Excuses, Excuses

The most significant data to come from the survey is the fact so many stores continue to teach only weight belt use, despite what customers buy and what they themselves have chosen to put in their rental inventory.

Okay, so long as there is a reasonable possibility that students might travel to a destination where the only available rental BCs are not weight-integrated, you can make the argument that divers need at least some familiarity with how to use conventional weight belts. That’s not the issue. The issue is, why do so many stores provide no training whatsoever in the use of integrated-weight BCs?

When you ask stores why it is they continue to teach only the use of what is arguably an archaic and obsolete piece of equipment, you get a variety of responses. Here are some of the most common:

“Most dive resort operations do not provide customers with weight-integrated BCs.” This is a situation that is rapidly changing. Nevertheless, it is understandable why an instructor might be concerned that, if he or she was to teach only the use of weight-integrated BCs, students might not be prepared for whatever they find at their destination.

The folly of not teaching the use of integrated weight systems becomes apparent, however, when you turn this situation around — i.e., what happens when students who have only learned how to use weight belts go to a resort that only rents weight-integrated BCs…or students buy such a BC for themselves…or rent one from your store?

Remember: Just because you put students in weight-integrated BCs doesn’t mean that you can’t show them what conventional weight belts look like, demonstrate weight belt use in the pool or even give students an opportunity to practice with them.

There is nothing wrong with teaching students how to use weight belts. What is going to become increasingly harder to defend, however, is not teaching them how to use weight-integrated BCs as well.

“Weight integrated BCs are easy. Students don’t need specialized training in their use.” We’ll keep this simple: Would you like to explain that statement to a jury, after selling a weight-integrated BC to a student who has never been properly taught how to use one?

“We can’t teach weight removal and replacement if we use weight-integrated BCs.” Obviously, you have to use the right type of BC. Using the kind in which hitting the release causes loose weights to fly all over the place (and then forces you to exit the water to re-load them) isn’t going to work. On the other hand, putting students in the kind of BCs in which the weights go in pockets that are easily removed and replaced is easier for the students — and helps you show why investing the extra money in this type of BC is worthwhile.

“If we put weight-integrated BCs into rental, we’ll spend a fortune replacing lost weight pockets.” Doesn’t happen. At the midwestern dive store I managed last year, we’d had integrated weight BCs in rental for over three years and had only lost three weight pockets during that time (one of which we later recovered). In each instance, the person renting the BC acknowledged the loss as his or her fault and paid the $20 to replace the missing pocket. Ironically, had we been renting conventional weight belts instead, we most likely would have lost more of them during the same time period.

“Teaching students to use the weight pockets on their BCs will cause the Velcro® to wear out fast.” One more time: It doesn’t happen. Teaching weight pocket removal and replacement causes only a marginal increase in wear and tear. Again, the store I ran in Chicago had integrated weight BCs in rental for years before I arrived. Despite the fact they were an integral part of training, not a single weight pocket showed any appreciable wear.

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