Can PADI Instructors use DIR Gear While Teaching?

[TSandM]

It takes time to get the rigs properly adjusted for the students (we have figured out ways to use buckles to make them more quickly adjustable). And putting on heavy weight belts OVER harnesses, if you are teaching in wetsuits, is truly a PITA. But the students are more stable, because of the reduced tank slop, and every student we have ever had who dove both, preferred the backplate system.

We do not teach in wrapped long hoses. We either use a 36" as a primary and tolerate the loop, or a 40" with 90 degree adapter, routed under the arm.

 

[Diver0001]

1. Does PADI allow their instructors to use the standard DIR gear while conducting PADI OW and Specialties courses?

2. Do they still require snorkel?

3. Can PADI OW students use a BP/W and Long hose (DIR SETUP) while learning OW?

PADI doesn't say what your configuration should look like but lists general minimal gear requirements. What you wouldn't want to do is dive in gear that's different from your students. There is a component of equipment familiarization in the OW course and you'll be in a position where you need to demonstrate skills that a student has to duplicate. It would be very weird to say, "ok, i'm going to do it like this.... but then you have to do it like that..."

R..

 

[RJP]

PADI doesn't say what your configuration should look like but lists general minimal gear requirements. What you wouldn't want to do is dive in gear that's different from your students.

All you need to do is emphasize the similarity between your gear and theirs, rather than the differences.

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.

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.

 

[ElGaucho]

I teach in Hogarthian configuration. I generally teach Confined Water in regular BCDs with regular length hoses, because the pool where I rent includes the gear, and then I don't have to do any rinsing et such. On the other hand, it allows students to experience that configuration. When I take them OW, my own pool of gear (6 full hog setups with BPW including 7' hoses and "fake DSS light canisters") gets used. I have a couple of 5 ft hoses for petit girls generally I might swap on the setup. I prefer to dive in that setup and teach in that setup. Students come out of my course exposed to both ways. They can later choose what they buy, because they have tried the whole she bang.

This setups also allow me to use the same regs, general hose lengths to also build 3 doubles setups, I also have a bunch of dedicated stage regs, or sidemount setups. So Im happy it all works for me without having to have THAT big of an investment in equipment. I can do rec, tech, sidemount, stages, doubles, all with more or less the same equipment. Also BPWs are great for sizing. Just have one or two of the smaller backplates if you get a lot of petit women or youngsters. Diverite used to make one, but now I think only Halcuyon and DSS have smaller/shorter plates.

 

[Diver0001]

All you need to do is emphasize the similarity between your gear and theirs, rather than the differences.

Been there, tried that. These days I wear what the student is wearing even if it means I need to borrow rental gear from the shop some of the time.

My job as in instructor is to model what THEY should be doing and how THEY should be doing it. My own diving style does not factor into that. A student learns best on the short time lines we give them when they're not trying to make sense of multiple (irrelevant) alternative configurations. For a lot of people it's enough information for them to just remember what I showed them and try to master that. If they can't look at me and pretend like they're looking in a mirror then in my opinion there is a disconnect that will slow down learning.

In the final analysis I found it to be enough of a round peg in a square hole that I wouldn't advise it at least on the OW level. At higher levels of certification divers already have a baseline equipment familiarity and some exposure so it's not an issue. I'm quite happy to wear a double set when teaching various specialties, for example. This is not to say that everyone needs to do what I do, just that I've tried it and decided for myself that it didn't deliver the results I was looking for.

R..

 

[boulderjohn]

Been there, tried that. These days I wear what the student is wearing even if it means I need to borrow rental gear from the shop some of the time.

My job as in instructor is to model what THEY should be doing and how THEY should be doing it.

I very much agree with that, and there is a lot of research the importance of that. When learning skills, students learn best by imitation by far.

I am certified/licensed to coach two sports (volleyball and soccer) at a pretty high level. Those certifications required extensive training in coaching theory. Both sports emphasized the need to have students observe good role models. In soccer, we were told never to demonstrate something we could not do well ourselves. We were told that when one of our players does a skill particularly well, we should praise him or her for it in front of the rest of the team so that the rest of the team will know which of their teammates they should be watching and imitating, because that is how they will learn. In one of the volleyball sessions, the coaches talked about their experiences running summer camps for high school players. They said they can usually pick out the high school teammates without being told by the fact that they all tend to have the same bad habits. They then said that if they could see that one of the players was the one the rest were imitating, they would focus on correcting that person so that the others would follow along.

I have even observed something about working with younger students. Child development theorist Jean Piaget noticed that until sometime around age 10, children facing action are unable to see it from the opposite point of view. If a person facing them has three objects in a row, they cannot put them in the same order that person sees them--they will put them in the order they see it--a mirror reflection. If you are teaching a skill like regulator recovery or breathing from a free flowing regulator, many children will tend to imitate you in a mirror image of what you did. If you leaned to the right, they will tend to lean to the left.

Summary--imitation of EXACTLY what you are doing is the most important teaching tool in any physical activity.

 

[Diver0001]

Child development theorist Jean Piaget noticed that until sometime around age 10, children facing action are unable to see it from the opposite point of view. If a person facing them has three objects in a row, they cannot put them in the same order that person sees them--they will put them in the order they see it--a mirror reflection.

[offtopic sidebar]

If you've ever seen me behind the wheel of a car you'll know that some people never grow out of it. I can remember exactly where to go but don't ask me if you have to turn left or right at a given point because I will always tell the the opposite LOL.

Needless to say, I'm often lost, much to the amusement of my wife, who is the dyslexic one.

Strangely, if you drop me in the middle of nowhere in the forest, or even underwater my navigation is like a homing pigeon. Street maps, though.... forget it!

R..
[/offtopic sidebar]

 

[ffdiver]

I teach both systems in the pool and let the student decide which system to use for Open water.

 

[Diver0001]

Why would you do that?

R..

 

[Peter Guy]

OP -- first a question -- why do you even ask? Why do you think it isn't permitted? What have you read or heard that gave you that understanding? (I ask this way because why else start the thread?)

Second -- a comment or two. Although rare, it is not uncommon, when I teach for my LDS, that the students will not have the same gear. (Note -- actually now, it is uncommon if they DO have the same gear because the LDS is switching BCDs and Dive Computers.) And, of course, people do buy (or bring) their own gear to the OW class. Thus Rob's and John's statements about "teaching in the same gear" may be valid for them but not for everyone. And, for what it's worth, I use a back inflate BCD in the pool even if my student is in a BP/W because I don't want my "regular" gear to get all "chloriny."

If the class is going well, I try to bring several different types of BCDs (back inflate and BP/W) to the last pool session so that students can try different styles to see what they like.

As TSandM indicated, it can be a little difficult to quickly adjust a BP/W to a particular student but there are good solutions (Halcyon Cinch system for example). Another way is to modify the Hog/harness to permit quick adjustments by adding buckles to each shoulder strap and using big, stiff O-Rings instead of metal D-rings for attachment points. (BTW, these ideas come from being a volunteer diver at the Seattle Aquarium where the gear has to be quickly adjusted for the next diver.)

Last comment -- I do find it easier to do ditch & don with a "standard" BCD than with my BP/W -- especially in cold water and a dry suit.