BP/W & Long Hose In a PADI IE Exam

[RJP]

1) Do you intend to insist on students of yours wearing a particular configuration?

No insistence... any more than any shop/instructor "insists" that their students use their rental gear if they don't want to buy their own. Our LDS uses Halcyon Eclipse systems for OW. The gear sets I personally have are all Halcyon BP/W rigs. Using BP/W with OW students not only provides students with what we/I believe are a preferential rig, but also cuts down on the number of sets of teaching gear needed. As an independent instructor even if I never took more than two students I'd still need to own at least TEN BCDs (2x XS, 2x S, 2x M, 2x L, 2x XL) to ensure that I had the right sizes on hand for any given class. With BP/W... I only need to own TWO. Even if I paid $1000 each that'd still less cost me less than ten of the cheapest BCDs you could find. If I did decide to buy ten recreational BCD... I'd certainly need to factor that expense into what I charge for a course.

1.1) If yes, why are you looking for a PADI cert? Another agency might suit you better.

The fact that PADI have a 75% market share is a good start. If you're looking to teach at a PADI shop that'd be another good reason. (With a 75% market share, there's a pretty good chance the shop you're looking to teach at is a PADI shop.) Being a PADI OWSI gives you a far higher marketability and likelihood of employment in general; in some places it's almost de rigueur.

1.2) If no, are you comfortable that you can wear BP/W w/ long hose and properly demonstrate / transfer skills to students regardless of the kit they choose?

There is ZERO problem demonstrating or "transferring" skils, as Jim mentioned above. And as I'll illustrate below.

If no, you are setting yourself up for failure by electing to demonstrate teaching skills in a rig that does not allow you to properly transfer knowledge to students wearing different kit. You also have additional work to do to prepare yourself for teaching REGARDLESS your achieving your instructor rating.

The instructor who thinks they are "setting themselves up for failure" by teaching in a BP/W - regardless of what gear a student is wearing - is selling their own teaching ability and/or their students learning ability short. Further, there is no "additional work" necessary. On the other hand, the instructor that blindly puts their students in a jacket BCD without mentioning - if not demonstrating a BP/W - is already cutting corners. One need only read a few of the the too-numerous-to-count threads here of recent OW students looking to sell like-new BCDs after finding out about BP/W elsewhere. (In 2006 I sold a SeaQuest Balance with four checkout dives on it... and never went back to the shop that told me it was the last BCD I'd ever need.)

2) Acknowledging your personal preference, is your desire to teach BP/W based on a belief that this is "the correct answer" or that it is "a preferred answer"?

Think about it this way: There is not a diver, dive, environment, or situation where a BP/W will be the INCORRECT answer for an OW recreational diver. This is the reason it is the PREFERRED answer. I don't hit students over the head with a BP/W. During an OW course a student will be exposed to jacket, back-inflate, and BP/W rigs. (At the local shop students use both a traditional BCD and a BP/W.) The rationale for why we recommend - and all personally dive - BP/W rigs is explained to students. I've never had one say "I don't understand."

Again, if the former, you might want to rethink your choice of agency.

Why?

1) Do you intend to insist on students of yours wearing a particular configuration?

No insistence... any more than any shop/instructor "insists" that their students use their rental gear. Our LDS uses Halcyon Eclipse systems for OW. The gear sets I personally have are all Halcyon BP/W rigs. Using BP/W not only provides students with what we/I believe are a preferential rig, but also cuts down on the number of sets of teaching gear needed. Even if I never take more than two students I'd need to own EIGHT BCDs to ensure I had the right sizes on hand for any given class. With BP/W... I only need to own TWO. Even if I paid $1000 each that'd still less cost me less than eight of the cheapest BCDs you could find.

1.1) If yes, why are you looking for a PADI cert? Another agency might suit you better.

The fact that PADI have a 75% market share is a good start. If you're looking to teach at a PADI shop that'd be another good reason. (With a 75% market share, there's a pretty good chance the shop you're looking to teach at is a PADI shop.) Being a PADI OWSI gives you a far higher marketability and likelihood of employment in general; in some places it's almost de rigueur.

1.2) If no, are you comfortable that you can wear BP/W w/ long hose and properly demonstrate / transfer skills to students regardless of the kit they choose?

There is ZERO problem demonstrating or "transferring" skils, as Jim mentioned above.

