Teaching in a wing

[popmirrorman]

Hi all, just looking for a little advice and opinions.
I am planning on travelling next year and ultimately to do the IDC. I know there are a few good options for a lightweight jacket BC out there but i have seen some very light and compact wings. Only thing is, i've always thought it's best to teach in a jacket so the students have the same style as you.
Do any of you instructors teach in a wing? Have any problems with it?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Ian.

 

[pwwm]

Hi popmirrorman

I dive with a Zeagle wing and love it, but I use a conventional BCD when teaching, as it is much easier to demonstrate for instance, the jacket removal, problem with the wing is it folds up when you take it off whilst the jacket style is very much easier to put back on. Also removal at the surface etc. Having said this I did my DM using the wing and got excellent marks.

Personally I think you should do the IDC in a conventional BCD, My opinion and am sure others might disagree.

As they say it is each to his or her own.

pwwm

 

[jbd]

Only thing is, i've always thought it's best to teach in a jacket so the students have the same style as you.

Why is it best to have the same gear as the students Once they learn to dive they will see all manner of various gear/gear configurations. Why not let them be aware of and see the differences from the very beginning. People are far more competent than they are typically given credit for.

As noted by pwwm above, there may be "issues" related to certain skills that you will need to workout to perfection prior to ever demonstrating skills to students
Not only will you need to know the intricacies of the gear you are wearing, you will also need to know the intricacies of the gear they are wearing.

 

[Fort Collins Bob]

Why is it best to have the same gear as the students

Some shops require instructors to teach all classes in the 'shops uniform'.

This meaning that instructors must wear and dive the same equipment that they
sell in the shop...

The mentality being that they will sell more shop equipment that way.
aka students buy what they see instructors wearing.

If you are teaching out of a scubapro shop, ya gotta wear scubapro everything.

I am not defending this, but I am surrounded by it.

bob

 

[Ron Brandt]

Yes...I teach in a wing and my students have wings. I use Oxycheq.

One thing you might consider to travel to you IDC with might be a hybrid consisting of the following. Oxycheq Travel BP, Wing- either an #18 Razor or the Mach V wing and an Oxy Adjustable harness. The harness has the look and feel of a "standard bcd". This one is very stable and reliable.(check this page out http://www.adventuresportsdiving.com/Product_list_OXYCHEQ_Wings_Backplates_Harnesses_1.html

I went to my IDC with a zeagle ranger. There were 2 others there with the same config. Got a bit of flack from the CD but mostly because of the name.Refered to us as parachutists.

Ron

 

[Scuba_Steve]

This thing's been done more times than street meat.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=53608

Plus look on the I-to-I forum for tons more.

 

[DrSteve]

I received all kinds of comments about how I should wear the same gear as our students while DMing (OK I understand the business arguement) while the guy tried to sell me a $550 BC which he would discount to $500 for me. I told him if he reduced it to $1, I still wouldn't buy it as I had a perfectly usable DiveRite BPW which his store sold and if it wasn't suitable for teaching, why did they sell it.

Anyway, here's the amusing part. In the pool everyone wears a standard BC. At the quarry 4 weeks ago I saw DM's and instructors from the same store wearing doubles, with independant regs, bungeed OMS red wings, wreck reels (a very redundant piece of equipment for this weekend) and cannister lights. Do you think I care about the whole BC/BPW thing now? I use a store pool BC for pool work and my BPW for the quarry. Here's a quote from a student "I wish I had known they made BC's like yours, I would have bought one like that." Do you think the store offered to exchange it for him for a lower profit margin piece of equipment?

Here's the big question...what is so special about a BPW versus a standard BC? Oh yeah it inflates in the back...so does the Zeagle Range, Scubapro Nighthawk (?) and the list goes on. Oh but it doesn't look the same...so get some padding for your shoulders, get a Transpac, add an extra pound to your belt to compensate for the extra padding and presto - you have a BC which is rear inflate.

 

[Mr.X]

I generally don't teach basic in a wing unless every one of the students is configured BP/Wing. I typically dive the same rental stuff they do (in confined water) which is usually a cruddy jacket. On checkout dives I wear a wing and backplate. Often, the conversation moves towards why I look and move so much better during the checkout dives. This is often the starting point for students wanting to take the next class, or purchasing better gear after the course.

X

 

[matts1w]

In the pool I wear the exact same configuration as my students. My job is to model and teach skills as defined by course standards- not model different gear. For instance, I never wear a weight belt when I dive in open water, but I do in the pool. Obviously I couldn't show weight belt skills w/o one. I also wear an octo and air2 in the pool as I usually have students with an Air2 and students with an octo. Again, I want to model the skill correctly. Doing anything else makes no sense to me. During checkout dives I wear my usual gear as I will not be showing skills and use that time to explain why my kit is different. By the way, I also wear the gear we sell because I believe in it. I think it is odd to work for a shop and wear the competitions gear- kind of sends mixed messages. Thats just me, however.

 

[wallacm]

my buddy (the instructor) and I (helper) both use bp/w when we teach, we show them that type of gear.