@dive_with_matt
Hi there mark! I’ve got another question for #AskMark if I may.
It’s regarding teaching of family members!
So myself as a DM, and my dad ( Master Instructor ) are both in status teaching. My dad has taught me to dive, and I’ve assisted on teaching my mum to dive, and have been asked to do both my sister and her fiancé’s DSD’s. I understand that legally ( fee’s have been paid so I am in status ) I can teach them. But I wasn’t sure if there would be a conflict of interest if they then went in to do an OW class with my dad for example as the certifying instructor?
What are your thoughts on teaching family to dive?
#scuba #scubadiving #scubadiver
LINKS
Become a fan: https://www.scubadivermag.com/join
Gear Purchases: https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/dive-gear
OUR WEBSITES
Website: https://www.scubadivermag.com Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Scuba Gear Reviews
Website: https://www.divernet.com Scuba News, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Travel Reports
Website: https://www.godivingshow.com The Only Dive Show in the United Kingdom
Website: https://www.rorkmedia.com For advertising within our brands
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/scubadivermag
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/scubadivermag
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/scubadivermagazine
As an instructor I wont train family or friends, I have done it in the past and it caused issues, mainly with regards to the over-familiarity .I also tend to seperate family members as it can put undue pressure on some to perform under the limelight. I’m sure some are fine with it, not for me.
It’s Probably not a Good Idea. When I did my OW Dives, The Instructor separated a Father and Son. I worked with the Son. It’s the Parents Instinct they’re trying to avoid. And to ensure the Students are doing What they need to be doing. Not just saying they did it.
Teaching family members, no. Simply no.
@AskMark
Thank you for tirelessly answering our questions! Scuba diving requires a certain level of fitness and is a good motivation to stay fit. From time to time I see somewhat beefier to ‘very robust’ people diving. What are the effects of increased body weight when diving? Are organs such as the heart and lungs more stressed underwater than in moderate land sports or does a little more body fat perhaps also have advantages underwater such as isolation, more stable buoyancy? Are there explicit risks that one should be aware of? It’s a lot of questions, but a general opinion from you would already help many of us to decide if we drop some weight before we drop off from the RIB the next time. Best regards.
Different tissues at body absorbs and donate gasses to blood circulation different speed. So if someone is overweight or are not in good fitness and heart rate rises at dive, he should set his computer more safer mode, or if he’s planning to dive at 60ft, he checks bottom times and deco at 70ft or 80ft table…
This is quite an interesting subject as there is not a clear correlation between obesity and a greater risk of decompression illness according to DAN®. *But* divers who are overweight are at greater risk for cardiac emergencies that can have serious consequences for both the diver and their buddy.
For me, it comes down to when something goes wrong. Any diver can complete a warm water dive with no current. But conditions change, accidents happen. Divers need to know that if they or their buddy fall unconscious, that they can get the unconscious diver to safety alone.
Moving another body is hard enough, if one or both of you is overweight it’s far harder and puts more strain on your heart. I think every diving and medical professional will recommend ‘robust’ divers loose some weight. That’s why I put myself on a diet recently after some weight gain.
I chose not to train my daughter formally. We would work on skills while having fun in the water, but I felt it was best to eliminate any possible anxiety when getting her certified. But I did do my research and found a great shop in Lauderdale by the Sea, FL called AQUI Water Sports and the owner, Ryan, taught her exactly how I would have. Not affiliated with them at all, but if you are there and want anything to do with water sports just go there.
Parallel question for you all from a true incident. Diver who had not been diving for over 12 years takes his significant other out in Gulf of Mexico and says she dove down about 4-6 feet to him and used his secondary respirator to experience what it is like to be underwater breathing. Safe? Dangerous? Possible? Probable? Fabricated story?
Possible, yes. Completely unnecessary risk, yes. Fabricated… why does it matter?
It’s probably true. Safe? No, unless trained to exhale on her way up.
@Mr. Beacher It matters because she allegedly drowned a week later while snorkeling with said companion diving seven feet below her.
Bad idea
@I See U quite the rabbit hole we are going down here…
Thanks for the reply Mark, glad to say everything went well and they’ve since done another DSD and will be doing their OW course at some point in the future!
Recreational diving shouldn’t be an issue. On the other hand, tech or overhung needs to be thoughtfully decided as those have actual risks.
#ASKMARK
Hey Mark. I’ve tried to google answer but I haven’t find any answers… So…
Commercial diver goes to holiday and wants to see bright corals and fishes. He doesn’t have any SSI, RAID or PADI certificates… Do shops recognize ADCI’s, IDSA’s or HSE’s commercial certifications? Or is it enough just open log book and show that for proof?
It depends…
Some of the larger dive centres should recognise commercial qualifications and your obvious competency on the boat but, I’d always call ahead just to be sure. Smaller or more inexperienced staff may not have heard of commercial qualifications and default to rejecting the diver. Some dive centres don’t even recognise some recreational agencies like BSAC but, they are getting better.
You’ll probably be able to convince most places with your logbook but to be safe I’d probably smash a PADI course. Everybody knows PADI.
I used to teach skiing, and so did my wife. We hired instructors, unknown to us, to teach our kids how to ski. The unspoken rule, you did not teach friends or family how to ski.
Hi,
Could you also talk about handling lead? Lead is poisonous, and the university of Washington has a “lead safety scuba divers” two pager, where they have warnings about handling lead, but it seems that no one is talking, or is worried about using lead weights. How should we wash, and store them? If we own them, soft or hard, how and where should we keep them? Could we wash them? Is Scubapro’s pvc covered soft lead better or safer? Etc.
Diving lead is relatively safe unless you often handle bare lead with your hands and then eat something without washing your hands.
It’s best to choose coated lead and if you have bare lead, put it in a pouch if you can so it can’t leach into the water. Shot lead is the worst because of the larger surface area and movement, the Scubapro Eco weights have a double pouch to contain the lead dust.
After handling lead it’s best to wash your hands and lead is best kept in a pouch or box of some kind. There isn’t a huge need to wash it between dives, just let it dry and store it in a sealed container low down on the ground.
#ask Mark question about dry suit zip care, myself and my son have recently brought new neoprene dry suit with brass zipper, the maintenance instructions say to lubricate the zip teeth with beeswax stick which was supplied, question is how much? Some say light ru other videos show fully cover the teeth, and is it both sides, ie inner and outer, thanks for any advice, ian
I first check the sealing surface of the zipper for damage or debris and then close the zip so the sealing surface is protected. Then rub the wax with a small amount of force on the metal teeth on the outside of the suit and run the zipper back and forth to work the wax in. You should be creating a groove in the wax stick.
Brand new zippers often require a bit more wax than normal as they’re quite stiff but, once you’ve done it a few times it should have a good layer of wax and only needs a light touch up
@Scuba Diver Magazine thanks for that, wasn’t sure if I needed to fill the teeth with wax or a light coat