The emergency weight drop skill was added to the revised PADI® Open Water Diver course to teach student divers to drop their weights exactly as they would in an emergency and experience the sudden buoyancy increase. It’s different from, and should not be confused with, the weight removal and replacement skill. Student divers should learn to discard weights at the surface without hesitation, which in an emergency is very beneficial and can greatly improve the situation. Here are a few tips for teaching this skill:
Tip 1 – How to not damage the pool or lose weights in open water
- Drop weights over an insensitive or protected area
- In a pool, use soft weights, place a mat on the pool bottom or tie a rope around the pocket-weight handle or weight belt and hold one end so you can catch the weight when dropped
- In open water, tie a rope around the pocket-weight handle or weight belt and clip it to a buoy so that when dropped, the weight will stay attached to the buoy
- Position a certified assistant underwater to catch the weights
Tip 2 – How to make it realistic
- Demonstrate and encourage a quick pull and immediate release of weights
- Do not have divers pull weight, then control where it’s dropped
- Do not have divers hand you the weight
- You may have divers check the area to make sure all is clear, however, separate this step from the actual weight drop skill
Tip 3 – How to conduct the skill
- Position student diver in water too deep in which to stand either in confined water or open water
- Have diver start with regulator in the mouth, empty BCD, floating at eye level and gently kicking as needed
- Have diver release enough weight to feel positive buoyancy, which does not have to be all weight worn
- Repeat skill as necessary until diver masters the quick pull and drop
