BC Remove and Replace Skill

[Adobo]

My scuba training was less mainstream than the majority. I've never been taught or even been shown how to remove my BC under water. I have been shown how to take a fellow diver's BC off on the surface to facilitate more expedient towing of a distressed diver. I have heard on some occasions and read some posts in the past that other divers either have been taught this skill or at least have had it demo'd as an underwater skill in one of their classes.

When is this skill typically taught? And more importantly, in what scenario would a diver be using this skill?

 

[James79]

I was taught in OW, and have practiced a few times since. Most common cited reason I've seen is entanglement.... With the amount of tinkering I do I'd be more likely to need it to tweak a piece of gear.

Respectfully,

James

 

[Eric802]

I was taught in OW. PADI, but a long time ago. Had to do it on the surface and at depth, IIRC.

 

[scubadada]

I dive solo, twice, I have gotten my drift flag line caught up in my 1st stage reg and have had to do a doff and don to get it released. My own fault, but also, my own solution.

 

[boulderjohn]

Its a standard of the WRSTC, so any agency that is a member of the WRSTC must require it both on the surface and under the surface. That is about 99% of OW students.

Although the rationale described for it is primarily entanglement, many years ago someone who was involved with WRSTC standards said in a ScubaBoard thread that it is really a task loading exercise that demonstrates your comfort in the water on scuba.

The wording of the standard caused some arguments on ScubaBoard about a decade ago, when the issue of teaching students while they are neutrally buoyant was discussed. The language in the standard said "on the bottom," and some people insisted that meant students could not do it neutrally buoyant. In response to a request, PADI headquarters said that "at the bottom" just meant under the surface, and there was no problem with students doing it in mid water.

 

[Hojo in SC]

I was tested in OW class with PADI.

 

[boulderjohn]

When I was a DM assisting classes many years ago, an instructor I assisted regularly was investigated by PADI because a student responded to a survey indicating he had not done a certain skill. He absolutely had done the skill--the instructor was nearly fanatic about it. The student had just plain forgotten.

 

[Adobo]

I dive solo, twice, I have gotten my drift flag line caught up in my 1st stage reg and have had to do a doff and don to get it released. My own fault, but also, my own solution.

I understand if you are solo diving.. I posted in the basic forum, in part, to see what the utility is for recreational divers (non-tech, non-cave, etc).

 

[Adobo]

Its a standard of the WRSTC, so any agency that is a member of the WRSTC must require it both on the surface and under the surface. That is about 99% of OW students.

Although the rationale described for it is primarily entanglement, many years ago someone who was involved with WRSTC standards said in a ScubaBoard thread that it is really a task loading exercise that demonstrates your comfort in the water on scuba.

The wording of the standard caused some arguments on ScubaBoard about a decade ago, when the issue of teaching students while they are neutrally buoyant was discussed. The language in the standard said "on the bottom," and some people insisted that meant students could not do it neutrally buoyant. In response to a request, PADI headquarters said that "at the bottom" just meant under the surface, and there was no problem with students doing it in mid water.

Interesting. I don't recall this being covered in my open water class. It has been several years so maybe I just don't remember.

 

[TMHeimer]

It is taught in the pool by PADI. I'm sure there are several videos on this nowadays as there are videos on all the skills taught in the pool (24?). It was my worst skill and held up my DM certification until I could do it to demonstration quality. There are more steps to this than any other skill except possibly "out of air and ascent with buddy". One thing to remember is that once you are about to flip the tank around your back into position to now get your left arm back in, be violent with it-- really shove it around your back hard-- and don't be drifting around. Now, I did the skill on my knees, but same is probably true if you are neutrally buoyant ij the water column. This was not done in open water-- only done there on the surface.

The only reason I can see you'd ever do this for real is if you are entangled and have to remove it to fix thing, or an equipment failure of some kind. I have taken it off to exit out on rocks, and put it on when in the water, but in 900+ dives never off & on at once.