How would you set up an open water course.

[Eric Sedletzky]

If you were given the opportunity to design an open water course where time and money were no object and also gear used had no perameters or restrictions, how would you do it? What would you include or exclude.
This is all hypothetical so have fun with it. Remember, no course length restraints, no gear restraints, and no cost restraints. This is an ideal world scenario.

Anybody who wants, please comment as to what you think would be the ideal open water course to fully prepare divers for the real world.

Thanks

 

[TSandM]

I think I'd teach the GUE open water class. It includes Nitrox and Rescue, which I think are things all open water divers should know. It has a lot of dives and a lot of classroom material, and it's pitched to intelligent adults. I'd make sure it started with a couple of pool sessions of snorkeling and free-diving first -- Peter has me convinced that people who can easily swim, snorkel and freedive transition to scuba much more easily.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I think I'd teach the GUE open water class.

(Question removed)
Never mind, you updated your post and explained it. Thanks.

 

[spectrum]

I'd include Skin-diving though open water dives before touching a BC, regulator or cylinder.

 

[halocline]

I'd want to make the students suffer as much as possible!

Just kidding....

My course would definitely include way more pool sessions and dives, maybe it would start as a group class, but since scuba is an individual act (with a buddy) it would include lots of one-on-one instruction. Maybe there would be no set time limit, just a well defined set of criteria and skill levels for passing, and however much instruction and practice it takes a student to do that, okay. I realize this would mean more expense for some students, but you did say money is no object!

The skills I think are most important to emphasize are swimming, buoyancy control, gas management, and emergency management, meaning lots of air sharing, mask removal, anything to increase confidence under water. It's mostly about the level of confidence and control of basic habits and skills under water that form a good foundation for continuing in diving. Starting the sessions with skin diving is a really good idea.

I'd probably want to go with the recreational long (5 ft or so) hose, bungied alternate, and backplates for gear. I just feel like the long hose is likely to be the future of rec diving; it makes so much more sense than the current "standard" recreational set up. I like backplates, I wouldn't require students to use them, but I'd probably stay far away from the standard ill-fitting bloated jacket BCs that are so common in current OW classes.

 

[Thalassamania]

Been there, done that.

About 100 hrs, including 12 to 16 O/W dives, 13 pool sessions, 26 hours lecture, 13 hours recitation, 26 hours confined water.

 

[kanonfodr]

I wouldn't change much from a current "standard" OW course, except I'd double the time required for the class to really hit on trim, bouyancy, gas management, and propulsion techniques. I wouldn't go so far as to GUE standards: that would turn a lot of people off (Having to work at something). Instead I'd just do more of like a UTD Essentials course: you learn lots but there's no pressure about passing or failing for these additional skills you learn.

The BP/W and Long Hose would be nice to throw in there, but that would require revamping damn near the entire scuba community and...ya...about that. But video review would be mandatory. It is too powerful of a tool to used by only a minority of divers.

Of course, more details (fluff) would be changed/eliminated but the end result is having safe, competent divers who are truly knowledgeable about the sport come out of class ready to go diving. That's the biggest hole in the current OW system, divers don't come out of it with real skills to go out and go diving without an instructor/mentor holding their hand.

Peace,
Greg

 

[diverrex]

I'd include the option for as much pool time as the student wants. Thinking back on my training the best part for me was simply swimming around the pool getting used to scuba and all the gear.

 

[spectrum]

The final skill demonstration would be to lead an actual dive. If the objective is to be able to independently make a novice dive then that's what should be demonstrated. Planning, set-up navigation the whole deal. It can be a simple in and our reciprocal course but the instructor is in the back seat and the student is in charge, preferably with a buddy and they each lead a dive, no team stuff because there's usually a slacker in those deals.

Like anything else you get what you demand from people. Today's dive training is more about disaster mitigation in the form of late night "stupid diver tricks". Clear your mask, recover your regulator, do a fin pivot, share air, voila your a diver. When a student can execute a dive with decent buoyancy control and awareness they are divers. Too many get certified without those essentials and just walk away from diving.

Pete

 

[Doc Harry]

I would set it up like this one.

No certification unless you actually pass the skills test, regardless of how many times you Put Another Dollar In.