For the rescue scenarios where you are the victim it's simple for the person rescuing you to say "OK, I'm cutting him out of his rig - CUT CUT CUT" and then the exercise is put on "pause" for a second while you help squirm out of your gear before resuming your role as an unresponsive diver at the surface.
I suppose you could do that but I don't like it. Personally, I like to keep the scenarios as realistic as possible. In the real world you don't yell "CUT CUT CUT". In the real world if that's your victim you're blood pressure is way up, you heart rate is way up and your victim probably at least looks dead and is probably ejecting pink froth from their mouth, which for some of the people may even be the first time they've seen anyone in that state.
I, personally, want my students to feel that. I want their blood pressure up. I want them to feel the fear. I'll even float behind them screaming GO GO GO GO - YOUR VICTIM IS DYING MOVE MOVE MOVE while I expect to hear them fighting through that and calmly saying ONE-ONETHOUSAND TWO-ONETHOUSAND...
I do this just to create this effect of what a real rescue FEELS like to the rescuer, which is a million times worse than having someone behind you screaming at you. I want them to have to fumble around for their shears while holding the victims head with one hand and hoping he doesn't drift away. I want them to *really* *learn* that doing a peel and tow isn't nearly as simple in real life as they think.
So yeah, it can be made like a Sunday drive but I don't like it.
If I were the instructor and someone came to rescue with a hog harness I'd be totally ok with that (I wear one myself) but they'd have to be ok with having it cut.
R..
Edit: BTW, I should make clear that there is a time to make the scenarios as real as possible. Obviously you can't teach them the mechanics by screaming at them but we pop a "surprise scenario" on them that's not in the planning and not briefed and that's when we make it as real as we can. IN fact, we have to put up a board saying RESCUE EXCERCISE before we start because the scenarios can be realistic enough that we've actually had bystanders call 911. LOL
R..