Free Gas Planning & Management Workshop

[BDub]

It's been a while since we've had a gas planning and management workshop up here, so I thought I'd gauge interest in having one.

As most divers would agree, proper gas planning and management is critical to not only safe diving, but also allows you to enjoy your dives more.

Unfortunately, there are many divers who have not been taught or do not understand basic gas planning and management.

We'll spend an evening covering:

Gas Consumption
Minimum Gas (Rock Bottom)
Tank Factors
Gas Plans
Gas Management

I'm looking at February 3rd at NWSD.

If you're interested please just reply here, pm me or email me at brian at frogkickdiving dot com and I'll get it set up!

Brian

[BDub]

Also, FYI. This has nothing to do with any recent events.

Work has kept me extremely busy lately, so the timing is purely coincidental. This is the first time I've had to spend some time scheduling something.

[Sounder]

Folks, this is an EXCELLENT opportunity!! This is an invaluable opportunity and I encourage EVERYONE to attend. It will change the way you approach dive planning, will increase your level of enjoyment, and will make you a safer diver.

Please, please, please do what you can to attend this seminar!! You will be SO glad you did!!

Huge to Brian for putting it on and NWSD for hosting it!!

[sheahanmcculla]

I would like to attend. I'll try to get some others to come too.

[LCF]

I have a couple of newer divers I've been out with -- I'll make sure they know about it.

[kat]

ooooh ooooh oooooh! i think i can actually make this one!!!

[Nomad]

I will definitely show up and since it's only five minutes away...even better.

[April]

I would probably like to go if I can make the date. I feel like the more exposure I get to it the better.

[2loud4u]

Depending on the time it starts I would LOVE to attend.

[Sounder]

Damn, I just looked at the date - it's a Wednesday. That's the ONLY night I have class!! Believe me, your class would be far more interesting, but I have to be in school. March 17th can't get here soon enough.

Again, if you're even remotely able to make this seminar, please do!! You'll be very glad you did and it WILL teach you how to be a safer diver... for free!!

[BDub]

Great!

Let's meet Wednesday Feb 3rd at 6/6:15 (I live/work downtown, so it's traffic dependent) at NWSD.

Plan on going until 830(ish).

Only thing you need to bring is a calculator, paper and pen/pencil

There's still spots left, so if you're interested, reply here or pm or email me

Looking forward to it!

[scottsax]

Let's see-leave work early, feed dogs, go to NWSD! Excellent plan!

[BDub]

Just a reminder that this is taking place this coming Wednesday (Feb 3) at NWSD at 6pm!

If you plan on attending, and haven't let me know yet, please do so via pm, email or by replying to this thread so we have enough chairs and materials.

Thanks

Brian

[2loud4u]

I am attending, PM sent

[kat]

anyone feel like carpooling? i am in oly. good to plan all gas consumption!

[scottsax]

Great workshop last night! Thank you Brian and Jeanna for puttting it on, and thanks to Matthew for hosting!

Also, thank you Joe for the comic relief!

[2loud4u]

I second that... Thank you!! Great workshop. I am still waiting for the "a-ha" moment :biggrin: I think some of it will take a while to sink in, but with practice (and maybe even a lot of notes on a slate) I will start planning dives a new way.


Brendan

[scottsax]

I second that... Thank you!! Great workshop. I am still waiting for the "a-ha" moment :biggrin: I think some of it will take a while to sink in, but with practice (and maybe even a lot of notes on a slate) I will start planning dives a new way.


Brendan

The "a-ha" moment for me was just getting the details of the math. Having it explained in person worked much better for me than my previous attempts at reading it. I've been sort of fudging rock bottom, erring on the side of conservatism, and now I'm excited to go be more precise in my calculations.

Again-thank you!

Even though there's no precision in diving!

[April]

Yes, thank you Brian and Jeanna! I think it's finally starting to sink in.

[Sounder]

I second that... Thank you!! Great workshop. I am still waiting for the "a-ha" moment :biggrin: I think some of it will take a while to sink in, but with practice (and maybe even a lot of notes on a slate) I will start planning dives a new way.


Brendan

Bendan - ask your questions, here or privately, while it's fresh in your head. Then start applying what you learned in your dive planning, then go to the NEXT gas management seminar and listen to the whole thing again... you'll catch things the second time that you didn't on the first go around. Definitely ask questions though... and create scenerios/plans and practice. If you want people to check your math, just post your work up here. It won't be the first time and the feedback can be helpful.

Glad you went and glad you had a good time.

[kat]

wanted to add my thank you!
still a bit shaky on it, but i have a few practice sheets to nail it down. math has always been mean to me...
it was very helpful to put it to "real world". thank you again, all who made this happen.

[BDub]

You're welcome, and thanks to everyone who joined us last night.

We had a great turnout! I think there were 21 of us in the classroom last night (22 if you count Joe's dog), with no more seats available (thanks for sitting on the stepladder, Casey!). A great combination of new faces and familiar ones, as well as people learning this for the first time and others who were there for review and a more solid understanding.

As we discussed last night, a lot of the information presented simply needs to be absorbed and allowed to "sink in". Like any new knowledge, however, it is perishable and repetition really helps solidify it. Play around with the workbook, your notes and the planning sheets and you'll find that it is quite simple. Remember, if Pez can get it, anyone can.

For those of you wanting to review, there are a few resources available to you:

Frog Kick Diving - Rock Bottom Page

Bob's Gas Management Page

Lamont's Rock Bottom Page

You can always pm me, email me or call me as well. I'm happy to go over the material with you now that you've had a night to sleep on it.

I had a few people who wanted to attend, but had no more available seats for, or the date didn't work, so I will be running another in either late February or early March. I'll announce a date shortly (tentatively looking at March 3rd). Those who missed this one are welcome, as are those who joined us and would like some repetition. It certainly took me a couple of passes to really "get it" when I started learning this stuff.

Thanks for the great turnout. It's exciting to see such an interest in this!

[Grateful Diver]

It's awesome to see that kind of turnout.

A few years back, when I offered my first gas management seminar, two people showed up. Next one after that there were six. A couple more, and they were consistently filling whatever venue they were being held in.

Back when I started diving, nobody talked about gas management. A lot of older scuba instructors still insist it's not important. Obviously, as some of their former students come to recognize that knowing something about managing your gas supply makes diving a safer activity, they come to believe otherwise ... and seek out instructors who will teach it to them.

Kudos to those of you who took the time to go, and to learn something about this important subject. We are fortunate to have instructors in our area who give freely of their time to make this information available for no cost to divers.

As you can tell, this is a subject that's important to me. I'm happy to notice that seminars like this are showing up in other parts of the country now as well.

Word's gettin' around. Thanks, Brian and Jeanna, for helping to get it out there ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[LCF]

And at the risk of being an agent provcateur, for those of you who are asking yourselves, "What ELSE didn't they tell me?", the answer is, "Lots."

[Sounder]

And at the risk of being an agent provcateur, for those of you who are asking yourselves, "What ELSE didn't they tell me?", the answer is, "Lots."

Great post Lynne. One could write a BOOK about "what you don't know you didn't learn in OW."