If no, you are setting yourself up for failure by electing to demonstrate teaching skills in a rig that does not allow you to properly transfer knowledge to students wearing different kit. You also have additional work to do to prepare yourself for teaching REGARDLESS your achieving your instructor rating.

An instructor that thinks they are set up for failure by teaching in a BP/W - regardless of what gear a student is wearing - is either selling their own teaching ability or their students' learning ability terribly short. Any instructor that is not already doing the "additional work" necessary to prepare for a class is already cutting corners.

2) Acknowledging your personal preference, is your desire to teach BP/W based on a belief that this is "the correct answer" or that it is "a preferred answer"?

Think about it this way: There is not a diver, dive, environment, or situation where a BP/W will be the INCORRECT answer for an OW recreational diver. This is the reason it is the PREFERRED answer. I don't hit students over the head with a BP/W. During an OW course a student will be exposed to jacket, back-inflate, and BP/W rigs. (At the local shop students use both a traditional BCD and a BP/W.) The rationale for why we recommend - and all personally dive - BP/W rigs is explained to students. I've never had one say "I don't understand."

Again, if the former, you might want to rethink your choice of agency.

Why?

3) Ask yourself if you are prepared to discuss your students NEEDS and PREFERENCES with them. Ask yourself if you are prepared to accommodate those needs and preferences.

Of course. But in reality... what needs/preferences would someone have that would be best accommodated by a recreational BCD? Have never had a student tell me "I hear what you're saying... but I really need a lot of buckles and straps and clips and superfluous plastic d-rings." or "This is OK... but I think I'd prefer something that didn't fit properly. Do you have anything where a LARGE is too big and a MEDIUM is too small?" (TONGUE IN CHEEK DISCLAIMER: I've not drank, nor do I force people to drink the Kool Aid. If someone actually wants a recreational BCD that's perfectly fine. And if I ever come across a student who - after diving a BP/W - says they want a traditional BCD that'd be fine.)

4) If a student expresses no intention or desire to dive anything but rented gear, are you prepared to outfit and train them in the gear they will actually find in rental shops? (I have personally not seen any shops in the admittedly few vacations spots I have dived that rented anything other than the so-called standard BCD rig). (And no, this gnot preclude you from showing / demonstrating alternative options in case they should change their minds)

What brand gear will they rent? Suppose I train someone in a ScubaPro back inflate and they go to Bonaire and rent an AquaLung back inflate? Suppose they learn in a rig with weight belt and end then up diving on vacation somewhere that uses weight-integrated BCDs? Will the diver's head pop off? Of course not... or at least that SHOULDN'T be the case.

Go listen to any OW course and you'll hear things like "To add air to the the BCD press the red button" or "To vent your BCD press the square button.” What could be simpler, right?

So the student imprints “red = inflate, square = deflate” and gets their OW card. What happens when they head to the Caribbean and encounter Oceanic rental gear, that has no RED button and no SQUARE button:

Or god-forbid they end up with an Air2 where the SQUARE button is also the RED button?

Or an Atomic SS1 where BOTH buttons are red… but neither are SQUARE…

Nevermind purple or pink…

As an instructor you should teach students in a way that what they learn - even if using a BP/W - can be applied to ANY gear they will dive. (This is the difference between LEARNING and MEMORIZING.)

I tell students “There are two buttons on the low-pressure inflator, and a very simple way to remember how to operate them: Press the button closest to you, near where the LP hose attaches, to add air from your tank. Press the button at the furthest end to either vent the BCD or add air via the mouthpiece.” If the student learns that… they can use any inflator in the world.

Even if the student is wearing a traditional BCD and you’re wearing a BP/W all you need to do is emphasize the similarity between your gear and theirs, rather than the differences. And the fact of the matter is that a BP/W is far more SIMILAR to a BCD than it is different. Don't believe me? Imagine the buoyancy device I describe below being worn by a single-tank diver, and see if you can determine which one I am I describing:

