Originally Posted by
Tigerbeach
By way of comparison, consider the following:
I taught snorkeling to basic divers for many reasons; it's fun; it is efficient;
it allows a person to rest on the surface; It allows a person to swim on the surface to where they are going, and see where they are headed. It was a standard for Naui and Padi back then, too. I made sure my classes of every level could snorkel, too.
Surface air is free. Common sense tells you that if God's air is free, not to breathe air from your tank while on the surface. Even if you have it.
My students were taught snorkeling. It is harder to teach good swimming and snorkeling skills, than to teach equipment dependent diving. Snorkeling can be more physically demanding, too. But, the payoff was that my students could get themselves out of whatever situation they found themselves in.
The problem with a back mounted BC is that it will float an unconscious person face down on the surface. Every time. Face down floating is a euphemism for drowning.
Rule #1, is NO DROWNING!
(I also don't see the point to filling your BC, rolling over on your back, and kicking to where you are (hopefully) headed.)
A early horse-collar or Mae west type vest floats a person in the face up position; every time. Even a vest type, (Scubapro; double black) which I wore, might not always do that.
When I taught, divers were not taught to make decompression stops; it wasn't considered a part of recreational diving. The idea of placing yourself in a horizontal position so that your kneecaps could off-gas properly, is a bit extreme... (and wildly funny!)
However, times change, and mixed gas allows diver to dive deeper and longer; if people are trained to stop and off-gas their knees at 10 or 20' feet in a horizontal position, more power to 'em.
Amtrosie, I commend your quest for excellence. (And everyone else's.)
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