OW Checkout in a Dry Suit

[Colliam7]

Just because the NewBee said "no" doesn't mean that they couldn't be mistaken. Further more JDavenport did not reference any particular certification body, regardless of what PADI standards may dictate.

Very good reminders. I think the cautions expressed about taking an OW student diver, in a dry suit, into open water without preliminary practice, are very appropriate. But, we don't necessarily have a clear picture of what the instructor intends.

P.S. Open water is pretty clearly defined in PADI, NAUI & TDI as differing from confined water.

PADI, at least, also defines 'confined open water', which is 'an open water site that offers swimming-pool-like conditions with respect to clarity, calmness, and depth. Confined water is a general term that refers to either a pool or confined open water site.' We have such an area in a local quarry we use for OW checkouts. It is 'swimming pool like' (in the summer) in that it is shallow, warm, good (or at least reasonable) visibility. Of course, where it is not like a swimming pool is that it lacks the required globs of hair and Band-Aids floating around. One possibility is that the instructor plans to use just such as area, INSTEAD of a swimming pool, for initial orientation of the divers that many respondents here have advised is desirable.

 

[grazie42]

I did my whole OW without seeing a pool at all. It was all done in the sea, in a sensible area. A lot of courses here are run in DS from start to finish (even in the pool for those who use one). Depending on the condition of the "ow site" and what they do before that dive it may/may not be appropriate...