Very interesting.While it is on the list as required, and I always did it, I hated every single one. It is risky for the student and the instructor from a physiological standpoint just in relation to the ears.
Let alone the lung overexpansion issue.
It's also a leftover from j valves, no SPGs, and lack of proper buddy procedures.
Every skill on the slate in open water makes sense in some way. Except this one.
The teaching slates have all the required skills for open and confined water. You do have some flexibility as to when you do them.
If the operation is not performing all the skills, you have to ask, what other corners are they cutting?
The people I trained to dive with had stopped CESA being part of the training. I was taught in theory but not done for real. I was told this changed because of the reasons you have said, training causing more issues than it solved.
No argument that if it’s part of the standards it should be completed to the required level of competence.