• The key functional components of the buoyancy device are a flexible bladder to hold/release air, a hose allowing air to be added to, or vented from the bladder, and straps to enable the diver to wear the device.
• The buoyancy device is attached to a scuba cylinder by means of a strap and buckle/cam-band system.
• The scuba cylinder has a regulator connected to it, and along with the buoyancy device, these three pieces of equipment constitute the diver's scuba unit.
• The scuba unit has a corrugated hose. It's over the left shoulder. It is connected to the flexible bladder on the shoulder end.
• There's a LP hose running along side the corrugated hose. It is connected to the regulator first stage.
• The corrugated hose and the LP hose connect to an inflator at the distal end.
• The inflator has two buttons. Depressing the button nearest the LP hose adds air to the flexible bladder. Depressing the button nearest the mouthpiece vents air from the bladder.
• There are shoulder straps that the diver's arms go through when donning the unit.
• There's a strap that goes around the waist.
• There's a buckle on the waist strap.
• Buoyancy is controlled by adding air to, or venting air from, the flexible bladder.
• The air is added to the bladder via either depressing the button near the LP hose or by blowing through the mouthpiece while depressing the button nearest the mouthpiece.
• Air is vented from the bladder by raising the mouthpiece to the highest point and depressing the button nearest the mouthpiece. There is typically at least one additional vent to release air from the flexible bladder.
• For single-tank diving there is one first-stage regulator attached to the tank valve. Coming from this first-stage regulator are several LP hoses. Two LP hoses each go to a 2nd-stage regulator, one LP hose goes to the inflator. A device to monitor tank pressure will be connected to the HP port.
• One 2nd-stage regulator serves as the diver's primary regulator.
• While underwater, the primary regulator is in the diver's mouth.
• The other 2nd-stage regulator is the backup regulator.
• The backup regulator is secured in front of the diver, somewhere between their chin and their waist.
• The backup regulator is for use when one diver in the buddy pair has a problem breathing from their primary regulator. Typically this would be an air-share due to an OOA situation, which will be drilled in training.
• If there is an OOA situation, the buddy donates the appropriate 2nd stage to the OOA buddy, and keeps the other 2nd stage for themselves. The divers ascend, and at the surface the OOA diver orally inflates their flexible bladder (if needed) by blowing into the mouthpiece of their inflator, while depressing the button nearest the mouthpiece.
• The diver will typically carry weight with them.
• Some of this weight will ordinarily be ditchable, but some may be non-ditchable.
• The weight to really be concerned with is the ditchable weight.
• Ditchable weight is typically either carried on a weight belt (or harness) worn separately from the buoyancy device, or in releasable pockets mounted directly on/in the buoyancy device. The releasable pockets are usually secured by means of a buckle.
• If this weight needs to be ditched, the diver (or their buddy) releases either the weightbelt or the releasable weight pockets.

So, was I describing a full-blown tech BP/W rig or a traditional recreational BCD? Traditional recreational regulator configuration or 7ft hose? Primary reg and combo octo/inflator?

To tell you the truth... even I can't tell.

:cool2:

And, the new diver will not be able to tell the difference either... unless you choose to highlight the differences. On the other hand, if you describe a BP/W and a BCD as I did above - pointing out the nearly four dozen specific features or actions that are the same - they will see that a BP/W and a typical rec BCD are the same.

 

[bl6394]

A lot of great comments here. I'll briefly add my own (fairly recent) IE experience. I did my DM course and most of my IDC in a BPW. Before I went pro, I was already full tech cave, adv trimix, etc. I don't have much use for a jacket BCD.

Fair to say, my CD was not a huge fan of the BPW, frog kicks, and other practices I had picked up outside his course. Every time I fully opened my valve - as opposed to opening and turning back a quarter turn - he would get irritate with me... And it didn't matter how many articles in DAN or other sources I provided justifying my practice.

But when we were doing the Rescue 7 exercises - things really came to a head. Some of my classmates had a problem chicken winging me out of the BPW, or removing the crotch strap while doing the scenario and providing rescue breaths. I attempted to facilitate by removing the crotch strap and loosened the harness - but performance of the scenario was not consistent. Could have screwed up someone's IE...

So I agreed to replace the BPW with a Jacket BCD and think it was the right call for me. Even if we had drilled as a team until my classmates could manage my gear at demonstration levels - what would I have done for the poor schmuck we got paired with at the IDC who had never touched a BPW before? (And the guys we were paired with were actually really good - no slight intended.) Picking my battles - there was no point in stressing out other people and possibly torpedoing their IE because of my gear selection - or hubris.

So I passed the IE in a Jacket - getting 5's across the board. Looking back - the only important thing that came out of the IE was the certificate. No one cares what gear I used, or what scores I had in a fairly artificial teaching environment.

