BC Remove and Replace Skill

[wetb4igetinthewater]

It's a good starting point for new divers who can then determine their own SAC rate with experience over time.

I don't think that's realistic either. Some students will develop a feel for when they need to start to return to the surface. However, in an emergency where they have to share gas, they may have already exceeded the min gas requirements. Then you'll wind up with two divers who are OOG.

As I said earlier, teaching a SAC swim and doing the calculations for a rough SAC rate so they get the concept is a starting point. Tell them to repeat the exercise as time goes on, as their SAC should decrease as they get more comfortable in the water.

 

[DiveProKoko]

The first time I heard about rule of thirds was when I was talking with an instructor who had cave and tech training. This was well after my open water class.

That's unfortunate.....I now know why you are questioning the value of your training.

At any rate, just thinking back, maybe it takes 15 minutes to instruct how to remove and replace your BC. I imagine it takes at least an hour for all of the student divers to demonstrate the skill back to the instructor in the pool, assuming an average class size. .

Not sure why some are assuming this skill takes 15 minutes to teach. It may be the way I wrote it. I dedicate about 15 minutes total class time (demo and practical) to this for the entire pool portion, which is why I said it takes 15 minutes for the whole thing, and that includes students doing the task as well. We cap class size at 6 divers.

..... I could get behind spending that time teaching how to get out of a BC on the surface in case you are diving off a RIB though. That seems useful - even I dove off a small boat / RIB several times.

We do that too as part of the SSI program, which you said you completed. If you didn't do any of that, you did not get proper instruction. I've probably used the BC surface remove/replace more times in my actual diving than any other skill I have done a lot of dives off small boats. You're correct on that. A VERY valuable skill! But you should have been taught that in your OW class as well.

 

[DiveProKoko]

As I said earlier, teaching a SAC swim and doing the calculations for a rough SAC rate so they get the concept is a starting point. Tell them to repeat the exercise as time goes on, as their SAC should decrease as they get more comfortable in the water.

I do "familiarize" students with SAC rates, etc. so they know how it factors in. But I don't spend much time on it, and I don't do a swim to establish their baseline. Maybe I'll see how I can work it in going forward.

 

[rjgiddings]

in what scenario would a diver be using this skill?

Well entanglement would be a scenario.

But I believe the real reason to have a student run through this skill- is to show that they can manage the gear- not- that the gear is somehow managing them.

This skill sends home the whole philosophy of gear management while in the water.

 

[boulderjohn]

15 minutes total time...... to demo it and have each student do it. We keep our classes capped at 6 divers.

That makes sense.

 

[Adobo]

That's unfortunate.....I now know why you are questioning the value of your training.

I am not questioning the value of my training. At least, nothing I took after open water class. I am questioning the value of your training - the one you provide to your clients. At least as it pertains to teaching divers how to take off and put on gear underwater.

 

[Blackcrusader]

It's a good starting point for new divers who can then determine their own SAC rate with experience over time.

I started diving before we had an SPG and used the j valve. Sometimes people had that in the wrong position and were OOA.
I never knew what my sac rate was. It wasn't great for me as a new diver. Was never mentioned in my PADI OW and even with my BSAC Sports diving courses I do not recall being taught about actual liters in a tank and RMV. It was bottom times on square profile deco dives and clearing deco obligations. For dives that were within NDL never mentioned.
Removing kit including mask was taught in my BSAC Sports diving courses.

I don't recall if that was part of my PADI OW course so long ago I don't remember any of it.

I've yet to see any instructor for OW that I know teach rmv / sac rates. I am not saying some instructors may do so.

It's more likely to be give me the half tank signal when you get to half a tank. For myself I really only started to monitor after I got my Perdix AI.

I have been berated by many guides / instructors for not giving the half tank signal when back on boat at end of a dive as they assumed I must have used more than a half tank of gas.

 

[inquis]

SAC wasn't covered in my OW, but with operators mandating start the ascent at 1000 psi, that's well more than the min-gas for most recreational dives & reasonable SAC rates. Used to be the fundamental rule was surface with 500 psi, so similarly exceeding min-gas.

I think min-gas / Rock Bottom is more appropriate at the AOW level. My feeling is most OW divers are not mathematically inclined, and their "dive plan" is swim around until the SPG says 1000 psi -- which is quite feasible at 60-80 ft.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

SAC wasn't covered in my OW, but with operators mandating start the ascent at 1000 psi, that's well more than the min-gas for most recreational dives & reasonable SAC rates. Used to be the fundamental rule was surface with 500 psi, so similarly exceeding min-gas.

I think min-gas / Rock Bottom is more appropriate at the AOW level. My feeling is most OW divers are not mathematically inclined, and their "dive plan" is swim around until the SPG says 1000 psi -- which is quite feasible at 60-80 ft.

That's why tables are provided. Figure out the SAC, print out the tables for various depths (or use conservative SAC rates of 0.75 cu ft / min), laminate them, attach to their arms via bungee.

It's cheap, easy.

 

[Blackcrusader]

That's why tables are provided. Figure out the SAC, print out the tables for various depths (or use conservative SAC rates of 0.75 cu ft / min), laminate them, attach to their arms via bungee.

It's cheap, easy.

Are we not told new divers are not taught tables but to use dive computers? Many will not know about gas planning.