Title: HSE SCUBA...
AnnieW - May 23, 2006 01:41 PM (GMT)
HSE SCUBA...
OK, so, I'm back from the sunny shores of Scotland having completed the HSE Scuba course. For the WASM's (Wing Appreciation Society Members) among you, you will be SHOCKED :blink: to hear that all buoyancy was done with a drysuit, the wing was nowhere to be seen ... pony & cylinder were back plate mounted with one regulator and a switching block between air supplies. All dives were done with a Scubapro full face mask and communication / life line.
Picture: http://www.scubapro.com
The Instructors at Puffin Dive Centre in Oban were exceptional. The other divers on the course were brilliant and I couldn't have wished for either a nicer group of people, or better facilities for this course....
This was a full on course. Depths were 5+m, 15+m & 30+m in 8-10 degrees. All the 15m dives were 40mins of sitting still on the seabed either doing tasks with tools or theory questions on slates. We did 2 night dives, a dry dive, unconscious diver recovery, line skills, lots of theory, exams..... The 30+m dives, if you were in a quick team, were back to back and resulted (for me) in long deco on top of the 15mins on the bottom twiddling my thumbs! Jim, my heated waisteband will never leave my sight...ever....ever!
I've learn't a huge amount over the last 2 weeks, not just about a new style of diving & different equipment but about my own abilities....
Best Bits:
Apart from the excellent group, I have to say it was the night dives that were fantastic. No lights were used and it was an exercise in black out / limited visibility. The 40m Dry Dive was also a laugh (2 girls together) in the 2 man chamber....so of course was a giggle though apparently not supposed to be so much of a giggle! ;) Also, doing tasks underwater in limited visibility by feel alone was great.
Weird Stuff:
Breathing into a mask & being able to talk rather than having a regulator mouth piece.
Diving with a black skirted mask that completely knocked out peripheral vision.
Not having a buddy or an alternate regulator with your only link to the surface (apart from the safety divers doing checks) being a yellow coms line disappearing off into the murk :mellow: .
Keeping alert without fiddling....
I'd put some pics up...but I didn't get chance to take any ! ...and, yes, I still have all my hair!
Thank you for the various text messages of good luck & well done.
:D
OK, so, I'm back from the sunny shores of Scotland having completed the HSE Scuba course. For the WASM's (Wing Appreciation Society Members) among you, you will be SHOCKED :blink: to hear that all buoyancy was done with a drysuit, the wing was nowhere to be seen ... pony & cylinder were back plate mounted with one regulator and a switching block between air supplies. All dives were done with a Scubapro full face mask and communication / life line.
Picture: http://www.scubapro.com
The Instructors at Puffin Dive Centre in Oban were exceptional. The other divers on the course were brilliant and I couldn't have wished for either a nicer group of people, or better facilities for this course....
This was a full on course. Depths were 5+m, 15+m & 30+m in 8-10 degrees. All the 15m dives were 40mins of sitting still on the seabed either doing tasks with tools or theory questions on slates. We did 2 night dives, a dry dive, unconscious diver recovery, line skills, lots of theory, exams..... The 30+m dives, if you were in a quick team, were back to back and resulted (for me) in long deco on top of the 15mins on the bottom twiddling my thumbs! Jim, my heated waisteband will never leave my sight...ever....ever!
I've learn't a huge amount over the last 2 weeks, not just about a new style of diving & different equipment but about my own abilities....
Best Bits:
Apart from the excellent group, I have to say it was the night dives that were fantastic. No lights were used and it was an exercise in black out / limited visibility. The 40m Dry Dive was also a laugh (2 girls together) in the 2 man chamber....so of course was a giggle though apparently not supposed to be so much of a giggle! ;) Also, doing tasks underwater in limited visibility by feel alone was great.
Weird Stuff:
Breathing into a mask & being able to talk rather than having a regulator mouth piece.
Diving with a black skirted mask that completely knocked out peripheral vision.
Not having a buddy or an alternate regulator with your only link to the surface (apart from the safety divers doing checks) being a yellow coms line disappearing off into the murk :mellow: .
Keeping alert without fiddling....
I'd put some pics up...but I didn't get chance to take any ! ...and, yes, I still have all my hair!
Thank you for the various text messages of good luck & well done.