At present - I teach CONFINED water in a Jacket - weighted to trim me as horizontal as possible. In confined water - I DEMONSTRATE the skills in the same kind of gear that my students are renting.

When I go to Open Water to EVALUATE skills - I usually wear a sidemount rig, long hose and keep my collapsible snorkel stowed in my drysuit pocket, and frog kick everywhere... It shows students that their are other configurations out there that work as well - or better than their Jacket BCD.

This is how I compromised. Good luck in your IE!

Regards,

---------- Post added February 10th, 2015 at 01:06 PM ----------

I tell students “There are two buttons on the low-pressure inflator, and a very simple way to remember how to operate them: Press the button closest to you, near where the LP hose attaches, to add air from your tank. Press the button at the furthest end to either vent the BCD or add air via the mouthpiece.” If the student learns that… they can use any inflator in the world.

RJP - I do the same thing - until one of my students pointed to a new Tusa Powerinflator (http://www.tusa.com/contentdocuments/APA.pdf) with an Active Purge Assist. It had THREE buttons on the low-pressure inflator. Two conventional buttons for inflate and deflate - and a new mystery leverfor doing some convoluted unnecessary shyte with the purpose of selling more gear! I don't use Tusa and this feature was both a surprise and an embarrassment when my ow student asked about it - and I didn't know wtf it was for.

 

[TSandM]

I went out years ago with a novice diver who had an inflator that didn't have buttons at all -- it had flat, plastic plates, and I couldn't for the life of me figure it out underwater.

I'm doing my AI right now -- of course, I'm doing it with my husband instructing, so there will be no problem demonstrating skills or doing teaching demonstrations in my own gear. But when I DM in the pool, I use a little jacket BC we got in a bulk purchase of a retiring instructor's gear. I use it in large part because I prefer to avoid routinely dunking my own quality stuff in chlorine. IF I go on to an IDC (and Peter and I differ on the likelihood of that) I will probably use that equipment for any pool work. I don't know what I'll do in OW, because I've never had that setup in OW.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I am teaching pool sessions now in one of the shops jackets. Or my BPW. The students get put in jackets, back inflates, and a BPW. For the OW dives they get to choose which one they will use and what weight system. They should since I am not setting it up for them or determining their weighting. They are going to do that while I observe them do it. In OW I'll be diving a sidemount rig. Because I have decided that unless there is some pressing need to dive a single (can't think of any) the sidemount set up is the safest (plenty of redundant gas), most convenient, and just a fun rig to dive. Also in the OW dives the teaching is over. I am simply evaluating them now. No need to demo anything. I can ask via hand signals or a slate for them to do a skill. We will do all the skills while swimming and they won't know what is coming at them or when. They don't need to if I have done my job and they have done theirs in the classroom and the pool.

 

[Divetech99]

bl6394, you're right about rescue 7 that it'll risk the demonstration score of the guy who's assigned to rescue the victim in a hog rig.

Not for the IE but for real life removal in general. A trick used to remove the BP/W is to remove his waist strap and crotch strap then raise his hands towards his head while pulling his first stage away from his head, allowing him to gently slide down the backplate. Not pretty but it works if trying to get his left hand to chicken wing through the left shoulder strap doesn't. I'm not describing it well here but the general idea is to slide the victim off of his BP. Has anyone tried this, are there better variations?

 

[tursiops]

bl6394, you're right about rescue 7 that it'll risk the demonstration score of the guy who's assigned to rescue the victim in a hog rig.

Not for the IE but for real life removal in general. A trick used to remove the BP/W is to remove his waist strap and crotch strap then raise his hands towards his head while pulling his first stage away from his head, allowing him to gently slide down the backplate. Not pretty but it works if trying to get his left hand to chicken wing through the left shoulder strap doesn't. I'm not describing it well here but the general idea is to slide the victim off of his BP. Has anyone tried this, are there better variations?

Not sure how to do that in the water and still keep his head out of the water. Water over the face is a fail.

 

[Divetech99]

Yes, like I said, not for the IE and ain't pretty. But if you cradle his neck while pulling his first stage away from his head it will work.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

bl6394, you're right about rescue 7 that it'll risk the demonstration score of the guy who's assigned to rescue the victim in a hog rig.

