Taking rescue diver in BP/W

[Chris Carleton]

I'm hoping to reach out to anyone who has done their Rescue Diver course in a BP/W. I'm taking my course at the end of May and I'm being somewhat "pressured" into wearing a jacket BC for the course. The trouble is that my wife has no idea how to pull the harness off of me in the water. (And, honestly, I don't know what to tell her either!) We've tried doing it in a pool but she couldn't figure out how to pull the shoulder straps off of me.

So, for anyone who has done their rescue diver in a BP/W I'm eager to hear how your buddy/partner was taught to pull you out of your harness!

P.S.
I know what you're thinking!! "What's the use of learning to pull me out of a jacket if I go back to my backplate as soon as we're certified!?"

She dives with a pair of EMT shears and I've told her in a real-world situation it's probably faster/easier to just cut the shoulder straps and that the webbing is easy/cheap enough to replace that there shouldn't be any hesitation. However, obviously, this is not practical for taking the course - and I'd like her to feel prepared if she forgot her shears/knife that day.

 

[Marie13]

I did mine in a BP/W. Wasn’t an issue at all. One of my instructors dives one when not instructing, plus they’d taught other classes (including my OW) where I was in one.

 

[Chris Carleton]

I did mine in a BP/W. Wasn’t an issue at all.

That's great to hear! Was your buddy given any tips/advice on getting you out of your harness when they were asked to remove your equipment at the surface?

 

[stuartv]

I did mine in BP/W. The instructor offered to let me use an integrated BCD. They thought it would make it easier for me to get myself out of it. I told them I could get in and out just fine. It all worked out just fine.

It sounds like maybe you and your wife should practice so that she IS somewhat proficient at getting you out of your rig.

Once your waist belt is undone and the crotch strap removed from the waist belt, it should be easy to get your shoulder straps off you. If it's not, you might need to consider adjusting your BP/W setup. The shoulder straps should be pretty loose when the waist/crotch is all undone.

 

[tbone1004]

we teach ours with bpw's. The key is to not overinflate the wing *which most people are prone to do*, and to also have your harness properly fit. If it is, then it should slide off just as easy as a normal bc. The only differences are getting the octo necklace off the divers head, and if you have a long hose, dealing with that. Obviously that is independent of the bpw.
One could argue that it is actually MORE important that you dive it with a bpw, not because that's what you dive, but because you need to have experience ditching unexpected pieces of gear.
If you are lucky/unfortunate enough to have to deal with a real-world rescue, you have to deal with whatever equipment the person is going to be wearing. You don't know what that is so you have to learn to deal with what is presented to you. The fact that the instructor is pressuring you to change just for convenience of the course is bullsh!t

 

[CWK]

I did my rescue course in a class of 2 students. I was wearing a BCD, but the other student was in a BPW. When it was my turn to practice rescuing a diver and releasing that diver from scuba gear, I got to practice on the instructor who was wearing a BCD, instead of the other student who was in the BPW. Releasing someone from a BPW whilst towing that person and providing rescue breaths at the same time could possibly be difficult for someone who has never set eyes on a BPW before. I said that I had a Eazycut Trilobite and could easily release the other student from his gear. Sadly, neither my instructor nor the other student were willing to let me demonstrate how easy the process would have been.

 

[Chris Carleton]

Alright, from what I'm hearing, it sounds like the key to doing this is:
1. Undo waist/crotch straps
2. Deflate wing a bit
3. Slide backplate up towards my shoulders to loosen the shoulders
4. I guess chicken-wing one arm thru the strap and then slide backplate off of the other arm?

I think the last step is the part she's struggling with. It's easy enough for me to slide out of my harness in the water but I'm supposed to be lying motionless pretending to be incapacitated. Maybe we'll have to take another attempt at this before end of May!

 

[tbone1004]

@Chris Carleton if the thing fits properly, you should be able to slide the shoulder straps off the shoulders of the victim and pull him "up" from the rig. So if done at a dock or whatever, the person in the water can hold the waist straps or crotch strap, and the rescuer at the surface reaches hands under the shoulder straps from the inside, and double under-hook the victim and they should slide right out.

In real world, if you have to do it, just cut the shoulder strap.

 

[DiverDownD3]

I did mine in BP/W, no issues. Although my partner ended up having to drop the course due to personal issues

 

[drbill]

Hmmm, the first time I took a rescue course back in the 1960s it was without a BCD and when I did a refresher I was in a soft harness and wing. My instructor never gave it a thought. I haven't dived a jacket style in two decades.