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Post by Aquala1 on Sept 19, 2022 14:34:06 GMT -8
I’m in the process of fleshing out a lesson plan for my double hose i& vintage scuba certification course. Here’s an extremely rough, bullet point outline that I’m working from, and I want you guys to check it out to see if there’s anything I’m missing. Thanks in advance and I really appreciate your input.
Intro:
Instructor introduction and qualifications
Benefit of understanding the history of scuba and its methods. (1955-75)
Historical dive companies overview (USD, Voit, Healthways, Dacor, Sportsways) (Scott, Rose, Northhill, Swimaster)
Vintage scuba resources (VDH, VSS, Scuba Museum, A&D, JMJ wetsuits, Aquala)
Vintage scuba forums (VDH, VS Forums, Scubaboard)
Equipment:
Mask: Fit, types, and the benefits of a single skirted mask vs double skirt
Fins: Historical overview, and full foot vs open heel fins
Snorkel: The J-bend snorkel
Buoyancy: Safety floats and the horse collar BC
Knife: Evolution of the dive knife
Suits: Beavertail wetsuit overview/advantages. Overview of a vintage drysuit
Weights: Proper weighting and the quick release belt.
Dive watch: Historical models and modern replicas. Bezel types and how to use.
Depth Gauge: Gauge types and use
Tanks: Steel tanks and tank valve types
Pressure Gauges: Banjo fittings and other methods
Tank-check Gauge: Reason for use
Double hose regulator: Single stage, two stage and balanced two stage regs.
Dive planning:
Dive table review and how to calculate SAC rate.
Figuring dive times based on tank volume and SAC rate
Diving methods:
Mask: Clearing techniques for the single skirt mask
Snorkel: Clearing the snorkel & basic skin diving techniques
Weighting and buoyancy: Proper weighting w/o bc down to single pound increments. Weight belt removal and replacement.
Watch and depth gauge: Learning to use the two together
Tanks: discuss buoyancy characteristics and how it changes over the dive. Practice using the J-valve
Regulators (double hose): Buddy breathing, clearing a flooded hose, and recovering a lost mouthpiece.
Calculating individual SAC rate post dive
Modern double hose diving:
Selecting a vintage regulator for modernization.
Modernization basics and improvements
Diving the modern configuration (BP/wing)with a long hose
Donating the long hose
Cleaning and inspecting the regulator
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Post by Tusker on Sept 19, 2022 16:34:26 GMT -8
I don't have anything helpful to add, but do let us know when you start officially teaching it!
Jacob
PS If you need test students I am more than happy to oblige
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Post by cnotthoff on Sept 19, 2022 16:40:02 GMT -8
Will this course require previous scuba certification? Many divers' introduction to scuba was a vintage format, just because we started so long ago.
Good Dives,
Charlie
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Post by Aquala1 on Sept 19, 2022 16:55:01 GMT -8
Will this course require previous scuba certification? Many divers' introduction to scuba was a vintage format, just because we started so long ago. Good Dives, Charlie Yes, this will be a specialty and will require Basic Openwater as a minimum. |
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Post by Aquala1 on Sept 19, 2022 17:22:03 GMT -8
I don't have anything helpful to add, but do let us know when you start officially teaching it! Jacob PS If you need test students I am more than happy to oblige Thanks Jacob, it should be a pretty fun class. There will be a power point that I’ll load up with vintage photos and pages from vintage dive instruction books. That and a mini museum of vintage dive gear from my collection. I’m still building my inventory of training gear, but if you missed it, I’m starting with these regs. .jpg) |
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Post by DavidRitchieWilson on Sept 20, 2022 2:09:18 GMT -8
Always being a champion of the snorkel, I know the J-shaped model is the original version, but the L-shaped and flexible-hose models (illustrated above) might also receive a mention or even a demonstration, dating back as they do to the middle of the last century? DRW |
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Post by Aquala1 on Sept 20, 2022 18:39:31 GMT -8
Always being a champion of the snorkel, I know the J-shaped model is the original version, but the L-shaped and flexible-hose models (illustrated above) might also receive a mention or even a demonstration, dating back as they do to the middle of the last century? DRW David, good stuff. I didn’t know about the L-shaped snorkel, but I was going to mention the J-flex. For the class, the French company that makes the masks also makes a J-bend snorkel. I’ll have those for students. I’ll teach basic snorkeling skills as well as where and how to store the snorkel with a double hose rig, tucked in the harness belt. |