Not for the IE but for real life removal in general. A trick used to remove the BP/W is to remove his waist strap and crotch strap then raise his hands towards his head while pulling his first stage away from his head, allowing him to gently slide down the backplate. Not pretty but it works if trying to get his left hand to chicken wing through the left shoulder strap doesn't. I'm not describing it well here but the general idea is to slide the victim off of his BP. Has anyone tried this, are there better variations?

This is exactly how I have my rescue students get me out of mine. Or cut the damn webbing. By doing this as you get the victim into shallow water that the rescuer(s) can stand in, the face never comes close to going under water since the wing is inflated and is being used a raft. One person can do this and use one hand to pull the rig and the other to cradle the head. With two people it's even easier. Since you never want to remove the buoyancy source (my wing and plate or BC) until you are in a place where you can safely extract the victim. I believe in teaching a rescue class as it would be done in real life. Rescue breaths every five seconds in deep water are not happening. Unclipping buckles one at a time as you are towing may be done but over and over I tell them if that is going to cause even a minor delay, cut the straps. Keep the vic's head out of the water and haul ass for shore or boat where you can do effective CPR. Remove the BC last and slide them off it onto the shore, boat, or ladder.
In my IE this was what was looked for. Not by the book pretty stuff. Slow motion demos are fine the first time in the pool. In OW I am shouting at the rescue students reminding them that brain damage may be setting in and they need to get compressions going or there is someone on shore playing the part of the grieving dive buddy or family.

The class should not be pretty or slow paced. A real rescue won't be. Training instructors to act like it will be can cause issues down the road.

On that how much time is spent in the IDC or IE going over the possible psychological aftermath of an actual rescue? I am seriously curious about this. In mine sad to say there was very little. So when the time came that I was involved in some minor incidents where I was just a helper it had an effect that was not expected. Then came the incident in Rawlings and working with some of the people involved in that is when I came up with my PTSD article and made sure to go over this in the first rescue class I taught. I now include it in every class since every diver is a potential rescuer or witness to one.

 

[gcarter]

No insistence... any more than any shop/instructor "insists" that their students use their rental gear if they don't want to buy their own. Our LDS uses Halcyon Eclipse systems for OW. The gear sets I personally have are all Halcyon BP/W rigs. Using BP/W with OW students not only provides students with what we/I believe are a preferential rig, but also cuts down on the number of sets of teaching gear needed. As an independent instructor even if I never took more than two students I'd still need to own at least TEN BCDs (2x XS, 2x S, 2x M, 2x L, 2x XL) to ensure that I had the right sizes on hand for any given class. With BP/W... I only need to own TWO. Even if I paid $1000 each that'd still less cost me less than ten of the cheapest BCDs you could find. If I did decide to buy ten recreational BCD... I'd certainly need to factor that expense into what I charge for a course.



The fact that PADI have a 75% market share is a good start. If you're looking to teach at a PADI shop that'd be another good reason. (With a 75% market share, there's a pretty good chance the shop you're looking to teach at is a PADI shop.) Being a PADI OWSI gives you a far higher marketability and likelihood of employment in general; in some places it's almost de rigueur.


There is ZERO problem demonstrating or "transferring" skils, as Jim mentioned above. And as I'll illustrate below.


The instructor who thinks they are "setting themselves up for failure" by teaching in a BP/W - regardless of what gear a student is wearing - is selling their own teaching ability and/or their students learning ability short. Further, there is no "additional work" necessary. On the other hand, the instructor that blindly puts their students in a jacket BCD without mentioning - if not demonstrating a BP/W - is already cutting corners. One need only read a few of the the too-numerous-to-count threads here of recent OW students looking to sell like-new BCDs after finding out about BP/W elsewhere. (In 2006 I sold a SeaQuest Balance with four checkout dives on it... and never went back to the shop that told me it was the last BCD I'd ever need.)



Think about it this way: There is not a diver, dive, environment, or situation where a BP/W will be the INCORRECT answer for an OW recreational diver. This is the reason it is the PREFERRED answer. I don't hit students over the head with a BP/W. During an OW course a student will be exposed to jacket, back-inflate, and BP/W rigs. (At the local shop students use both a traditional BCD and a BP/W.) The rationale for why we recommend - and all personally dive - BP/W rigs is explained to students. I've never had one say "I don't understand."



Why?



