open water training question

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In the incidents thread I read (tegg post) that open water training includes removing all gear while wearing a wetsuit. I did not do that in my open water class and do not have my students do that now that I am an instructor. We don't wear wetsuits in the pool, but often do on check out dives (not always). We remove all our gear (and replace it), but not while wearing wetsuits. Is this typically done during check dives when wetsuits are required?

the original post concerned loss of buoyancy in a wetsuit and suitable back up buoyancy in a recent incident in JB. But it got me to thinking....

but I'm wondering what I'm missing here? Is this a common beginning diver training exercise (open water)? should I add it to my classes?

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[Sludge]

We did it in 1986. The 5mm farmer john with 5mm shortie was very buoyant, but I was wearing 16 pounds of lead.

I believe NASDS stopped doing the gear removal after weight-integrated BCs became popular. That would be difficult in a 5mm two-piece if all your lead was in the BC.

[MichaelAngelo]

I had to remove BC and Lead back in 1996

[murfef]

I had to remove my gear and it was weight intergrated while wearing a wetsuit.

[RedDucati]

For OW rescue I had to swap everything with my buddy except the suit. The water was 50F so a 7mm wet with hood and gloves or dry suit was required to not die of hypothermia. Being able to do that built confidence in myself. It was very stressful. I think it was more about being able to control panic in an emergency than a skill you will actually need to perform on a dive such as out of air or bailout for rebreather.

[K Mejean]

It is not in the NAUI Open Water class. You get to do that as a confidence building skill in Advanced Open Water. They are called ditch and dons. You remove all your gear on the bottom of the pool. Leaving only your mask, fins, and snorkel on. Do an Emergency Swimming Accent and then go back down and put all your gear back on. Usually done without a wetsuit. Most don't wear a wetsuit in the pool. I wear a 2 mil shorty while I'm in the pool with students and don't have a problem controlling my assent but anything more than that I wouldn't be able to.

[Sludge]

At both shops that I work in, we have the students wear in the pool the same thing they will wear during their certification dives. Going to wear gloves at Vortex? Wear them in the 85° pool.

I've been to sites where classes were going on and students were being shown how to put exposure suits on for the first time. I think it's wrong to have students configured one way in a pool and a completely different way during checkout dives.

I meet too many people that got certified and never went diving again. A lot of new things and they're not having fun.

[LiteHedded]

I had to do it in my class. for what that's worth...

[Oister]

We did ditch and don in our NAUI OW pool session in a 3mil wet suit with weight belts on. We did not do it in open water. Our check outs were done in 7mil wetsuits. I did not have to do it again till NAUI Rescue Diver. It was first done on surface then @25’ in doubles and a dry suit. Then one time at band camp when I tried to be cool and ditch my rig I managed to close my Isolator valve and not notice it till my right tank was empty. Point of the story always checks your valves after ditch and don. (Had to put that out there in case you are reading this.) ;-{P

[mag3]

I had to do it in my class. for what that's worth...

I did not, in any of my rec classes. But, other than the intuitive "confidence building," what are the specific objectives for teaching a doff/don gear exercise?