DELIBERATELY overweighting students doing OW training

[Frosty]

Other threads in THIS the NEW/TRAINEE divers forum got me to thinking about Open water dive training.
Would there be an arguement for deliberately overweighting a studentin their open water dive training (more tropical than temperate waters) so they are forced to put air in their bcd in tropical dive situations? -Ie keeping the affect of air in/out of BCD reasonably "dramatic" or crude so its noticeable to a novice.
Keeping with that thought the instructor needs to understand why he/she is overweighting so they are able to explain it to their student in clear simple terms towards the end of their training.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Just my opinion but there is never a good excuse to overweight students.

 

[fdog]

Deliberately overweighting short-circuits the valuable learning opportunity of doing a weight check every dive.

....And would look very bad in court..."So, Mr. Instructor, you decided to <shocked tone of voice> deliberately overweight this person???!?"

As an aside, I have never heard of this being done.

All the best, James

 

[RJP]

Would there be an arguement for deliberately overweighting a studentin their open water dive training (more tropical than temperate waters) so they are forced to put air in their bcd in tropical dive situations?

I would simply reply "no" but the system won't allow a post shorter than five letters, so I won't be able to.

 

[Hawkwood]

..no..

 

[rhwestfall]

oh good heavens.....

 

[boulderjohn]

I can't imagine what benefit this would provide.

 

[eponym]

Would there be an arguement for deliberately overweighting a student in their open water dive training (more tropical than temperate waters) so they are forced to put air in their bcd in tropical dive situations, i.e. keeping the effects of air in/out of BCD reasonably "dramatic" or crude so it's noticeable to a novice. Keeping with that thought the instructor needs to understand why he/she is overweighting so they are able to explain it to their student in clear simple terms towards the end of their training.

Can't think of any possible argument for what you propose. In, as you say, tropical waters, properly weighted divers don't have to add or subtract air from the BC very often. If you're thinking about preparing them for diving colder waters wearing wetsuits and needing to use the BC to offset suit compression at depth, that is something they should learn when they get to that stage. I can't think why I would complicate easy warm-water training dives.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

many instructors over weight their students initially to prevent uncontrolled ascents. students tend to be heavey handed on the inflator based on my experience with assisting on classes.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[boulderjohn]

many instructors over weight their students initially to prevent uncontrolled ascents. students tend to be heavey handed on the inflator based on my experience with assisting on classes.

Sorry to hear that.

Overweighting students means that they must maintain much bigger bubbles in their BCDs, meaning that they have less control over their buoyancy and are more likely to have an uncontrolled ascent. Please explain that to any instructors you know who are doing this.