BCD Remove / Replace Midwater - Backplate BCD w/ Long Hose

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Based on the comments above, I would imagine that doff and don is not required in the SDI Solo Diver course when done in cold water with a drysuit, is that correct?

Correct. The minimal standards are here: https://www.tdisdi.com/wp-content/u...r/SDI/part 3/pdf/individual/24_Solo_Diver.pdf

However, SDI encourages instructors to augment their courses with additional dives and sensible skills. That is something many, but not all, SDI instructors take advantage of.

 

[scubadada]

Thanks @wetb4igetinthewater

I did my Solo Diver in a 3 mm full suit in very benign conditions in Jupiter, FL in September. Thanks for supplying the standards. Turns out my course had many skills added to the requirements. Most of my solo diving is done in SE FL, my course was quite applicable

 

[Macan]

See training standards in the attached message. While the skill has little practical application in the real world except in very rare situations (eg entangled alone), it is primarily designed to teach problem solving, task loading and to train divers to manage and be comfortable with their equipment.

WRSTC Standards:

4.8 Pool/Confined Water Scuba Skills. The following scuba skills shall each be required to be taught to students in pool/confined water prior to that skill being performed in the open water.

(16) Underwater removal and replacement of scuba system​

4.9 Open Water Scuba Skills. These open water scuba skills are to be performed while diving in the open water, wearing a minimum instructional scuba diving system.

(15) Removal and replacement of scuba system​

PADI Standards:
Confined Water Dive Performance Requirements
Dive 5 Performance Requirements
Underwater:

1. Remove, replace, adjust and secure the scuba kit with minimal assistance in water too deep in which​

to stand, without losing control of buoyancy, body position and depth.​

Open Water Dive Performance Requirements
Dive Flexible Skills (can be doen during any of the four dives)
At the surface:

Remove and replace the scuba kit in water too deep in which to stand.​

SDI Standards:
7.10 Required Skill Performance and Graduation Requirements

7. Buoyancy compensator device (BCD) use:​

c. Removal and replacement at surface​

d. Removal and replacement at depth​

 

[tursiops]

it is primarily designed to teach problem solving, task loading and to train divers to manage and be comfortable with their equipment

This is your assertion, but is not substantiated by any of the written PADI or SDI material that I know of.

 

[johndiver999]

Little application in real world? It is one of the most important skills for a solo diver to be able to remove and replace to clear entanglements. I've had cause to remove and replace the scuba unit many dozens of times - maybe I am just amazingly uncoordinated underwater?

It reminds me of the recreational divers who say they never use their knife- I've used mine many hundreds of times underwater and some of those were to cut away lines and other problems. +

 

[Nemrod]

I do not have the SDI Advanced Diver Solo class requirements in front of me, there is a book, Solo Diver, that they pull the skills from. I do know that the instructor had me do a doff and don twice, once on the bottom and once while swimming in mid water. Also shot a dsmb if I recall sans mask. A one fin swim, a maskless swim (ending with the dsmb). There was also a surface swim requirement which he deleted for me. There were several other things. I did not become a Ken and argue with him the why of it or if these skills were in a handbook, I just complied so I could get my solo cert and move on with my life. And he was a nice fellow, so, whatever it took to make him comfortable giving me the cert.

 

[JohnNumberz]

I did this task in a ssi stress and rescue class. Had to swap my kit with a buddy and finish our dive. (It was important to swap weights too…similar height divers with vastly different waistlines). Also had to swim 100 yards holding my rig in my arms. It was quite fun all told.

 

[tursiops]

I do not have the SDI Advanced Diver Solo class requirements in front of me, there is a book, Solo Diver, that they pull the skills from. I do know that the instructor had me do a doff and don twice, once on the bottom and once while swimming in mid water. Also shot a dsmb if I recall sans mask. A one fin swim, a maskless swim (ending with the dsmb). There was also a surface swim requirement which he deleted for me. There were several other things. I did not become a Ken and argue with him the why of it or if these skills were in a handbook, I just complied so I could get my solo cert and move on with my life. And he was a nice fellow, so, whatever it took to make him comfortable giving me the cert.

Doff and Don is not part of the required skills list. The surface swim is not optional. From the published standards for SDI Solo:
Swimming skills
1. 200 metres / 600 feet surface swim in full scuba equipment, configured for local diving conditions; must be non-stop and performed in an open water environment
Scuba skills
1. Demonstrate adequate pre-dive planning
2. Limits based on personal gas consumption
3. Exact dive and/or no-decompression profile
4. Properly execute the planned dive within all predetermined limits
5. Equipment configuration appropriate for solo diving a. Streamlining equipment b. How to use and carry a redundant air supply
6. Proper descent / ascent rates
7. Proper safety stop procedures
8. Monitoring of decompression status equipment; tables, computers, equipment
9. Navigation skills
10. Demonstrate proficiency of navigation with compass
11. Demonstrate emergency change over to a backup regulator or bailout scuba at a depth not exceeding 30 metres / 100 feet
12. Deploy surface marker and use of surface audible signaling device

 

[bobfmdc]

I've never seen it done by anyone in a dry suit, no weight belt, in cold water (I have done it in a BP/W, but with a weight belt, made videos, never got it to be where I'd post online). Doing it in a wetsuit is one thing, dry suit with thick undergarments is another.

If the WRSTC required this to be done in open water, it would be chaos with likely frequent accidents of scuba kit going down and student going uncontrollably up. Pretty sure that's the reason it is done in the safe confines of a pool where often students have no exposure protection and very little lead.

I was diving on the U-1105 Black Panther sub in the Potomac River (Washington DC area) with my underwater archaeology group one day and one of our divers came up with a handful of monofilament line and netting. He said he came up under it on the sub and had to take his rig off to cut himself lose. He was about 80' deep in 12" visibility and by himself. He had a dry suit on and didn't seem too perturbed by the event. I always gave him about an 85% credibility rating, so I pretty much believed him. The remaining strands of line around his tank valve added to his story.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I did this task in a ssi stress and rescue class. Had to swap my kit with a buddy and finish our dive. (It was important to swap weights too…similar height divers with vastly different waistlines). Also had to swim 100 yards holding my rig in my arms. It was quite fun all told.

That's actually a standards violation. SSI isn't too keen on instructors adding stuff.