No insistence... any more than any shop/instructor "insists" that their students use their rental gear. Our LDS uses Halcyon Eclipse systems for OW. The gear sets I personally have are all Halcyon BP/W rigs. Using BP/W not only provides students with what we/I believe are a preferential rig, but also cuts down on the number of sets of teaching gear needed. Even if I never take more than two students I'd need to own EIGHT BCDs to ensure I had the right sizes on hand for any given class. With BP/W... I only need to own TWO. Even if I paid $1000 each that'd still less cost me less than eight of the cheapest BCDs you could find.



The fact that PADI have a 75% market share is a good start. If you're looking to teach at a PADI shop that'd be another good reason. (With a 75% market share, there's a pretty good chance the shop you're looking to teach at is a PADI shop.) Being a PADI OWSI gives you a far higher marketability and likelihood of employment in general; in some places it's almost de rigueur.


There is ZERO problem demonstrating or "transferring" skils, as Jim mentioned above.


An instructor that thinks they are set up for failure by teaching in a BP/W - regardless of what gear a student is wearing - is either selling their own teaching ability or their students' learning ability terribly short. Any instructor that is not already doing the "additional work" necessary to prepare for a class is already cutting corners.



Think about it this way: There is not a diver, dive, environment, or situation where a BP/W will be the INCORRECT answer for an OW recreational diver. This is the reason it is the PREFERRED answer. I don't hit students over the head with a BP/W. During an OW course a student will be exposed to jacket, back-inflate, and BP/W rigs. (At the local shop students use both a traditional BCD and a BP/W.) The rationale for why we recommend - and all personally dive - BP/W rigs is explained to students. I've never had one say "I don't understand."



Why?


Of course. But in reality... what needs/preferences would someone have that would be best accommodated by a recreational BCD? Have never had a student tell me "I hear what you're saying... but I really need a lot of buckles and straps and clips and superfluous plastic d-rings." or "This is OK... but I think I'd prefer something that didn't fit properly. Do you have anything where a LARGE is too big and a MEDIUM is too small?" (TONGUE IN CHEEK DISCLAIMER: I've not drank, nor do I force people to drink the Kool Aid. If someone actually wants a recreational BCD that's perfectly fine. And if I ever come across a student who - after diving a BP/W - says they want a traditional BCD that'd be fine.)


What brand gear will they rent? Suppose I train someone in a ScubaPro back inflate and they go to Bonaire and rent an AquaLung back inflate? Suppose they learn in a rig with weight belt and end then up diving on vacation somewhere that uses weight-integrated BCDs? Will the diver's head pop off? Of course not... or at least that SHOULDN'T be the case.

Go listen to any OW course and you'll hear things like "To add air to the the BCD press the red button" or "To vent your BCD press the square button.” What could be simpler, right?

So the student imprints “red = inflate, square = deflate” and gets their OW card. What happens when they head to the Caribbean and encounter Oceanic rental gear, that has no RED button and no SQUARE button:

Or god-forbid they end up with an Air2 where the SQUARE button is also the RED button?

Or an Atomic SS1 where BOTH buttons are red… but neither are SQUARE…

Nevermind purple or pink…

As an instructor you should teach students in a way that what they learn - even if using a BP/W - can be applied to ANY gear they will dive. (This is the difference between LEARNING and MEMORIZING.)

I tell students “There are two buttons on the low-pressure inflator, and a very simple way to remember how to operate them: Press the button closest to you, near where the LP hose attaches, to add air from your tank. Press the button at the furthest end to either vent the BCD or add air via the mouthpiece.” If the student learns that… they can use any inflator in the world.

Even if the student is wearing a traditional BCD and you’re wearing a BP/W all you need to do is emphasize the similarity between your gear and theirs, rather than the differences. And the fact of the matter is that a BP/W is far more SIMILAR to a BCD than it is different. Don't believe me? Imagine the buoyancy device I describe below being worn by a single-tank diver, and see if you can determine which one I am I describing:

