Posted on 05/21/2021 12:41:09 PM PDT by karpov
Scuba diving ought to be very dangerous. Recreational diving involves submerging to depths of up to 60 feet. If something goes wrong at that depth, a quick return to the surface is not an option. Ascending to the surface too quickly will cause decompression sickness, which can be deadly. The diver needs to solve any problems beneath the surface, where human beings are out of their element.
Yet scuba diving is actually quite a safe sport. Divers have a fatal accident about as often as joggers. The reason is that everyone who goes scuba diving must be certified, and certification requires completing a three-day course.
The certification process couldn’t be more different from traditional higher ed. When a life is on the line, the material must be accessible and memorable. Not so for a college class.
In a typical college class, students do readings and homework, then show up to a lecture hall (or Zoom meeting) and listen to a professor drone on for an hour at a time. If a student doesn’t understand the material, the class moves on and the hapless student must teach themselves or fall behind. At the end of the semester, students spend late nights in the library cramming, then regurgitate everything they’ve “learned” out again on a final exam that may count for 80 percent of their grades.
After the course is over, the knowledge may fall out of students’ heads before they leave for summer vacation. The problem is that, unlike scuba certification, traditional higher education doesn’t prioritize a teaching method that ensures students will retain information.
(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...
SCUBA is great, but breath-hold is much better when possible.
“The SEALplane underwater dive plane by Matt Bracken”
How to fly underwater with a simple piece of plywood and some nylon line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihFsoC-WHO4&t=85s&ab_channel=MattBrackenMattBracken
Totally off topic ... the SEALplane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XZZEEAmMyo&ab_channel=LovingLifeLovingLife
“Recreational diving involves submerging to depths of up to 60 feet.”
Stopped right there. Author is obviously not knowledgeable about diving.
The closest thing that the colleges have are the co-op programs, mostly in engineering. Such programs were not available when I was in college, however towards the end of my studies I had to switch to night courses and work during the day as a technician, mostly due to money. The practical experience paid off, having done electrical wiring and troubleshooting control panels and electronic instrumentation. On my first engineering job I was pretty much hitting the ground running.
I couldn’t imagine trying to SEALplane with a regulator stuck in my mouth. Besides, the feel like flying aspect would vanish.
Basic O/W certified divers are technically limited to 60-ft. NAUI Divemaster.
I agree. The smallest/flattest low-volume mask or goggles are best. Snorkel and fins are not needed. You “breach” way up for a breath, or just cruise high on the surface with the board canted up at an angle.
It’s a matter of interpretation. The author is relating his experience in his initial dive class. That’s the way I took it, anyway.
Yes, I seem to remember it was somewhere around 120 ft for the basic PADI cert.
Is there another limit for a tourist type thing where you only take a short class?
And 60 feet is nowhere near deep enough to not be able to do an emergency weight drop type assent.
It’s been many years, so I could be off a bit.
“Basic O/W certified divers are technically limited to 60-ft.”
That’s stupid. PADI was 120. Kwaj Divemaster.
That’s called Trade Schools.
I certified in 1988 and I'm good to 120 ft. (been on several to 110)
My impression is that something changed and you now need "Advanced" to go to 120.
Basic O/W is 60ft. Advanced O/W is 30m (100ft). I think it used to be 130ft.
I got my Basic & Advanced PADI O/W in 1996. I can’t find anything posted that suggests when they created the Advanced. I seem to remember the limit was 130 fsw. They must have de-tuned the tables again.
Must be the lawyers because the physics didn’t change.
“You “breach” way up for a breath”
The Dolphin effect is awesome!
Analogies tend to have inadequacies and this one is no different. It works better if one considers that every time you dive in your dive master (public school teacher) wants to harm you.
Probably legal reasons. I have a few C-cards from a small organization called PDIC. There we used the US Navy dive tables that were simply “red-lined” a pressure group below the Navy exposure limits. I guess that it was considered legally safer & cheaper to use the government standards that were developed & continually refined since WW2?
Yet all the organizations keep lowering the age for a junior-certification. THAT seems crazy to me.
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