OK, one of the most frequent skills I get asked about is line laying. It’s seen to be a difficult skill, and can indeed cause more problems than it solves if done badly. So, I thought I’d set up a weekend of skills training at “The Rez” in Staffordshire.
This dive site is an old covered reservoir, filled up with water. It’s a perfect venue to do some line laying skills and “dark water” diving. If you were interested in the overhead environment, be that cave or wreck, then this would be a great place to go and try some skills out in a very benign way. The nice thing is that there is a 50cm airspace above the water level, so it isn’t a true overhead, although having dived in it, it certainly feels like one. It’s dark, there are walls, and you can’t see the exit.
The schedule will look like this:
Day 1
Dry run skills of line laying
Demo and practice of line laying
Lunch
Field drills of backup light deployment, touch contact, gas sharing
Practice critical skills
Debrief and dinner
Day 2
Lecture on survey tools and techniques (applicable to wrecks and caves)
In water line laying skill refinement and objectives
Lunch
In water survey task (wreck or cave focussed, as appropriate to students)
Debrief and close
This would be open to all levels of diver with an OW certification.
Minimum equipment needed would be:
Twinset and wing
Long hose regulator
Primary light
Two backup lights
Line reel
Safety spool
NO CERTIFICATION would be available from this class. It’s teaching only!
The fee would be £250, which would include your entrance to the Rez. Instructor : student ratio would be a maximum of 1:3. Contact me if you want to polish up your skills.
