Comments on: Can You Trust Your Instructor? http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/07/14/can-you-trust-your-dive-instructor/ Diving opinions from top diving experts in the dive industry Fri, 25 May 2012 00:09:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: James Thornton-Allan http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/07/14/can-you-trust-your-dive-instructor/comment-page-1/#comment-1974 James Thornton-Allan Tue, 26 Oct 2010 04:25:47 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=773#comment-1974 http://www.bigbluetech.net/big-blue-tech-news/2010/07/15/technical-diving-thailand-frontier/ http://www.bigbluetech.net/big-blue-tech-news/2010/07/15/technical-diving-thailand-frontier/
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]]> By: John Bantin http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/07/14/can-you-trust-your-dive-instructor/comment-page-1/#comment-1543 John Bantin Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:16:59 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=773#comment-1543 Good thinking, Jeff R.and you are right in your last supposition! Good thinking, Jeff R.and you are right in your last supposition!
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]]> By: Jeff R http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/07/14/can-you-trust-your-dive-instructor/comment-page-1/#comment-1540 Jeff R Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:37:05 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=773#comment-1540 Interesting article. I am a fairly experienced diver (300+) but by no means a pro. Having been pressured to finally complete my advanced cert about 6 years ago (I would not be allowed to dive the Grove without it) I went into it with the hopes of tightening up some of my skills...specifically buoyancy and navigation(both are decent, but can always be improved). I walked away from the class realizing that I had gained nothing more than a piece of plastic and a thinner wallet. In my travels I have come across instructors and dm's that are horrible divers and ow's and aow's that are down right scary. I think the crux of the issue is how we are certified. We allow the trainers to certify us. Does that seem odd to anyone but me? When I was a kid my drivers ed instructor did not certify me...he trained me to pass the test given by a third party that could care less if I passed or not. My point is this, many instructors either don't care or their shops pressure them into quick certifications (many are excellent...my initial ow cert instructor was fantastic...and demanding!) If we changed the dynamic and instructors had to train people to pass a test they did not administer, then more emphasis would be put on learning skills and becoming proficient in them. If a student struggles with clearing their mask 20 times, and on the 21st gets it....ONCE...how do you think they will handle this inconvenience when it happens at depth and goes from an inconvenience to life threatening do to panic? I realize this kind of overhaul is probably unrealistic as the industry would fight it tooth and nail...which is really a shame. Interesting article.

I am a fairly experienced diver (300+) but by no means a pro.

Having been pressured to finally complete my advanced cert about 6 years ago (I would not be allowed to dive the Grove without it) I went into it with the hopes of tightening up some of my skills…specifically buoyancy and navigation(both are decent, but can always be improved). I walked away from the class realizing that I had gained nothing more than a piece of plastic and a thinner wallet.
In my travels I have come across instructors and dm’s that are horrible divers and ow’s and aow’s that are down right scary.

I think the crux of the issue is how we are certified. We allow the trainers to certify us. Does that seem odd to anyone but me? When I was a kid my drivers ed instructor did not certify me…he trained me to pass the test given by a third party that could care less if I passed or not. My point is this, many instructors either don’t care or their shops pressure them into quick certifications (many are excellent…my initial ow cert instructor was fantastic…and demanding!) If we changed the dynamic and instructors had to train people to pass a test they did not administer, then more emphasis would be put on learning skills and becoming proficient in them. If a student struggles with clearing their mask 20 times, and on the 21st gets it….ONCE…how do you think they will handle this inconvenience when it happens at depth and goes from an inconvenience to life threatening do to panic?

I realize this kind of overhaul is probably unrealistic as the industry would fight it tooth and nail…which is really a shame.

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]]> By: keith cardwell http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/07/14/can-you-trust-your-dive-instructor/comment-page-1/#comment-1419 keith cardwell Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:08:39 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=773#comment-1419 good provocative comments john. quality control (of dive instructors) after the fact (a diving accident) is good, but to my mind is looking at why the horse has bolted after the gate's been left open. nothing beats experience. newly certified instructors must (and should, in my view) be prepared to understudy senior, qualified and reputable instructors prior to their own complete 'qualification', and both training agencies and dive business operators should agree to mandate this. certification does NOT necessarily mean qualification. how to do so is the issue i see as needing to be addressed. good provocative comments john.

quality control (of dive instructors) after the fact (a diving accident) is good, but to my mind is looking at why the horse has bolted after the gate’s been left open.

nothing beats experience. newly certified instructors must (and should, in my view) be prepared to understudy senior, qualified and reputable instructors prior to their own complete ‘qualification’, and both training agencies and dive business operators should agree to mandate this. certification does NOT necessarily mean qualification.

how to do so is the issue i see as needing to be addressed.

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]]> By: DeepSeaDan http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/07/14/can-you-trust-your-dive-instructor/comment-page-1/#comment-1356 DeepSeaDan Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:29:44 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=773#comment-1356 Agreed on all points. For far too long it has been far too easy to gain an Instructor's ticket. It is encumbent upon the student to do their homework when considering diving instruction. An honest, hard look at the Instructors experience, attitude, philosophy & style, coupled with interviews of his former students, will pay off in spades. Further, look for a dive shop in a similar manner. Look for a facility with strong core values that holds professionalism to it's highest standard; with this philosophy in place, you will likely find their teaching team to be united in the goal of creating safe, proficient divers. That is the kind of team you will want coaching you into the magnificence of the deeps. Regards, DSD Agreed on all points. For far too long it has been far too easy to gain an Instructor’s ticket. It is encumbent upon the student to do their homework when considering diving instruction. An honest, hard look at the Instructors experience, attitude, philosophy & style, coupled with interviews of his former students, will pay off in spades. Further, look for a dive shop in a similar manner. Look for a facility with strong core values that holds professionalism to it’s highest standard; with this philosophy in place, you will likely find their teaching team to be united in the goal of creating safe, proficient divers. That is the kind of team you will want coaching you into the magnificence of the deeps.

Regards,
DSD

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