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Post by luis on Sept 21, 2022 9:17:27 GMT -8
It is interesting that you mentioned the use of a J-valve (reserve valve) and now the use of a snorkel. Many divers (including some vintage divers) do not recognize the connection between the two. But I have always said that when using a J-valve (and relying on the reserve) the most important piece of gear is the snorkel… And the ability to surface swim with an empty cylinder. I have occasionally heard (even from a few vintage divers) that the reserve will give just enough air to get you back. In reality the reserve is only good for a direct assent to the surface, assuming no obstructions and no safety /deco stops… just a direct accent to the surface. If you have a boat waiting for you, directly above, you are good, otherwise you have to surface swim, “to get back”. Surface swimming with an empty cylinder (no BC or any surface flotation device) was a skill we trained a lot, in my original training class. On our first pool session we had our scuba gear, but never took a breath out of the regulator. We swam laps with mask, fins and snorkel… and our empty scuba cylinder (backpack and regulator). Then the fun began, were we simulated that we lost a piece of gear for a few laps: the mask, or the fins, or the snorkel. My “take away”, from that exercise, was that (under those circumstances) I would rather lose my mask, maybe even my fins, than losing my snorkel. Having some form of surface flotation (BC, horse collar or any other) changes everything. The empty cylinder (steel 72) was almost floaty, but so close to neutral that it didn’t help or hurt. I had a strong appreciation for a snorkel after those exercises. I used to wear it on my mask even with a double hose for the longest time (see my avatar). It was kind of recently (last two decades) that I gave up the snorkel and decided that I can swim on my back with my newer BC wing partially inflated. Added: Note: the two pictures in my avatar include the same Royal Aqua Master and the same molded mouthpiece Farallon snorkel (not the same Fenzy, my original leaks) and the pictures are 40 years apart.  But, I don't normally carry a snorkel anymore, or use a Fenzy either...  Good luck and have fun. |
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Post by vance on Sept 21, 2022 16:11:07 GMT -8
It is interesting that you mentioned the use of a J-valve (reserve valve) and now the use of a snorkel. Many divers (including some vintage divers) do not recognize the connection between the two. But I have always said that when using a J-valve (and relying on the reserve) the most important piece of gear is the snorkel… And the ability to surface swim with an empty cylinder. I have occasionally heard (even from a few vintage divers) that the reserve will give just enough air to get you back. In reality the reserve is only good for a direct assent to the surface, assuming no obstructions and no safety /deco stops… just a direct accent to the surface. If you have a boat waiting for directly above, you are good, otherwise you have to surface swim, “to get back”. Surface swimming with an empty cylinder (no BC or any surface flotation device) was a skill we trained a lot, in my original training class. On our first pool session we had our scuba gear, but never took a breath out of the regulator. We swam laps with mask, fins and snorkel… and our empty scuba cylinder (backpack and regulator). Then the fun began, were we simulated that we lost a piece of gear for a few laps: the mask, or the fins, or the snorkel. My “take away”, from that exercise, was that (under those circumstances) I would rather lose my mask, maybe even my fins, than losing my snorkel. Having some form of surface flotation (BC, horse collar or any other) changes everything. The empty cylinder (steel 72) was almost floaty, but so close to neutral that it didn’t help or hurt. I had a strong appreciation for a snorkel after those exercises. I used to wear it on my mask even with a double hose for the longest time (see my avatar). It was kind of recently (last two decades) that I gave up the snorkel and decided that I can swim on my back with my newer BC wing partially inflated. Added: Note: the two pictures in my avatar include the same Royal Aqua Master and the same molded mouthpiece Fallon snorkel (not the same Fenzy, my original leaks) and the pictures are 40 years apart. But, I don't normally carry a snorkel anymore, or use a Fenzy either... Good luck and have fun. Really good advice! This kind of information is crucial to safe vintage diving. |
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Post by cnotthoff on Sept 22, 2022 7:59:23 GMT -8
Before we broke out the scuba gear, we had to practice buddy-breathing off one snorkel. It was actually harder than buddy-breathing off one regulator since you had to have enough breath to blast clear the snorkel.
