Ditch and don

[DavidPT40]

While taking my advanced class, I heard about this really fun (sounding) exercise. Its called a 'ditch and don'. You take all your scuba equipment, throw it in the water, and then you dive in and don your equipment underwater.

Can anyone give me any tips for practicing this exercise?

 

[Jersey Chris]

While taking my advanced class, I heard about this really fun (sounding) exercise. Its called a 'ditch and don'. You take all your scuba equipment, throw it in the water, and then you dive in and don your equipment underwater.

Can anyone give me any tips for practicing this exercise?

Its actually tougher then it seems as when you jump in you are trying to hold on to the bc and tank, put on the mask at the same time and keep the reg in your mouth with out it getting all twisted. I did this in my open water training in 96. Interesting excercise but I dont think its being done much anymore. Best tip I can think of is to put your arms in the bc and don it over the head while trying to keep the reg in your mouth.. Good luck

 

[ReneeC]

I'm glad you think it "sounds" like fun - its not! Its a pain in the a_ _ but fortunately not required anymore. Unless you are lucky enough to be negatively bouyant to begin with you will spend the exercise trying to stay down while finding your gear and putting it on. Knock yourself out! Better yet - just take your gear with you when you jump in at the surface and put it on there - better exercise.

 

[garyfotodiver]

Let's see now... how did it go. Someone help me out if I forgot. Last did this a looong time ago.

1) Dive under and find the regulator.
2) Turn on the tank, clear the regulator, and breathe.
3) Find the mask, put on and clear.
4) Strap on weights.
5) Don tank. Then fins.
6) Surface.

Or something like this.

 

[jbd]

Let's see now... how did it go. Someone help me out if I forgot. Last did this a looong time ago.

1) Dive under and find the regulator.
2) Turn on the tank, clear the regulator, and breathe.
3) Find the mask, put on and clear.
4) Strap on weights.
5) Don tank. Then fins.
6) Surface.

Or something like this.

Sums it up pretty well. Although I found it easier to let go of the reg while putting the scuba unit on and then recover, clear and breath. I think its a good excercise for building confidence and control underwater.

 

[ReneeC]

Close ...

1) find mask (so you can see)
2) find reg (so you can breathe)
Hopefully attached to bc - (which better be weight integrated - because if you are like me with built in flotation you will be at the surface if they are not!)
3) turn on tank while not trying to breathe from an empty reg
4) find weights (unless attached to bc) - hold on for dear life!
5) put weights or bc on while trying to locate your fins (which of course float)
6) Ok - got mask (can see) got reg (can breathe) got bc on one shoulder..... got fins ..... ooops! make that one fin! Where the f .... is the other one? and why is my octo stuck under the cumberbund .... and *&%# I checked by bouyancy at the surface but now that I'm stressing ..... Oh HI! Instuctor! Yes I know I came up too fast ....

 

[DavidPT40]

Seems like you would run low on air if you cleared your mask before you breathed on the regulator.

 

[RichLockyer]

Another good one for familiarity is to have a buddy lay your rig out on a tarp in a darkened room.
You go in, find everything, and don the rig.

 

[Firefyter]

Let's see now... how did it go. Someone help me out if I forgot. Last did this a looong time ago.

1) Dive under and find the regulator.
2) Turn on the tank, clear the regulator, and breathe.
3) Find the mask, put on and clear.
4) Strap on weights.
5) Don tank. Then fins.
6) Surface.

Or something like this.

This is pretty much the way I was taught, except we either put the weight belt on or laid it across our waist immediately after we got air, and before we did anything else. It was much easier putting the mask on and clearing it without having to worry about floating back up and losing the reg out of our mouth. Great confidence building exercise.

 

[sharkbaitDAN]

Always clear the reg first. You can stay down without seeing. Have a buddy there in case you need help. Once you are comfortable, put a piece of duct tape over the mask and try doing it without being able to see. No one makes you do this for rec diving anymore, but you will never be uncomfortable with any gear problem if you can don everything with a blacked out mask. I did ditch and don and blacked out ditch and don in my YMCA open water course in '97.