A couple of decades ago, a UHMS workshop released the results of its study of training related incidents/fatalities. They determined that practicing emergency ascents like this was the number one cause of these fatalities.
Well, yeah, it is very labor intensive to teach effectively and dangerous as hell if you screw up!!! (for other readers rather than John) Free ascents also requires more watermanship skills than prerequisites demand today. It isn't an isolated skill like clearing a mask or attaching a regulator. It's just not compatible with training designed, timed, and priced for occasional warm water vacation divers. It is also a 20% instructor and an 80% self-teaching problem. Student motivation and self-reflection is critical.
It is actually much easier to teach buoyant submarine escapes because they are moving so fast and the ride is so short. We're basically talking about no-decompression dives from +/-300' on air. Personally, I have always suspected that part of the reason for the training is to show how important it is to prevent and manage crisis on the boat before facing an escape like this.
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