VSAG Equipment and Skills Training

Many divers regard themselves as experienced. In one US publication several years ago, the authors defined an experienced diver as someone who dives 5 times per year! Really!

Gareth Lock during his presentation to the club during lockdown in 2020, raised some interesting issues. He explained why with repetition things become “automatic”, and why people then don’t pay attention and don’t think about things when they consider themselves “skilled” or “experienced”. However, the natural question that follows is what happens when you don’t practice and repeat skills?

 If we don’t continue to repeat skills, then we will in fact lose that all important automatic response and the skills will require more attention rather than less. He also made the point that if something happens that hasn’t been encountered before, then we are in fact all novices without enough practice and this increases the chance of an unfortunate outcome.

The Equipment and Skills Training Session is a pool (cold) based session which will evaluate your equipment set up and evaluate and extend your skills with many challenging activities. The aim is for it to be fun and non-threatening. Well, perhaps some divers might feel a little uncomfortable, but that is what we want.

Gareth talked about competency being the completion of skills under ideal conditions, whereas mastery is where you don’t get it wrong under pressure! The training session aims to move you from competence towards mastery!

The session will be conducted by myself and Jim Dyer. Both of us are ex FAUI instructors, qualified “once upon a time” to the highest civilian levels. Jim is also a specialist gear servicing instructor, and TUSA and previously SCUBAPro sales representative.

When: Sunday 21st April 2024

Time: 0845-1630 (approx)

Where: Peninsula Outdoors 3670 Frankston Flinders Road

Cost: Approx $75  (includes lunch)

Numbers: Strictly limited to 8.

As part of the training, we will be making changes to your equipment and you may need to purchase new regulator hoses and elbows. Therefore, you must be prepared to allow us to make the changes and pay for the parts on the day. If you are uncertain about that, then please don’t register.

So, if you want to participate, you need to register with Revolutionise Sport. There will be 10 registration spaces in RS to allow for cancellations. Places will be allocated on a first come basis. Unfortunately, we will need to limit registrations to those who have not completed the training previously.