Ahh, the memories.
Decades ago, when scuba was still young, long before there were many if any scuba stores on every street corner, you had to take either a YMCA course to get certified, or else go to Los Angeles or Florida for a county scuba certification, or take a college P/E class.
All these 'ancient' courses had one thing very much in common -- their duration was several months long, and they were taught mostly by X-Navy types or professional lifeguards. That was probably the golden age of scuba diving, in terms of thoroughness of the training. The courses back then usually comprised swimming, swimming life saving, freediving, scuba, scuba rescue, and basic decompression procedures.
Back then, the "skin diving ditch and recovery" was required by all of them during the freediving phase of the course.
I do not know where, if anywhere, it is still taught at the open water level today. NAUI used to require this skill for open water certification decades ago. They no longer do.
It is still a current requirement within a NAUI ITC however.
That is the only place today where I know it is taught and required to be done.
