Over the head donning of BC

Is there any agency that actually teaches over the head donning of gear? I was actually taught that as and"option" by a PADI Instructor who was also LA County Certified.

I actually prefer it because it is quick and I feel in control of the gear. I feel the more time I spend trying to put gear on, the higher chances I have of losing balance or losing control and swinging the gear around.

I understand PADI does not approve of this and I was wondering what the origins are of this method and is it still being taught by any agencies. I don't see too many new divers donning over the head.

Many of the newer BC's don't really lend them selves to it for one thing. Without the right grips it gets tricky. Also the more accessories and integrated weights you may have the nastier it gets. Back when it was SOP cylinders were generally smaller than what many are diving today and the diver may have been diving a back pack with some sort of harness. Most jackets for instance lack a structure to hang on to.

It is shown as standard practice in a 1996 PDIC manual but I don't have their latest.

I know divers for whom this is the preferred method and I can do it when diving my backpack. As for doing it with my Avid jacket it's just not worth the risk.

I generally don from the back of our van, other wise a buddy lift or a right shoulder lift gets the job done.

If for no other reason than liability in this age I can see why nobody wants anyone hurling 45+ pounds of gear up in the air.

Pete

As long as I have the room, I prefer donning over the head when diving a single. No muss, no fuss, everything lays where it should without fighting. It works a little better on land for me, as the crotch strap sometimes doesn't hang as it should when donning in water.

It works fine with jackets or BP/W. Just be careful in close quarters...

You could seriously crack your head open by donning your tank over your head.

I do it this way sometimes. Did it with doubles once. I don't recommend that!

104s?

PerroneFord:

I do it this way sometimes. Did it with doubles once. I don't recommend that!

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Ditto that Perone as for the doubles. I use D-108's and they kick my but just puttin them on the right way.

As for a simple Alum 80, or some other light-weight tank? I prefer the over the head method. After being trained to don my SCBA pack this way in the fire service, I also found it very useful while diving. However, after you get used to humping a set of doubles around, lifting a rinky-dinky 80 is like picking up a twig in a leaf pile.

Lol. I don't think I have dove with an Alum 80 on a BC since Jan 07 while back in Belize. I do get some funny looks however when I use an 80 stage for monkey diving. One gentleman took the effort to say on one dive "Son, I believe you must have forgot something". Looking back, I wished I would have had a lil fun and said something to the effect, " I just picked all this stuff up at a yard sale" and thought I would give it a try.


Opps, kinda got side tracked. As for over the head method? I think it's useful when you may not have a buddy to assist you with donning your gear. One should always give some thought to preserving their back and spine to prevent an injury by kneeling down on their knees, then lifting the pack over their shoulders etc. This keeps the weight close to the body, and also prevents danglies from being lofted high into the air possibly hitting someone who is standing near the person.

Safe diving,

Kenny

Elemental:

104s?

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108s...

I normally don over the head except when in water. It does not matter if soft BC or no grips since I grab the tank. I use my legs and arms to lift so I cannot kneel. It is secure and I have never hit my head. I have HP100 and HP130 single tanks. I can do the right shoulder first, but over the head is one easy movement and no contortions for me. My BP is a little heavier. I do not use integrated weights otherwise. I saw a DM doing it while on a trip and it seemed easy so I have been doing since the 1980s. I took PADI and NAUI AOW and was never shown this technique.

Over the head donning was taught before BCs were common. I took a class in 1974 and that is how you were taught to put on the backpack and tank.