DSC 1 Should there be more content

[Essex stalker]

I hadn't really thought about it before but before I got into diving I worked as a mountain instructor and the training for your mountain leadership qualification was a bit like doing your DSC1 and DSC2 combined in that you initially had to go on a 1 week training course (DSC1) as long as you was successful on this you was given a log book into which you had to log a number of mountain walks / expeditions over a 12 month period, I think it was a minimum of 20 of them at the end of the 12 month you submitted your log book and went on a further 1 week assessment course (DSC2)

And that was 25 years ago, just goes to show this sort of qualification is not a new thing

 

[Monkey Spanker]

I hadn't really thought about it before but before I got into diving I worked as a mountain instructor and the training for your mountain leadership qualification was a bit like doing your DSC1 and DSC2 combined in that you initially had to go on a 1 week training course (DSC1) as long as you was successful on this you was given a log book into which you had to log a number of mountain walks / expeditions over a 12 month period, I think it was a minimum of 20 of them at the end of the 12 month you submitted your log book and went on a further 1 week assessment course (DSC2)

And that was 25 years ago, just goes to show this sort of qualification is not a new thing

DSC is basically a NVQ in deer stalking and is assessed on exactly those principles. It is not a new thing as you say. NVQ has been around for over 30 years now as it was first introduced in 1986.
MS

 

[oowee]

I learnt much of what do from a mate who has been shooting deer for some time. The DSC1 gave me an opportunity to meet with other very experienced hunters and broaden my knowledge which was great and something I feel the need to do more off. It's easy to keep doing the things you know and something else to draw in the knowledge and different ways of doing things from others.
Decent day today two Roe bucks.

 

[paulbshooting]

Did my level one a few years ago with BDS and what a great intro. There was a lot to take in and believe now the course length has reduced! I would have thought the opposite would have been the way to go. Certainly inspecting and handling a shot deer would be a benefit, even as a group learning exercise.

 

[bowji john]

DSC1 - basic skills for the beginner
DSC2 - Validation of skills for the practicing stalker
BSAC - Long training course designed to produce safe divers - particularly suited to the cold waters of the UK with limited viz
PADI - Designed to provide entertainment for holiday divers in clear warm water and is essentially a money making scheme

You could tell the difference between a PADI trained diver and a BASC trained diver - With PADI all you had to do was add water and it all went to 's h one t'

Having said that as a Navy diver we used to say that SCUBA stood for ''Silly C**ts Using Breathing Apparatus - bit harsh really but understandable when you've taken the 5th diver through decomp at Portmouth, Drake and Bovi coz they can't follow simple rules

 

[Cris]

I know the weather has been a bit wet recently but do I really need a diving certificate now to go Stalking??

 

[bowji john]

No but a snorkel might be useful

 

[Tim.243]

No but a snorkel might be useful

They fit snorkels on landy's so the recovery truck knows which one is stuck lol

Tim.243

 

[JTO]

are you aware that there is a DSC2?

=My first thought.

 

[potshotpat]

No but a snorkel might be useful

Would you put a snorkel over your head or your bullet ? .

 

[barbel]

if I done my dsc 1 again I would check the people who were offering it, done a actual grolloch, instead of a dvd of one.

 

[norma 308]

I was late to take dsc1 but even as an experienced stalker found it useful and as MS said fieldcraft can't be taught as can t experience I honed and am still honing mine at 50 .some folks no matter how old still won't get fieldcraft it's a gene
Norma

 

[zambezi]

BSAC - Long training course designed to produce safe divers - particularly suited to the cold waters of the UK with limited viz
PADI - Designed to provide entertainment for holiday divers in clear warm water and is essentially a money making scheme

You could tell the difference between a PADI trained diver and a BASC trained diver - With PADI all you had to do was add water and it all went to 's h one t'

I first trained as a recreational diver with NAUI, and later did my advanced with PADI. My wife and I were blessed to have dived over 200 dives together from the Coral Sea to the Caribbean and some great places in between. We have dived with folk qualified with BSAC, PADI, SSA and some agencies I have never heard of. I am sure that all accredited bodies impart all you need to know. Truth is, down the years I have seen dangerous or inept behaviour by bearers of all qualifications.

