Drop the freaking weights!

[boulderjohn]

not that im on one side or the other but a typical student really doesn't know what's a panic situation and they bolt at the first sign off perceived danger, bolting creates all sorts of problems for instructors and instead of training them properly in a pool first they overweight them and of course do whatever they can to keep them down

Wow! That might be true of really incompetent instructors, but it is wrong in so many ways that I hope it is not common.

It is true that students are often and perhaps usually overweighted. I am sorry it happens, but when it does, it is not to keep them from bolting, because it does not do that. For every pound of extra lead, they have to add about 15 fluid ounces of air, or half a liter, to compensate and become neutrally buoyant. That much extra air makes it harder for them to control their buoyancy, and it makes them easier to bolt.

The better way to keep students from bolting is to teach them ways to handle situations that might prompt them to bolt. That is usually accomplished in the first half hour in the pool.

 

[phoenix31tt]

to compensate and become neutrally buoyant.

Yea thats assuming they are neutral and not just on the bottom.... I haven't had this experience personally but ive seen some divers that are no way close to neutral but think they are...

The better way to keep students from bolting is to teach them ways to handle situations that might prompt them to bolt. That is usually accomplished in the first half hour in the pool.

Agreed!!, but that's a topic that's been discussed time and again





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[dwhthediver]

If you are properly weighted to begin with you don't need to ditch all the weight. Losing 2- 4 lbs. is more than enough to start to get positive and once you start it doesn't just stop. But you can still control your ascent.

Dropping an entire belt can also be a very good way to get seriously hurt or even dead.

Amen, if you are properly weighted instead of over weighted you don't need to dump it all. I pull 1 pouch, and I have changed weighting enough to ascend and still control it.