:D
Yellowduke - May 23, 2006 05:02 PM (GMT)
Annie, well done you. Not bad for a girl! ;)
How much did the course cost? If I ever got to the stage where I could actually sell any photos or video I would have to do this course I think to comply with HSE. Bloody daft in my opinion but there you go.
Jim
How much did the course cost? If I ever got to the stage where I could actually sell any photos or video I would have to do this course I think to comply with HSE. Bloody daft in my opinion but there you go.
Jim
AnnieW - May 23, 2006 08:58 PM (GMT)
Many thanks Jim. It's an excellent course...you'll love it!
Due to qualifications gained prior to the start: First Aid At Work, DAN O2 and PADI DM, I was able to join the course at a later date. For me, the cost was £1599. You could check the Puffin site in the HSE section for further details.
I had to pass the PADI Instructor exams (Equipment, Physics, Physiology, RDP, General Skills) to gain entrance & also do a couple of Divemaster assessment dives.
If you are going to do it...advice would be....get familiar with the USN Dive Tables if you're not already through TDI, get some practice in a full face mask if you can especially if you're used to diving in a clear skirt mask, and do some additional reading on tides, navigation & general seamanship.....
Everything you need to know is taught but I found that some extra reading prior to all the diving would have really helped get the information into me noggin before the 3 exams at the end :wacko: . Due to the lateness of my booking I wasn't able to get hold of the course manual till I got there..... so get it sent out to you if you plan to join late in the schedule.
There is one other thing of course.....when you get back....all you'll want to do is be in the water (regardless of whether 40mins sitting still in 8 degs was a little chilly)! I'm going to Wales next week if all goes to plan :D ....then hopefully have some water work starting in June.
Due to qualifications gained prior to the start: First Aid At Work, DAN O2 and PADI DM, I was able to join the course at a later date. For me, the cost was £1599. You could check the Puffin site in the HSE section for further details.
I had to pass the PADI Instructor exams (Equipment, Physics, Physiology, RDP, General Skills) to gain entrance & also do a couple of Divemaster assessment dives.
If you are going to do it...advice would be....get familiar with the USN Dive Tables if you're not already through TDI, get some practice in a full face mask if you can especially if you're used to diving in a clear skirt mask, and do some additional reading on tides, navigation & general seamanship.....
Everything you need to know is taught but I found that some extra reading prior to all the diving would have really helped get the information into me noggin before the 3 exams at the end :wacko: . Due to the lateness of my booking I wasn't able to get hold of the course manual till I got there..... so get it sent out to you if you plan to join late in the schedule.
There is one other thing of course.....when you get back....all you'll want to do is be in the water (regardless of whether 40mins sitting still in 8 degs was a little chilly)! I'm going to Wales next week if all goes to plan :D ....then hopefully have some water work starting in June.
David - May 24, 2006 09:39 AM (GMT)
Sounds like it was an amazing course :D I was wondering about trying it just for the fun/experience of it all, but I don't think I would be able to justify it ..... couldn't even use my wing :P
What made you choose Puffin over some of the other outfits out there? Oh and are there any places you could do it in warm water ... 8 degrees sounds pretty damn cold :ph43r:
What made you choose Puffin over some of the other outfits out there? Oh and are there any places you could do it in warm water ... 8 degrees sounds pretty damn cold :ph43r:
AnnieW - May 24, 2006 03:59 PM (GMT)
Apparently there are places in SA that do it...but I don't have the website details....do a Google search. Puffin was recommended to me by some friends who are commercial divers including Phoebe (Sport Diver Scholarship). Fort William is in a bit of bother again.....so I've heard.
There's a place in Ireland that it was suggested I steer clear of...
Puffin has excellent facilities & an on-site chamber, working commercial divers......etc etc.... Frankly, if a commercial diver recommends somewhere, that's where you do it because immediately they know the standard you will achieve... :D... depends what you want it for I guess. I learnt alot just by doing it somewhere more challenging.
There's a place in Ireland that it was suggested I steer clear of...
Puffin has excellent facilities & an on-site chamber, working commercial divers......etc etc.... Frankly, if a commercial diver recommends somewhere, that's where you do it because immediately they know the standard you will achieve... :D... depends what you want it for I guess. I learnt alot just by doing it somewhere more challenging.