Looks very thorough to me. I have no experience at all with drysuits. Never wore one and when I was DMing the students were in 7 mil farmer johns like me (well the instructors and most other DMs were dry). For the students we just did the standard test at the ocean--Full inflate BC, hold normal breath, slowly release BC air, should float at eye level. If not, adjust, etc.
At the pool we gave them either 8 or 12 pound soft weight belts and on odd occasions added weight in pockets for a really big person. Not very exact for the pool, I know.
Does it make sense though? The breakdown of the weights into different measurable values? I have followed what others and came up with this.
You could say, why not weight my students in wetsuits the same way as drysuit? The answer is to avoid avoidable time in the water so the time they are wet, they are doing something.
Minimal weighting is so critically important to not overload students with changes in buoyancy when their depth changes.
When I used to teach confined water in a pool, after finishing the float and swim tests, I’d have them put in their scuba kits without weights. I’d hand them weights slowly that they hold at their waist or weight pockets. Eventually they sink on exhale and float midwater. If they are foot heavy, I put some of their weights in trim pockets.
Because they are holding onto the weights, they cannot scull with their hands. Because I do this gradually, they relax in the water and are comfortable being trim in the water, floating off the bottom.
Even the lip and oral inflation and hover doesn’t require to put students on the bottom. You can have them descend and do this, having them hovering off the bottom.
I have found that this accelerates people’s learning. Most of this comes from the longtime PADI instructors who are active here. It can be done. It should be done.
If you find ways that I can improve, my ears are open.
