own, possibly limited, experience. When I’m diving with less experienced divers, I’m able to prevent or foresee potential problems they may have based on my past diving experiences. A diver’s education and experience level is a big resource one can bring to the table in the team environment.

The bottom line is that divers shouldn’t be fooled by instructors/dive stores who are claiming to teach team diving. Nine times out of ten, they are only talking about buddy diving and not team diving. Do your homework and ask the all important question, “How?”. An instructor who truly teaches team diving will be able to teach more than just the “buddy system” and teach how the team can achieve it’s goals, including teams with more than 2 or 3 people.

I welcome your questions or comments.

Dive Safe,
Duane Johnson
Precision Diving

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My background is in aviation. I have been a pilot, technician, inspector, trainer, instructor and manager. One thing I know after 14 years doing this flying thing is that standardization is the life of the industry.  It has lead to sharp decreases in accidents made flying easier and more accessible to the general public.  Why cant this be so for SCUBA and more importantly, why hasn’t it been implemented yet?

I have recently had the revelation that all of SCUBA should follow a standardized system for equipment and training. This would be a huge benefit to the industry in many ways. Lets take a look at how this could work.

First, standardized equipment would allow for the newbie coming into the sport to feel that they are not getting taken with extraneous “stuff” for the sake of a bigger sale. This was my initiation into the sport and should not be for anyone else if I can help it.

Next is safety. If all gear is the same, in the same place, and looks the same, then we all could rest assured that what we will need in an emergency will be where we expect it when the time comes to find it. Simple concepts with huge ramifications.

This was written originally by my good friend, John Flanders an amazing Master Instructor Extrordinaire and Principal of Academy of SCUBA, located in Peoria, Arizona.

There is a host of wisdom for your review:

I’ve been diving for 20 years and while I’ve thought about that question (how to choose an instructor?), I don’t think I’ve really come up with an answer. I think the answer to that question is a derivative from the answer of “what makes a great diver” or “how do you know a good diver from a bad diver”. Obviously, a great instructor turns out great divers!  Then the selection process begins.

Stepping out of Scuba for a minute, I thought I would draw a comparable to golfing. While I enjoy golfing, I am certainly not a great golfer. Why? I know how to play. I have most of the knowledge to make it from tee number one to hole number eighteen.

I’ve taken lessons from a professional. This is the list I came up with:

1. Passion: My passion lies in other places. Most of my spare time is spent Scuba Diving or teaching Scuba.  Between my family and other occupation, that leaves very little time for anything else. Thus, golf becomes a distraction or social event more than something I am passionate about doing. I know, like most people, passionate golfers. They are crazily obsessed. And, when they meet another passionate golfer, it’s like they have known each other forever. I often wonder if that is how outsiders (to Scuba) perceive Scuba Divers hanging out at our shop. Without passion, you can never really be great at whatever you’re doing.

2. Dedication: Would I go golfing in terrible conditions? Would I blow off a business meeting to go golfing? Do I dedicate myself to going out weekly (or more often) to hone my skills? Do I dedicate funds to upgrade my equipment and education? Do I dedicate much of my free time to read (books, magazines and Internet) about theories, concepts and new trends in golfing?

No. Without dedication to something I am passionate about, I can never attain a level of true mastery. I can never be a great golfer.

3. Training: Above I discussed dedicating myself to honing skills. This is a huge part to becoming a great diver. Not only practicing skills, but immersing yourself in the theory behind the skills as well. It’s one thing to know how to take a mask off and put it back on; however it is completely different when you put mask removal into a real world scenario. e.g., a mask coming off in the ocean is usually preceded by a kick in the face (or a leak.). Getting back to golf, great and passionate golfers head out to the driving range religiously.

During lunch, before or after work, on the weekends. Most golfers spend more time on the driving range than actually on the golf course. Do Scuba Divers spend more time running skills and drills than actually Scuba Diving? Would Tiger Woods be a great golfer if he didn’t continue training on a driving range? Why does Tiger Woods (arguably one of the greatest golfers ever) have a coach? Should, we as divers find our mentor, our coach, to help smooth out our rough edges, just like Tiger. Yes. 

 ( a sidenote:  we at K2 have weekly beach dives that are mentioned here on this blog, as well as on Facebook.  Please ping us and come join a place you can call home.)

