Do I need a BC like the students wear?

[Germie]

Here instructor, but not affiliated with a shop.
No, you can dive with what you want. I teach with a twinset, backplate and wing with a longhose. And never ever had a student that had problems with this, even not when they used the normal bcd with octopus configuration. The inflator on the left works the same. You explain how a longhose works and all goes smooth. A wing is just a wing to inflate and works as a bcd, that is not different. Buddycheck is the same.

I must say my main courses are techcourses and I almost never teach open water courses, but this year I did one. I think it was my 7th or so in my whole life. I have done more intro dives, and even then I use a longhose. When I became instructor I also did the course with a twinset, bp+wing+longhose.
Also we dive here most times in drysuits and that is not a problem if the student uses a wetsuit. Sometimes they buy a drysuit with less than 10 dives.

When a student needs to use my equipment (as this is quite normal when doing an open water course, but sometimes they already have bought), I provide them with a longhose configuration, but a normal bcd.

 

[Edward3c]

I'm nowhere in the realm of instruction but if it were me, it seems like it would be easier to teach people who are using the same gear I have. And as a student with all this strange stuff on my body, it would be easier to follow the instructor if we were mirroring each other. It's reasonable to expect the dive op to provide it, even if you just go claim it from the rental locker. If you choose to use your own gear, I would definitely replace the Air2 and use a traditional octo.

This is the very reason BSAC mandate instructors use the same kit configuration as students for Ocean Diver and some Sports Diver lessons. If an AIR2 style inflator is fitted a full secondary regulator is required as we teach secondary take/donate. Then the AIR2 is just another inflator.

Completely different when teaching higher grades like Advanced Diver, as the student is likely to be an Open Water Instructor.

 

[Still Kicking]

It''s easier for students to learn when the instructor demonstrates skills with same configuration.

I remember listening to an instructor tell a story about demonstrating OOA using her Air 2 and laughed that a student tried to breathe from his non-integrated inflator when he tried to do the skill. She had explained what the student should do but then demonstrated something completely different. Total instructional failure.

 

[paddydiver]

I've taught quite a lot of courses and It's always easier to have the same gear set up as the students. Especially in intro/OW courses. Regarding buying another BCD, No. The dive shop shoud be providing this, at least for the confined water part of training.

On another note, if you can afford it, get rid of the Air2. It's a poor substitute for an alternate Regulator and a clumsy inflator never mind trying to demonstrate out of air emergencys with one.

 

[Belzelbub]

I'm not a dive pro, but have been a student on more than one occasion.

Ultimately, it's up to the shop. If they require you to wear similar gear, then you have your answer. If not, I'd recommend you don't change.

It's useful to have new students gain at least some familiarity with different gear style. Better to see it for the first time in a class than on an instabuddy. Over the past several years, I've taken a few courses, and went along when my daughters' got certified. My gear is similar to theirs (Back-inflate, combo inflator) and they used their gear during their classes. The other students were all in shop rentals (jackets, standard inflator, standard octo). I appreciated that the instructor took the time to point out the differences.

When I took a rescue course, between the instructors and my fellow students we had most gear configurations covered. No jacket BC, but everything else. There was a mix of back-inflates and backplate and wing, standard octo stowed, combo octo-inflator, and necklaced octo. It was on us to be familiar with each different configuration.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Ultimately, it's up to the shop. If they require you to wear similar gear, then you have your answer. If not, I'd recommend you don't change.

Some shops require instructors to be a walking billboard.

It's useful to have new students gain at least some familiarity with different gear style. Better to see it for the first time in a class than on an instabuddy. Over the past several years, I've taken a few courses, and went along when my daughters' got certified. My gear is similar to theirs (Back-inflate, combo inflator) and they used their gear during their classes. The other students were all in shop rentals (jackets, standard inflator, standard octo). I appreciated that the instructor took the time to point out the differences.

This!

When I took a rescue course, between the instructors and my fellow students we had most gear configurations covered. No jacket BC, but everything else. There was a mix of back-inflates and backplate and wing, standard octo stowed, combo octo-inflator, and necklaced octo. It was on us to be familiar with each different configuration.

You had an unusually good instructor.

So, reason I'm responding to your comment is that it is a good segway to what I'm about to say. I am addressing everyone here.

It is up to the instructor to set the bar for students. Whether instructors set the bar high or low, students will always shoot for that bar they see in front of them. Diving is not brain surgery. Let's not be this guy:

While I may not have thousands of certifications, I have never had issue with students grasping different equipment configurations. That doesn't mean that there won't be some students with problems understanding this (more likely due to distractions outside of class inhibiting their learning). But should we always teach at the lowest common denominator? Or do we figure out how to ensure the person who has is distracted for whatever reason to be a thinking diver?

However, it is up to the shop. Some shops don't like instructors going above the level of the other instructors. I was actually told "you are making the other instructors look bad." (I wasn't doing anything extra all that miraculous, but just trying to not just scrape the bottom of the barrel).

If you have the opportunity to teach different configurations and get students to think, do so. But I recommend discussing this equipment first in the classroom so they can examine the different equipment configurations in a non-stressful environment.

 

[Green Frog]

On another note, if you can afford it, get rid of the Air2. It's a poor substitute for an alternate Regulator and a clumsy inflator never mind trying to demonstrate out of air emergencys with one.

I must respectfully disagree with this pronouncement. As someone who has used an AIR2 for well over 20 years and currently owns 3, the statements are just wrong. As an inflator, the AIR2 works just as well as any of the several others I used, and as an alternate regulator it works as well as a conventional octo and is very easy to get to since I already know where it is since I’m using it for buoyancy control.

I’m not an instructor and don’t plan to be, but as a career teacher (46 years, now retired) I recognize the importance of modeling for the student. But as a diver, I want my gear configured for me to dive... and if I’ve done a proper pre-dive with my buddy, he’ll know what to expect, and hopefully he won’t be so careless as to suffer an out-of-air event anyway!
Sorry if this sounds like an attack or rant, but when I read such statements made as absolute truth, I just cannot leave them unchallenged.
Respectfully,
Green Frog

 

[PDodson]

I will probably get an octo to throw on my kit for teaching when I get to that point. But as others have said I think there is value in students seeing alternative setups so don't shy away from the Air2, just make sure to show and explain the differences before you're in the water.

 

[DiveProKoko]

I'm an instructor and I think it's really important to dive in the same gear my OW students are using. In fact, I used a set of student pool gear off the rack to teach in for a long time before buying my own kit at a VERY steep discount. Now it's my pool gear and stays at the shop. When you are showing new students the BCD features and how things work, demonstrating skills, etc, I think it's crucial that your gear look like theirs. I took this from my teaching experience as a former police trainer with new recruits and it works. Sure, most people will eventually move into different gear that they like or prefer and in different configurations, but for learning the basics, there is a huge benefit to having the same gear in the same basic configuration.

 

[Belzelbub]

I must respectfully disagree with this pronouncement. As someone who has used an AIR2 for well over 20 years and currently owns 3, the statements are just wrong. As an inflator, the AIR2 works just as well as any of the several others I used, and as an alternate regulator it works as well as a conventional octo and is very easy to get to since I already know where it is since I’m using it for buoyancy control.

Exactly. In the rescue class I took, there was one regulator swap where the donor couldn’t immediately find his secondary. He was the diver using the traditional stowed reg. No issues with the divers using the combos or the necklaced secondaries. You’ve got to touch the inflator at least a few times each dive, so you tend to know right where it is.