Over the last 9 years that Deep Blue have been running courses a lot has changed and improved. The way that we train at the moment is probably as good as it gets as we have a lot of experience and equipment to draw from over the past decade.
The way we train can be broadly split into UK and overseas based.
UK training starts in the classroom with a theory element and then for most of the courses we move to confined water training which takes place in a 4m deep pool. The work done in the pool is hugely beneficial as it gives you a chance to learn new skills and practise old ones again!
To aid the confined water training we use through water voice communications which means we can talk to you during the dive to give verbal support and encouragement and this enables you to get the most out of the time spent in the pool. We have only used comms for the first time this year and the results have been incredible. Our students have given us very positive feedback on how they felt they improved with constant verbal contact during the dive. It also allows for the training to be more spontaneous and this too is hugely beneficial as it really shows what skills you have learned and retained.
To quote Tom Mount who is the CEO of IANTD, 'Poorly learned survival skills are the first ones lost in an emergency situation.'
Once the theory and pool training has been completed we move to a fresh water quarry for 1-2 days depending on the course you have enrolled on. We regard fresh water diving as semi confined and again we use comms for this phase of the training to consolidate what you did in the pool. During this phase of the dive we introduce the underwater video camera that films your dives and after each dive we review the video on a laptop PC so you get to see how you did on the dives.
A picture often paints a thousand words and to see how your skills are coming together and how your kit is configured is very useful. The camera sees things that even the most observant Instructor doesn't, it is like having another pair of eyes underwater and what we are trying to achieve here is complete competency of the skills being taught.
We have found that the first half of the course is often the most challenging as you are learning new skills and / or practising old ones. By using confined and semi confined water locations this allows you to concentrate 100% on what it is you are trying to achieve and coupled with the use of comms and video playback you are giving yourself every chance to achieve this. Without having to worry about boats and tides we get to spend more time in water without worrying about the weather during this phase.
After the confined and semi confined water training we then move to the Ocean for Open Water dives. We are firm believers that you should train in the environment that you want to enjoy your recreational diving in. For us this is the Ocean as this is where the wrecks and offshore reefs are so what better place to put new skills to the test. At this stage of the course we spend the last 2 days of the course diving from our purpose built boat Endeavour completing 4-6 dives in Open Water.
After the semi confined training we will have finished all the skills and drills and now it's time for fun dives and to consolidate what you've learned. We still use the video for playback analysis and it is a fantastic feeling to see how you've progressed over the last 4-5 days. Even though the dives are a bit more relaxed than the fresh water dives you will still be challenged but in different ways. Diving in the Ocean cannot be replicated in Fresh Water and the additional challenges of diving in the Sea show how your technique and configuration works in the 'real world.'
Of course this is only our recommendation, and it is possible to do all the training in fresh or salt water, but we have found from experience that this combination works perfectly for UK training and also does not leave us wide open to the unpredictable nature of the UK weather!
Cave Courses naturally start in real Caves so please see the Cave Diving section within the training section of this website for more information.
Our Overseas and / or Loyal Watcher training is attractive and useful for divers who don’t dive that often in UK conditions or those of you who want to make a holiday out of your training week whilst onboard Loyal Watcher.
The Overseas training runs identically to our UK training but without the pool and fresh water element. An advantage of Overseas training is that the duration is normally 6 days and this gives 1-2 extra days over a normal course. For CCR Module 1 training this extra time is invaluable and the extra dives you gain make a huge difference to your training. We still use comms and video playback so you get all the benefits of UK training but overseas in warmer conditions.
I don’t run military style training courses but you
will be challenged and as with all Technical Training programs,
certification is earned after training has been purchased.
The most important question that you should ask yourself
is ‘what do I do after the training?’. There is
little point in undertaking any training course if you can’t
practise what you have learned during your time with us. As
we own our own boat we actively encourage you to return and
join in with our comprehensive dive program, you can read
all about it under the expeditions section within this site.
We look forward to seeing you
Cheers Richard Stevenson
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