Should all instructors really have ALL their own equipment?

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My error. I should have said the shop requires students own all their gear with the exceptions of for OW course or any course that does not require dives. When I took Nitrox the dives were still required and I had to have my own stuff.

Still silly, as far as I'm concerned. Is this a shop or NAUI policy. Can't seem to find any reference/source suggesting that NAUI requires that a dive owns their own gear before Instructor level.

---------- Post added June 7th, 2013 at 09:55 PM ----------

As far as when you need your own gear, it is clearly outlined in the S&P for each course.

NAUI website doesn't show this. Perhaps instructor manuals do? Website does list "own gear" requirement for ITC, but nothing else.

RJP,

The S&P is not published on NAUIs site. It is however available to leadership members of NAUI. Contact the NAUI training dept and ask them directly....you will get the same gouge I assure you. There are no conspiracies happening here.
 
Maybe because you keep saying you can't find a reference for the information after I have repeatedly said its in the S&P?
 
Maybe because you keep saying you can't find a reference for the information after I have repeatedly said its in the S&P?

Posed my question twice, to two different posters. Both were prior to your response. Sorry for not reading your mind prior to you answering my question.

:d
 
The dives are required, but they aren't skill intensive dives. It's literally analyze you gas, plan dive and dive with an instructor buddy. If you don't do the dives it's a recognition program vice a certification.

As far as when you need your own gear, it is clearly outlined in the S&P for each course. As a matter of fact there are many courses in NAUI that don't require your own gear( hookah, adaptive, experienced....etc), but to the point of the OPs rant, AI, DM, and instructor aren't one of them.:)

I didn't mention NAUI. PADI Nitrox is no dives and and yes certification as of just after I took it in 2006.

---------- Post added June 7th, 2013 at 10:51 PM ----------

Still silly, as far as I'm concerned. Is this a shop or NAUI policy. Can't seem to find any reference/source suggesting that NAUI requires that a dive owns their own gear before Instructor level.



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This is a shop policy. Shop is PADI, and to be honest, I've never had cause to look up whether PADI lists equipment ownership in the Standards. I have seen on a number of other shop websites continuing ed course descriptions saying students must have all their own stuff. I think it may be more the norm than a rarity, but I'm not positive.

---------- Post added June 7th, 2013 at 09:55 PM ----------

 
Different scenario again.

I left my regulator set behind for one of my colleagues during my DMC to assist him on the road to independence. Better that than making myself a small sum on ebay.

Nic

Well done, I see so many people diving in poor countries and insult the local dive members. Laugh at their poor equipment and wouldn't ever consider helping them. We do the same, if we have something surplus or are considering upgrading we leave what we have for our dive guide to help them with their profession. A little bit of humanity goes a long way. Seeing some guy who has just swilled down some $500 of booze over the holiday then put 10 cents in local money into a tip envelope for 10 people (so it looks like he is contributing too) is jus a bloody insult to everyone.

And yes I also find it insulting for a dive shop to try and force a DM or instructor to buy their gear if they want to work there. I believe Oceanic in OZ will replace your oceanic BCD yearly (at I believe no cost provided you bought it from them in OZ) if you work in the profession teaching.
 
As an assistant instructor, I'm a little fed up with ITC's saying "you must have all your own gear" as a prerequisite for the Instructor Training Course.
In my honest opinion, and in the opinion of many instructors I've talked to, an instructor using the same equipment as the student during a course is not only a matter of comfort and understanding for the student, but also a matter of safety.
So why should I have all my own gear before I get my first job? Shouldn't I use the same gear as my students?
Why do so many dive centers require instructors to bring their own gear if it is a potential safety issue?
Is it merely a matter of expenses paid and wear on equipment?
Is it reasonable to require your staff to have their own gear if they are teaching?
Are instructors not going to take better care of your equipment if they are required to use it alongside the customers?

Can't believe this question was even asked. Yes, you should have your own gear. They are the tools of your trade. However, if your facility requires you to use THEIR brand of gear, they should provide it.
 
I'm just surprised that anyone at an instructor level would have no gear of their own. I'm still a ways yet from 200 dives, and unsuccessfully trying to figure out how to stop buying gear (well, actually my wife is trying to stop me :wink:). Seems to me that if you love the sport, you'll find a way to afford the equipment.
 
I guess I just don't understand. How does it happen that a person is so into scuba that they are an assistant instructor and want to become an instructor and don't own their own a complete set of scuba diving gear?:confused:

If you are talking about owning the makes and models that a shop may want you to use when employed as their instructor, I can see that issue. The shop should help you acquire that gear through keyman discounts or provide it to you for classes.

But how have you been diving without owning a complete set of gear?

The issue has been brought up since this post was asked, and since it's direct I'll answer it directly.
Yes I am living and diving and working in a third world country.
Yes I earn a barely enough to live month to month.
No there is no chance in hell I would be able to afford an entire new setup before I move on from this country.
Yes I have been provided equipment during all of my training and work, along with all the other employees local or foreign.

More importantly, I dive every day. I have more than 400 dives most of which involved assisting and teaching (I'd say 70-80% of them) students.
 
I think that if it had been a real rescue scenario, you would have just had to deal with whatever brand BC the victim was wearing, no matter how much time it took, right? It's not like you can certify as a Scubapro-Only Rescue Diver... :)

I can't imagine that there is enough functional differences between brands of equipment so that it would be a learning problem for most students. Yeah, I guess there are minor variations, but pretty much all entry level dive kits have pretty much the same features.

Unfortunate you chose to focus on the branding and not the real point of my post. There is enough of a functional difference between different brands and styles of equipment that an OW diver can/will benefit by being exposed to them. Otherwise I wouldn't have had an issue in that example. But I did, because I had not been exposed to those minor differences (and just as you mentioned I struggled through it even though it was a mock scenario). Yes, OW dive gear is all going to be fairly similar but taking a little extra time to expose a student to things that may seem minor like a difference in buckles, an Air2 set up, bungeed alternates and other things of that nature are only going to serve to benefit the student or another diver at a later date.
 

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