4. Experience: I was having a late dinner after class last night talking with another instructor. We were talking about the proverbial “advanced diver” who hasn’t dove in ten years. Would that same person be considered an advanced golfer if he hasn’t golfed in ten years? If a golfer never played more than 1 or 2 places, would he be considered an advanced golfer? To truly bring your level of expertise up, you need to experience a vast number of environments and do it frequently. Breadth of experience on a frequent basis is the sign of a great diver.

Back to Scuba!

Above are four (of many) key elements that lead to becoming a great diver. So, how do we translate this in identifying a good instructor versus a bad instructor?

First off, you are hiring someone to train you to become a scuba diver. Thus, doing a little due diligence or interviewing is a good idea. If you are not comfortable with a person during the “interview” process, then you probably won’t be comfortable with them in a learning environment. 

(if you find yourself being pressured or given a hard sell by a dive shop or instructor, walk away.  This is all about your safety, and none about their pocketbook.) 

One of the ways that I get comfortable with new divers is to do a Discover Scuba with them. Low investment for the
customer (around $20) and a good way to get to know each other before investing time and money in a full blow class.

Part of the interview process is to get to know if the Instructor is a great diver. Use the four attributes listed above and whatever list you generate to determine that. Ask questions, like where have you dove? Where was the last place you went fun diving? How often does your instructor take courses (to learn new skills)?

Video Courtesy of my friend, Duane Johnson (he is the one with the spot on buoyancy and trim and schweet finning techniques) of Precision Diving, Naperville Illinois
 

Just because he’s an instructor doesn’t mean he should stop learning. Have him/her talk about his/her mentors/role models. Talk about what makes him passionate about Scuba. Talk about equipment. How much does he own? How often does he upgrade his equipment? Would you trust a computer technician if he came to fix your computer and you found out he was still using Windows 95?

You’re taking an open water class, what does he see as valuable components to that class? What does he expect his students to take out of that class? When he answers you, does he just talk about skill mechanics or does he bring it into the real world? You can guess what the right answer is here. Can you talk to one of his other students (friends who dive are great sources for finding great instructors)? What are his thoughts on advanced education?

Most important, follow up with the question “why”? If he gives you a sales pitch and doesn’t have value sets behind the statement, then he really doesn’t have any thoughts on advanced education … just the party line.

Another thing you have to think about is how you plan on diving. Do you want to get into Photography, Wrecks, Caves, Cold Water Diving in San Diego, or maybe even a naturalist/environmental bend? Does this instructor have the skill sets to train you in the style of diving you want to pursue?

What I am really describing is someone who is a role model, a mentor, a trainer, and a good dive buddy. An instructor who can help you attain the level of diving you desire. An instructor who ‘lives the dive life’. An instructor who solidly advocates ongoing involvement and interest in your dive career (whatever that looks like).

When you find that instructor, stick to him like glue. Refer your friends and family.

On a separate note: I am a huge advocate for continuing education. It exposes divers to new skills, environments, and other divers. But most importantly, it keeps them learning, in the water and passionate about the sport. However, your instruction is only as good as

(1)the effort you put into the education,

(2) the instructor who is passionate about digging deep into the curriculum for that specialty.

Lastly, the shop in which you train is almost as important as the instructor. I said almost. I find the atmosphere of the shop emulates its instructor base and people who dive with them. Personally, I like a shop with character, K2 Scuba Dive Center is that type of operation. When you walk in, you feel more like family than a customer. A shop that smells like a dive shop (figuratively).

A shop where you can walk in and know any question is going to get answered by any of the staff. A shop where it’s more of experience than a shopping trip. Scuba is a recreation, a break from reality, a place where you go to escape. A shop doesn’t look like Wal Mart. It’s got flavor.

Of course, you want a shop that suits your personality. If you are someone who is extraverted, you want a shop with some flair. Although, be careful you don’t sacrifice substance for socializing. If you are someone who is more reserved or introverted, you probably want a quieter shop with less flash but plenty of substance.

The good news there are lots of shops in town and each is very good in its own way. This many shops also provide a lot of diversity and a true menu from which to select.

My two cents: Hope this helps.

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We are grateful to John for his sage words. For more information, or to help you in finding  a qualified instructor in your community, please give us a call at 866 K2 Diving Toll Free, or 818 982 2652 locally.

Also, I urge you, if you are in the Peoria area, please give John a call at 480.203.6040
John can be emailed by clicking the link.

Dive safe, dive deep, dive long,

Tevis