• The key functional components of the buoyancy device are a flexible bladder to hold/release air, a hose allowing air to be added to, or vented from the bladder, and straps to enable the diver to wear the device.
• The buoyancy device is attached to a scuba cylinder by means of a strap and buckle/cam-band system.
• The scuba cylinder has a regulator connected to it, and along with the buoyancy device, these three pieces of equipment constitute the diver's scuba unit.
• The scuba unit has a corrugated hose. It's over the left shoulder. It is connected to the flexible bladder on the shoulder end.
• There's a LP hose running along side the corrugated hose. It is connected to the regulator first stage.
• The corrugated hose and the LP hose connect to an inflator at the distal end.
• The inflator has two buttons. Depressing the button nearest the LP hose adds air to the flexible bladder. Depressing the button nearest the mouthpiece vents air from the bladder.
• There are shoulder straps that the diver's arms go through when donning the unit.
• There's a strap that goes around the waist.
• There's a buckle on the waist strap.
• Buoyancy is controlled by adding air to, or venting air from, the flexible bladder.
• The air is added to the bladder via either depressing the button near the LP hose or by blowing through the mouthpiece while depressing the button nearest the mouthpiece.
• Air is vented from the bladder by raising the mouthpiece to the highest point and depressing the button nearest the mouthpiece. There is typically at least one additional vent to release air from the flexible bladder.
• For single-tank diving there is one first-stage regulator attached to the tank valve. Coming from this first-stage regulator are several LP hoses. Two LP hoses each go to a 2nd-stage regulator, one LP hose goes to the inflator. A device to monitor tank pressure will be connected to the HP port.
• One 2nd-stage regulator serves as the diver's primary regulator.
• While underwater, the primary regulator is in the diver's mouth.
• The other 2nd-stage regulator is the backup regulator.
• The backup regulator is secured in front of the diver, somewhere between their chin and their waist.
• The backup regulator is for use when one diver in the buddy pair has a problem breathing from their primary regulator. Typically this would be an air-share due to an OOA situation, which will be drilled in training.
• If there is an OOA situation, the buddy donates the appropriate 2nd stage to the OOA buddy, and keeps the other 2nd stage for themselves. The divers ascend, and at the surface the OOA diver orally inflates their flexible bladder (if needed) by blowing into the mouthpiece of their inflator, while depressing the button nearest the mouthpiece.
• The diver will typically carry weight with them.
• Some of this weight will ordinarily be ditchable, but some may be non-ditchable.
• The weight to really be concerned with is the ditchable weight.
• Ditchable weight is typically either carried on a weight belt (or harness) worn separately from the buoyancy device, or in releasable pockets mounted directly on/in the buoyancy device. The releasable pockets are usually secured by means of a buckle.
• If this weight needs to be ditched, the diver (or their buddy) releases either the weightbelt or the releasable weight pockets.

So, was I describing a full-blown tech BP/W rig or a traditional recreational BCD? Traditional recreational regulator configuration or 7ft hose? Primary reg and combo octo/inflator?

To tell you the truth... even I can't tell.

:cool2:

And, the new diver will not be able to tell the difference either... unless you choose to highlight the differences. On the other hand, if you describe a BP/W and a BCD as I did above - pointing out the nearly four dozen specific features or actions that are the same - they will see that a BP/W and a typical rec BCD are the same.

All of that completely missed the point I was trying to make with the questions - I see absolutely nothing wrong with teaching in a BP/W - but given that I do not disagree with anything you posted and this contains a lot of good information, my point doesn't matter.

Carry on

 

[RJP]

In my IE this was what was looked for. Not by the book pretty stuff. Slow motion demos are fine the first time in the pool. In OW I am shouting at the rescue students reminding them that brain damage may be setting in and they need to get compressions going or there is someone on shore playing the part of the grieving dive buddy or family.

The class should not be pretty or slow paced. A real rescue won't be. Training instructors to act like it will be can cause issues down the road.

Jim, with all due respect I think your IE - and your approach - might both risk missing the mark:

1. The IE rescue demonstration SHOULD be "by the book, pretty stuff" because it's an evaluation of the instructor's ability to perform a demonstration quality version of the skill. One that will be appropriate to help a student LEARN the skill. Essentially, what will be done the first time in the pool. If there is EVER a time for a "by the book, pretty stuff" version of a skill like a rescue... the IE is it.
2. The shouting-at-the-students drill-sergeant thing probably looks/sounds/feels cool... it's just woefully ineffective at helping students actually learn and imprint the skill. A rescue is like a choreographed dance number; it quite properly should be taught, demonstrated, and drilled at a pace suitable for learning. Of course ultimately a student should be able to show that they can perform the skill "at speed" but that's not necessarily "top speed." Rescue skills are the classic example of "slow is smooth, and smooth is fast."

