The "Official" SB Scuba Course?

[Kingpatzer]

The customers want shorter and cheaper.

That's true. But there is a balance between making everyone into a Navy SEAL and having everyone drown the moment the exit the boat because they can't even do a proper back-roll.

Finding what the community feels is a balance between an adequate educational standard, and the course materials to convey that standard, and just fast and cheap is one of the goals I have for this experiment.

 

[Cave Diver]

Teaching it? Or just an overview that it's another option?

I think Nitrox should be a separate course, but the groundwork for it can still be built in to the basic course.

 

[Cave Diver]

Finding what the community feels is a balance between an adequate educational standard, and the course materials to convey that standard, and just fast and cheap is one of the goals I have for this experiment.

Ah, but the real challenge here, will be finding out what the customer feels. Everyone here has the luxury of commenting from experience. A new customer walking into a dive shop has no clue what they want or should expect.

To that end, I think that the course should include a handout that is given to every customer to review before signing up for a class. It may have been Walter that did a post about interviewing an instructor here some time ago.

Someone calling about a course could have it faxed to them so they understand what it entails. It could be part of a "learning agreement" and they have to read, sign and return before enrolling in the class. It would then become part of the student file.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Ah, but the real challenge here, will be finding out what the customer feels. Everyone here has the luxury of commenting from experience. A new customer walking into a dive shop has no clue what they want or should expect.

To that end, I think that the course should include a handout that is given to every customer to review before signing up for a class. It may have been Walter that did a post about interviewing an instructor here some time ago.

Someone calling about a course could have it faxed to them so they understand what it entails. It could be part of a "learning agreement" and they have to read, sign and return before enrolling in the class. It would then become part of the student file.

I already do this. When I get an inquiry I send a course syllabus and they sign a learning agreement the first night.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Ah, but the real challenge here, will be finding out what the customer feels. Everyone here has the luxury of commenting from experience. A new customer walking into a dive shop has no clue what they want or should expect.

To that end, I think that the course should include a handout that is given to every customer to review before signing up for a class. It may have been Walter that did a post about interviewing an instructor here some time ago.

Someone calling about a course could have it faxed to them so they understand what it entails. It could be part of a "learning agreement" and they have to read, sign and return before enrolling in the class. It would then become part of the student file.

Great idea! Go add it !

 

[Cave Diver]

I already do this. When I get an inquiry I send a course syllabus and they sign a learning agreement the first night.

Yes, but does your syllabus have the whole "interview your instructor" tone? One that gets them really thinking about your program and why it's superior to others out there? Or does it simply state your expectations in such a way that makes them think its just par for the course.

If it's the former, how about posting it here?

 

[Cave Diver]

Great idea! Go add it !

:shocked2:

Let me see if I can dig up one of those "interviews" as a cheat sheet.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Added a section for knowledge standards and a few suggested topics

 

[Buoyant1]

Wasn't there recently a thread on this (that got out of hand after about 6-7 pages) where most of the extra stuff that JimLap and Walter did was pretty much hitting the gist of what you're trying to do here? Can't we just dig that one up and spare the (probable) drama?

 

[Kingpatzer]

Wasn't there recently a thread on this (that got out of hand after about 6-7 pages) where most of the extra stuff that JimLap and Walter did was pretty much hitting the gist of what you're trying to do here? Can't we just dig that one up and spare the (probable) drama?

I'm trying to do it in a more formalized way (and also hopefully with input from folks outside of just Scuba Board (hey, i can dream ) and end up with something that can stand as a completed project from the dive community for the dive community.

The idea is not to argue for right and wrong here, but to form consensus while producing something. To that end, there shouldn't be much in the way of drama -- we're all big boys and girls after all.