For two years now I've tried to take a course where the instructors incist on teaching the doff and Dawn. Whereas you remove your equipment at the bottom of the pool and surface. Once that is accomplished you have to go down and retrieve it. Is this a practical way off teaching and is dangerous. For myself I cannot seem to get over the fear that they drill into us in the classroom.
What should I do?

I'm a PADI rescue diver not an instructor so I'm not sure if it's my opinion that you want, but I think that, if done properly, this Doff Dawn thing is a good exercise. Every class i've ever taken or seen has had to work on controlled swimming ascents w/o air, and gear removal/replacement under water. This seems to be a culmination of the two. However, it does seem strange that they are asking you to do the ascent without your tank. If you are talking about a depth of 10 feet or less, then it seem like it would be safe, but a relatively long ascent, like 20 or 30 feet, should be done with the tank just in case theres a problem. (in my last class, I was told to do the out of air ascent with my reg in my mouth even though I wasn't using it. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your reply. In the course I was taking, the pool was 18 feet deep and the instructors insisted that this is to get familiar with your equipment. The problem is, is that it was their equipment I was using and I never had the same gear each time. For me it was a very unpleasent experience.

In my open water class I teach bc off and back on under the water and on the surface. But I do not teach leaving the gear at the bottom and swimming up. However, this is a skill I teach in the master scuba diver or dive master courses.

The course I entered was "supposed" to be basic diver. In the first class the instructors have you swim 10 laps and tread water in several different fashions, for three minutes. The first is the normal way, then legs only with your hands above your head and then just your hands only. These guys feel that if you're going to be a diver you must be comfortable in the water. But at the same time they try advance course instruction to beginner divers. I also found out that several years ago an individual died while doing the Doff and Dawn. I guess they don't learn from their mistakes.

Hi, I know some people who got certified A LONG TIME AGO and they were required to doff and don equipment underwater. For example, they had to throw all their gear in the deep end. All dissasembled except for that the regs were mounted on the tank. Junp in and breathe off of the reg. and then don mask, BCD, fins, weights, etc. all while underwater. I have heard that the military used to and/or still does this type of training. I was certified with PADI and we did not do this. Although we did remove and replace our BCDs with tank still mounted on the surface and underwater. This, is a good practice. I'm not too sure about the doff and don thing though. Seems kinda unnecessary and dangerous. If you do not feel comfortable see if you can finish your courses with a PADI instructor. I guess you probably already forked out the dough though. Well anyway, I wish you good luck and hope I helped. Scububba.

You're right about the money, oh well. I guess you "live" and learn, right? I'll attempt to contact a PADI instructor or one that is similiar in standing and see what they say about continuing the course with them. Thanks for the advice.

Hi guys I'm gonna put my 2 cents worth in on this subject. Doff & don is a required pool skill. Go slow with this until you are comfortable with this skill your instructor will understand and he should let you come back to the pool as many time as it takes you to get comfortable with it. It helps build your comfort level in the water and there are times when this skill will help you. What will happen when you or your tank becomes entangled in fishing line or net? With out this skill you could be in trouble. Or your tank comes loose and you want to put it back where it goes. Your instructor is training you to be a diver. If you have an instructor that is teaching you more than the basic requirements you have one that cares. Lack of training kills divers. I teach @ W&M around 140 students per year. There are to many Instructors that are just looking to make a few bucks and don't teach the skills to be a safe diver.

[ 09-28-2002, 06:52 AM: Message edited by: Sdiver02 ]

although practicing a emergency swimming ascent should be neccesary in the pool, I would think that if you were to do the same in an open water setting you would want to keep all your equipment on because as you ascend the air in your tank will expand giving you a couple breaths. Also you'd want your bc with you so you could float effortlessly on the surface. i see no reason to leave your equipment on the bottum, unless it was so entangled that you couldn't untangle yourself or cut yourself free.
just my .02$

Just found this board and thought I would get in on this subject. I just got my PADI open water last month and I did the dof/dawn discussed here. We went to the bottom of the deep end, took off everything but our wet suits, came up went back and put it all back on. Getting to the bottom with the wet suit on was the hard part for me. Once there I grabbed my wieght belt with one hand, reg. with the other and wrapped my legs around my BC till I got the belt on. Our master instructor said it was mandatory back in the early 70's but it was voluntary for us and we did it just for fun. That course was the most fun I ever had in all my 30+ years. Next month is advance open water on nitrox.