I'd much rather see a student able to fluidly and deliberately demonstrate the skill, even if at 7/8ths time, than see them fly through a "not pretty" version of a rescue. The reason is that the fluid, deliberate student will be far more likely to not only be ABLE to perform the skill if ever called upon in the real world (because it's actually been imprinted upon them) but they will be far more WILLING to perform/participate in a rescue if needed. Rescue/first-aid students who are yelled at and chided during a course feel pressured to perform therefor have a greater tendency to freeze in a real rescue. They are so afraid of doing something wrong and/or not doing it fast enough that they end up doing NOTHING.

As the EFR mantra says "imperfect care rendered is far better than perfect care withheld."

On that how much time is spent in the IDC or IE going over the possible psychological aftermath of an actual rescue?

Little if any in the IDC. That's properly taught in rescue class. None in the IE (the "E" of which stands for "evaluation") either.

I am seriously curious about this. In mine sad to say there was very little. So when the time came that I was involved in some minor incidents where I was just a helper it had an effect that was not expected. Then came the incident in Rawlings and working with some of the people involved in that is when I came up with my PTSD article and made sure to go over this in the first rescue class I taught. I now include it in every class since every diver is a potential rescuer or witness to one.

The reality is that there is NOTHING that adequately prepares you for the psychological aftermath, or the stress during, an actual rescue situation... other than having already been involved in an actual rescue situation. Classes and drills and skills and everything may go completely out the window... or may flow out of the rescuer as a fluid spinal-cord level reflex. There's no way to tell.

I've been involved in more than my fair share of rescues (and recoveries) and unfortunately, as I've been told, I'm pretty good at it. I wish I wasn't... or at least didn't have a significant enough track-record to draw any conclusions. This is not any sort of bragging, but the sad reality is that the only way to get good at performing rescues... is to perform rescues. The most recent one was particularly interesting, and instructive.

Was DM'ing an OW class with a capable instructor of a few years. After performing a perfect CESA and fist-bumping the instructor a mid-40s student said "something doesn't feel right" and went unresponsive... face down in the water.

The instructor... froze.

Fortunately, there was a DM from another class right next to us. She started towing the victim in while I got the other students together (including the victim's 14yr old son) and "delegated" them to the instructor before high-tailing it in after the victim.

We were fortunate to have the great Dutch Springs staff waiting for us by the time we got to shore, and one of our DM's daughters who is a critical-care nurse happened to be there. I was on complete auto-pilot and I remember very few details about the rest of the rescue... other than the vivid recollection of the instructor standing at the edge of the water watching the rest of us effect the rescue.

Would he have benefited from having been yelled at during his rescue course? Unlikely. This is not an indictment of him or his abilities or skills. You just NEVER know how someone will react. It's because of this that I'd much prefer a student be able to be deliberate and fluid. When it all goes south... that person will be far more likely to shift into auto-pilot than the person who frantically did a "not pretty" version under the tutelage of a shouting instructor.

---------- Post added February 10th, 2015 at 10:12 PM ----------

Not sure how to do that in the water and still keep his head out of the water. Water over the face is a fail.

The rescue I referenced above also underscores this point. Fortunately after an ambulance ride to one hospital and transfer to UPenn's hyperbaric facility the victim lived to tell the tale. That telling was very interesting... you can look for the UPenn publication on it soon.

For still not well-understood reasons (involving an undiagnosed PFO - and probably a lodged bubble) the victim suffered what is known as "Locked-In Syndrome" wherein he was completely paralyzed... but completely conscious and aware the whole time. (UPenn folks say they've never seen it caused by DCS... and no one has ever seen non-chemically induced L-I-S spontaneously resolve.)

He claims that the scariest thing of the whole episode was when he was being towed in on the surface. Water was splashing onto his face and he couldn't close his mouth, couldn't blow the water out, and couldn't swallow it. John (he's actually now my son's scout leader) thought for sure he was going to drown before ever reaching shore.

Interestingly, he was also able to fully participate in an accident analysis and review of the rescue after the fact. Because he was completely conscious and aware - though seemingly unresponsive and unconscious - he was actually the only person who simply laid there with nothing to do but pay absolute attention to everything that occured during the whole rescue. He was able to provide a near transcript-quality review of everything that was done and said from the moment he went face-down to the time he left in the ambulance.