The Confined Water Teaching Assignments that make up the IDC are designed to teach you how to present the topics to the students in a confined water situation. Again there is a procedure to follow.

My second CWTA was taken from Confined Water Dive 2

Mask Removal, Replacement and Clearing

Briefing

(state who you are and what you are going to do)

Hi my name is JumpSailDive and I will be your instructor today. Here we have the lovely Morgan who will be assisting us on this confined water dive while we practice Mask Removal, Replacement and Clearning.

Objective: (read this from the CW2 slate)

So the objective for this dive is to Remove, replace and clear a mask.

Value: (why is this important)

While diving you may need to adjust your mask or snorkel. Being able to replace the mask underwater prevents you having to surface to fix it.

Description: (Steps necessary to perform skill)

This is how we will perform the skill…

1. Deflate BCD.
2. Break the seal and flood mask completely.
3. Remove mask and hold on to it.
4. OK to open eyes, unless wearing contacts.
5. Breathe normally: do not hold nose: OK to exhale through nose
6. Replace mask – brush forehead
7. Clear by exhaling through nose, while looking up.

Signals: (which signals that you will use during the demonstration of the skill)

Now I will be using the following signals…

1. Signal for the skill
2. touch nose – breathe from nose
3. touch forehead – look up
4. you-watch-me
5. breathing in and out
6. Redo

Organization:

So when we go down we will….

1. Have you kneeling on the bottom
2. Backs to the pool wall
3. My assistant will watch you
4. I will demonstrate (just watch)
5. I will come to you and ask you to show me
6. If there are any problems I may ask you to do the skill over

During the Dive

Reminders:

1. GO SLOW!!!!!
2. Remember the control technique (be close to the student)
3. Congratulate student on success
4. Reminder of error

Possible Problems:

1. Poor breathing control – inhaling water through nose
2. Hair, hood or strap caught under skirt on replacement
3. Improper hand or head position for clearing.
4. Inability to exhale through nose or exhaling through mouth
5. Inadequate exhalation to clear
6. Mask skirt too far away from face or failure to seal back to face.

Possible Solutions:

1. Remember to breathe only through the mouth
2. Remember to brush the forehead clear before fixing the mask in place
3. Fingers on the top of the mask / head looking up
4. Remember to exhale only from the nose when clearing the mask
5. Make sure you take a good breath in and exhale well through your nose
6. Make sure the skirt is close to your face and is sealed properly before clearing.

Debriefing

Positive reinforcement: (pick a problem that no-one had and turn it into a positive)

Well done everyone! I am impressed at how easily you managed that skill. I liked how you all managed to exhale properly through your nose. Well done!

Identify problems: (state problem then solution)

I noticed that some of you were not pressing on the top of the mask when you were trying to clear the mask. Remember to push down on the top of the mask. This makes the air force the water out through the bottom rather than escaping through the top.

I also noticed that some of one if you lost their regulator. Take care to keep that regulator in your mouth. If you feel it coming loose just push it back in with your hand. You can also prevent it coming loose by keeping a firmer bite in the mouthpiece.

Restate Objective:

So the objective for this dive is to Remove, replace and clear a mask.

Reinforce Value:

While diving you may need to adjust your mask or snorkel. Being able to replace the mask underwater prevents you having to surface to fix it.

I just would like to say well done again guys! Give yourselves a pat on the back!

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So how did I do? I tried hard and watched closely for errors and was rewarded with scoring another 5. That’s two for two. Let’s hope that I can keep this up.