The sport of scuba diving has evolved greatly since it’s inception. Our equipment has improved by leaps and bounds over the past 30+ years. We have better breathing regulators, buoyancy compensating devices, dry suits, etc. to improve our comfort and safety when diving. However, many people will argue that dive training has not evolved as nicely as diving equipment. In order to evolve dive training, our classes must change.
Evolution is defined as a change of traits. In order to evolve dive training, we must change the traits that exist in the current course offerings. The 20 skills the RSTC require members to teach create a good foundation. However, it’s how these skills get taught that is equally as important.
To address this, let’s take a look at the rule of primacy. The rule of primacy states that what a person learns first is the most prevalent. When a person is under stress, they will revert back to primacy. In scuba diving, we do not want our first encounter with an out of gas emergency to be after we are already certified. We do not want a simple mask leak to cause a fast ascent. The startle factor of such events are quite likely to cause reactions based upon instinct rather than training. The rule of primacy is apt to be a diver’s worst enemy in a startle situation. The failure of training to provide prior experience into abnormal situations is a failure of the instructional program and the instructor. Good judgment and appropriate decision making can only exist through situational exposure. Diving instruction is expected to prepare students to dive into the expected and to avoid the unexpected.
For dive training to evolve, we have to progress past primacy and into repetition, which is also a very powerful part of the learning process. Continue doing the correct behavior over and over and over again the right way and it will over-write the improper technique. This is why practice dives become very important. We must practice our skills over and over again such that they are instinctive. When these skills are instinctive, the correct behavior will be used in an emergency. This is why it is so important to teach how to do the skills correct in the beginning open water courses and for instructors to stress practice dives in addition to doing fun dives.
By slowing down open water classes and focusing on correct skill form, thought process and repetition, scuba diving instructors can utilize the rule of primacy and create a solid foundation for the new diver to build upon in continuing education classes. Utilizing the rule of primacy, we can start to evolve our dive training programs.
Don’t just practice to get it right, practice so you CAN’T get it wrong!
Dive Safe,
Duane Johnson
Precision Diving