 

[ChrisJB]

Likewise just completed DSC 1 interesting question I gel with point one which is resolved in my opinion by at the very least one, two or likely more paid up stalks with one of the mentors, I can’t see realistically otherwise. The other 2+guestions I hope wil come over a longer time. Glad you enjoyed the course too I couldn’t fault the experience of the tutors who made the learning easy and some hopefully new lifelong friends in students alike all walks if life is what’s love about this sport.

 

[oowee]

Tutors were excellent I think I got just as much from chatting with them as I did with the course.

 

[Essex stalker]

I first trained as a recreational diver with NAUI, and later did my advanced with PADI. My wife and I were blessed to have dived over 200 dives together from the Coral Sea to the Caribbean and some great places in between. We have dived with folk qualified with BSAC, PADI, SSA and some agencies I have never heard of. I am sure that all accredited bodies impart all you need to know. Truth is, down the years I have seen dangerous or inept behaviour by bearers of all qualifications.

BSAC definitely prepared you more for dry suits and diving in virtually zero viz of the north sea, I can remember a number of years ago my mate and I were on a dive boat in Spain, we had both started our diving with PADI but then transferred and moved on with BSAC, There was a Spanish female PADi dive instructor on the boat with a couple of trainees, we got chatting with her, when we spoke about diving on wrecks off the Norfolk coast in winter her reply was simple, there would be no way she would do that!, if she couldn't see her fins or a good way around her and be able to wear a shorty then it would scare her far too much to dive.

 

[Lateral]

I was really sceptical about the DSC1 course, but I needed it to join a shooting group.

In reality, I really enjoyed the course, and found it very useful. However, the one thing I think concerns most people new to stalking, is the gralloch, and making sure you not so much do everything perfectly, but don't make the mistake of tainting the carcass.

This was the one thing that let my course down. I was hoping for a "live" demonstration, but realized this isn't always possible. However, putting a video on, during a break, whilst half the people weren't in the room, and most of the others weren't taking any notice, was just lazy.

 

[Monkey Spanker]

I think some people are expecting a bit too much from what is effectively a theory course to have a real carcass gralloch! Whilst it has been done for sure, the logistics are not quite that simple! Bearing in mind most courses are run in such places as village halls etc. Getting a deer isn't always that easy. Getting one exactly when you need one, gralloching it within 30 mins, lardering it, and disposing of the waste within best practice guidelines is not that simple! Then there's the cost of the beast which may well be spoiled. It's a great idea, but it just isn't practical.
MS

 

[Cris]

As DSC L2 requires a competent gralloch you need to have covered it at some point. So for the inexperienced or complete beginner, they will still need to get instruction from a competent person. So DSC 1 does fail at this point in its current form.
If a candidate is lucky he will have a friend who can show them their method but many will need to pay extra for a pro guide to show them on paid Stalking. Not saying it can be covered under level 1 as this is theory based but maybe an intermediate log of experience is needed before leve 2 can be attempted.

 

[Essex stalker]

I think some people are expecting a bit too much from what is effectively a theory course to have a real carcass gralloch! Whilst it has been done for sure, the logistics are not quite that simple! Bearing in mind most courses are run in such places as village halls etc. Getting a deer isn't always that easy. Getting one exactly when you need one, gralloching it within 30 mins, lardering it, and disposing of the waste within best practice guidelines is not that simple! Then there's the cost of the beast which may well be spoiled. It's a great idea, but it just isn't practical.
MS

Surely this is one good reason to look around and try and find someone who is offering this as part of their course. I fully appreciate not everyone can do it but some certainly do. I did mine with The Forestry Commission at Santon Downham so we had full use of the larder facilities. If I remember correctly they demonstrated on about 3 carcasses. It was a really worth while part of the course