A skill that is not taught at all.

By Rusty Miller

I would like to start off by wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and to be safe on your holiday travels. I hope everyone will remember the real reason for Christmas but the toys are fun too.
The last couple of articles have dealt with scuba skills that are not taught much especially with younger instructors, so today I would like to talk about a skill that is not taught at all and the main reason is it is not taught is because of a piece of the equipment that we call our weight invigorated BCD.
I do have to admit that I don’t teach this skill anymore but a small aspect of it during my pool class and in open water at the springs. This skill would be taught in every pool class for many years before they came up with integrated weight systems on the BCD. If you haven’t guessed it by know it’s called “Ditch and Don.” It was usually taught near the end of the pool session and made into a form of a game for the students in the deep end of the pool.
I still try to teach a form of it in the shallow end but I will explain that in a little while. So what we would have the students do in the deep end would be to do their giant stride with the equipment on. Once in the water we would submerge to the bottom, one there I would demonstrate the skill by removing my BCD and tank then place them in front of me while breathing on the regulator. I would then demonstrate how to put the BCD and tank back on my back while keeping the regulator in my mouth and breathing normally.
I would then have each student (one at a time) do that same skill several times. I would never have them take off their weight belts during this skill.
Oh did I mention weight belts, yes, that is what we used for several decades of diving before integrated BC’s. Once the student was comfortable with that part of the skill then I would have them remove the equipment again and added taking off the weight belt and laying it across their lap so it was keeping them on the bottom of the pool. I would then have them place the belt on the bottom beside them and have them slowly swim to the surface while blowing tiny bubbles to equalize their lungs.
Before I would have them swim to the surface I would do that myself and then I would swim back down to the bottom and demonstrate how to (Don) put on their gear.
I would put the regulator in my mouth and purge it then I would put on the weight belt to make it easier to stay on the bottom. I would put my BCD and tank back on and get it tightened back up and then have them repeat that same skill one at a time.
We would repeat that until they felt comfortable and could put their equipment on with out looking for the buckles.
Next week I will continue with this skill set of ditch and don to it’s final conclusion. Until then keep making bubbles.

Merry Christmas

-Russell Miller #59999