Good Dives,
Charlie
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 22, 2022 9:30:54 GMT -8
That sounds pretty brutal  JB |
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Post by luis on Sept 22, 2022 13:26:26 GMT -8
Before we broke out the scuba gear, we had to practice buddy-breathing off one snorkel. It was actually harder than buddy-breathing off one regulator since you had to have enough breath to blast clear the snorkel. Good Dives, Charlie OK, I have heard of that... I have also heard of divers having to do push-ups with their tank on their back... IMHO, those are silly (just my opinion). I don't really see any practical purpose of some of those exercises. Maybe, and this is just a maybe IMO, you could say it would give some "in water" confidence exercise. There are lots of those. I came from the era of "harassment training". When I was 14 years old, that was actually fun. I still see some value at surprised mask removal or mouthpiece removal, but I can also see how it did get carried away into some excess. |
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Post by antique diver on Sept 22, 2022 14:44:08 GMT -8
It is interesting that you mentioned the use of a J-valve (reserve valve) and now the use of a snorkel. Many divers (including some vintage divers) do not recognize the connection between the two. But I have always said that when using a J-valve (and relying on the reserve) the most important piece of gear is the snorkel… And the ability to surface swim with an empty cylinder. I have occasionally heard (even from a few vintage divers) that the reserve will give just enough air to get you back. In reality the reserve is only good for a direct assent to the surface, assuming no obstructions and no safety /deco stops… just a direct accent to the surface. If you have a boat waiting for you, directly above, you are good, otherwise you have to surface swim, “to get back”. Surface swimming with an empty cylinder (no BC or any surface flotation device) was a skill we trained a lot, in my original training class. On our first pool session we had our scuba gear, but never took a breath out of the regulator. We swam laps with mask, fins and snorkel… and our empty scuba cylinder (backpack and regulator). Then the fun began, were we simulated that we lost a piece of gear for a few laps: the mask, or the fins, or the snorkel. My “take away”, from that exercise, was that (under those circumstances) I would rather lose my mask, maybe even my fins, than losing my snorkel. Having some form of surface flotation (BC, horse collar or any other) changes everything. The empty cylinder (steel 72) was almost floaty, but so close to neutral that it didn’t help or hurt. I had a strong appreciation for a snorkel after those exercises. I used to wear it on my mask even with a double hose for the longest time (see my avatar). It was kind of recently (last two decades) that I gave up the snorkel and decided that I can swim on my back with my newer BC wing partially inflated. Added: Note: the two pictures in my avatar include the same Royal Aqua Master and the same molded mouthpiece Farallon snorkel (not the same Fenzy, my original leaks) and the pictures are 40 years apart. But, I don't normally carry a snorkel anymore, or use a Fenzy either... Good luck and have fun. After diving vintage style in low vis with a questionable hot rod double hose regulator last week I think I may start carrying a snorkel with me again. Not sure where I will stow it, but still not likely on my mask. Reg didn't fail, but the thought was there all through the dive. |
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Post by vance on Sept 22, 2022 15:42:49 GMT -8
After diving vintage style in low vis with a questionable hot rod double hose regulator last week I think I may start carrying a snorkel with me again. Not sure where I will stow it, but still not likely on my mask. Reg didn't fail, but the thought was there all through the dive. OK, that's a very provocative story. You got my interest with "... a questionable hot rod double hose regulator...". You know I love me a hot rod regulator, and I'm dying to hear the deets. Don't be shy, I've had my fails, AYAK, many chronicled here. We won't judge you. Well, I won't, anyway. Much.... |
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 22, 2022 15:55:44 GMT -8
Yeah Bill, spill it!
JB
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