Question about bcd remove underwater

[stuartv]

Go to the 30 minute mark of this video Stuart and you will see a demo that hits on everything you are describing and yes, ideally, the purpose of this skill is to position yourself in such a way that you can deal with an entanglement or your cam band. I will say this though: The instructor in this demo is wearing a very thin wetsuit and has a weight belt on, which makes executing this skill while neutrally buoyant and in horizontal or vertical trim a whole lot easier than doing it this same way in a 7mm wetsuit or drysuit and fully integrated weights. It is very easy to start floating up and away from your rig if you have the rig too far away from you and are not using it and its weight to keep you together and neutral or together and negative.

Thanks! The buoyancy control there was not perfect. Nevertheless, that video was overall the best R&R demo of any of the videos I watched. I really don't think I could do it that well. At least, not without practicing it some first. I could do it - but I suspect it would be far from "demo quality". For my DM training, when I did my demo of the U/W R&R, I did it like I had seen the OW instructors I was working with do it - on my knees. I felt like I was choking down some pride to do it that way. But, I feel like part of DM training is showing that I am a team player and have no problem following the leader (assuming it's not a safety issue, of course). Just because I think there's a better way doesn't mean I'm going to go against what the instructor is teaching when I am being their DM.

Anyway, it was definitely cool to see someone do it in proper trim and really take their rig off and put it back on.

 

[AJ]

Yes, weight locations, amounts and various gear configurations define the techniques but shouldn't we be learning this kind of comfortable relationship with our gear from the beginning so that we can expect to end up there?

What does this kind of technique contribute to being comfortable with our gear? Every dive I train muscle memory to perform my skills blindfolded if needed. Yes, I can switch regs, deploy my stage, clip on and clip off almost everything and even deploy back up lights without looking. Deploying an SMB while sharing air with my buddy blindfolded would be a litle too much to ask however, but nearly there

But taking of my gear in this way under water would be impossible to me unless I specifically altered my gear for this purpose. That would cause a lot of other problems. So again: why should I want to do this?

 

[lowflyer]

I did my "demonstration" underwater BCD remove and replace, for my DM training, .

When I did the DM cert I had to trade gear with the instructor underwater and then trade back again. This was a trade of my BCD and regs for his BCD and regs. And this had to be done while sharing one single secondary reg which was the tricky part. This was a required skill in the PADI course,

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

When I did the DM cert I had to trade gear with the instructor underwater and then trade back again. This was a trade of my BCD and regs for his BCD and regs. And this had to be done while sharing one single secondary reg which was the tricky part. This was a required skill in the PADI course,

Likewise in the NAUI DM course. But the stated purpose of the exercise has less to do with the skill of managing gear as it does the skill of underwater problem-solving. I can see its benefit, given that a dive professional working with students has to be mentally prepared to deal with things they probably wouldn't even imagine while maintaining a calm demeanor. But it would be less useful for anyone who wasn't trying to learn how to herd cats underwater ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[tursiops]

What does this kind of technique contribute to being comfortable with our gear? Every dive I train muscle memory to perform my skills blindfolded if needed. Yes, I can switch regs, deploy my stage, clip on and clip off almost everything and even deploy back up lights without looking. Deploying an SMB while sharing air with my buddy blindfolded would be a litle too much to ask however, but nearly there

But taking of my gear in this way under water would be impossible to me unless I specifically altered my gear for this purpose. That would cause a lot of other problems. So again: why should I want to do this?

Entanglement while solo diving.

 

[redacted]

What does this kind of technique contribute to being comfortable with our gear? Every dive I train muscle memory to perform my skills blindfolded if needed. Yes, I can switch regs, deploy my stage, clip on and clip off almost everything and even deploy back up lights without looking. Deploying an SMB while sharing air with my buddy blindfolded would be a litle too much to ask however, but nearly there

But taking of my gear in this way under water would be impossible to me unless I specifically altered my gear for this purpose. That would cause a lot of other problems. So again: why should I want to do this?

I have found the skill to be fairly useful. Warhammer, entanglement, checking bubbled behind you. With a little planning and practice, it is not that difficult.

 

[RayfromTX]

Thanks responding in my absence guys. It seems so clear to me and I still don't understand why there is an argument about this.

Granted my experience level is low so I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert but it's like arguing about the value of learning to ride my bike with no hands or pedaling with one leg or laying on the top tube. When you learn to ride in any position and with many different challenges until it seems easy it makes you a better rider.

If you can do anything in or out of your gear and in any kind of condition, task loading is not the same thing. Stretching your abilities and skills in any endeavor is the enemy of tunnel vision.

I'll just keep learning. Thanks for the discussion.

 

[RayfromTX]

Oh and other reasons include, adjusting your tank band or just figuring out why something feels funny like a twisted crotch strap or just a twisted crotch. Ok I'll shut up now.

 

[TMHeimer]

I have found the skill to be fairly useful. Warhammer, entanglement, checking bubbled behind you. With a little planning and practice, it is not that difficult.

You have considerably more dives than me--I'm curious: By "fairly useful", how many times do you mean? I realise my diving is usually to very simple, fairly benign places, but as mentioned I only had to take the unit off once to schlep it onto rocks. Have you been entangled several times, sensed a leaky tank/BC (a buddy once pointed out a tiny BC leak to me I never would've seen or heard on my own), even a Warhammer or two?

 

[RayfromTX]

I had to go read the original thread about the warhammer and I didn't recognize any of the names until it was resurrected in 2015. I guess we come and go as divers. pun intended.

Funny stuff but definitely a reason to be at comfortable in and out of your gear.