[SeaStar]

Originally Posted by Scubee

PADI standards are just that... standard. To add additional, unneccessary things to make life more difficult is a violation of standards. Nowhere does it say that the final part of the float is to hold weights.
The idea is to test stamina, not see if they have superhuman strength.
If you treat trainee divemasters with respect, and help them through the course rather than make it, quite frankly, like a boot camp, they will enjoy it more and be more likely to become better divemasters.

i have to say that adding things on to make life difficult pisses me right off. You wouldn't do it to an open water student, so why to someone you are training to be a pro.

That felt a bit like a telling off, and reminded me why I don't post comments.

These were things I have seen others do over the last 8 years I didn't say I agree or that I have done any of them, I'm quite sure that my DMTs who know that I lurk on YD will tell you that I have never done anything like this to them and treat them with the utmost respect.
Giving weights during the float was done to me, I was told I could drop them at any time, it was done in the spirit of fun, and added a little bit of competitiveness to those of us doing it at the time.

Adding small difficulties to the stress test I do agree with in some cases. I had no idea what to expect when I did mine many years ago, and given that the goal of the exercise is problem solving and performance under stress, providing a DMT with advice (this thread), giving them more than the 5 minutes to plan and in one case I know of they had practiced, is hardly likely to put them in a position to deal with the unexpected or see how they perform under stress.
Right off to hide again