Transfer OW Cert To Another LDS

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victorzamora:
I can't imagine any shops charging extra for rescheduling due to THEIR gear failures.
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This is where it gets a little iffy. The gear failure reported was a wetsuit feeling too tight and restrictive. OP also suspected that the reg was not working correctly because of difficulties breathing but the instructor at the time confirmed that it seemed fine. Due to the thick wetsuits, cold water and lots of weight, the failures described are pretty normal first impressions for OW students in Monterey.

Edit: Clarifying my use of the word "iffy" - what I mean is that this could be seen as rental gear failure or totally normal and expected given the conditions.
 
I'm going to pay more to finish my cert. I want to do a private class to finish. It was intense waiting on the yellow horizontal line for so long with other students to finish.
 
Blueringocto_73:
I'm going to pay more to finish my cert. I want to do a private class to finish. It was intense waiting on the yellow horizontal line for so long with other students to finish.
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Do you mean on your knees? I would hope that you were moving around a bit, someone does a skill, move some more....
 
Well, to be honest I was trying to keep moving on the yellow horizontal line but my fins occasionally touched the bottom. There was a cloud of silt and 1-3 feet visibility. Bubbles everywhere and a bit disorienting.

There was one long group of kelp on the white descent line. While I was waiting it wrapped around my first stage regulator and tugged on me for awhile before I got it off. I'm sure that kelp is there on purpose.
 
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Private lessons may be costly. We charge by the day here in north Florida. If it takes 1, 2 or 3 days to finish your dives it can get pricey. Typically 200-300 dollars per day with you furnishing the equipment and entrance or charter fees.
 
I understand completely having to wait. I swim a lot in the ocean so I am use to it. But low visibility, surge, watching particles move around, cold water, discomfort adds up. If you were one of the first there could have been a different outcome to this situation.

I do not remember if I did mine on the same beach, but I was the last. I turned to look at a sealion pup and the man who was working with the instructor was flailing his arms in large circles on either side of his head. He caught my Reg line and ripped my Reg out of my mouth. I was on my knees waiting my turn. No one even noticed what happened.

During a pool session for some reason one of the instructors was using my tank with the other students. I was again last. I am in the pool under water, I surface and swim to edge of pool and I run out of air. When I show the pressure gauge to the other students some of them were very concerned and scared at what happened to me. I think this was at WVC or SJSC pool.

I am very sorry to hear about the delay. I had this happen at Dolphin out at Stillwater Cove for a freedive class, but it was my fault and they were very helpful in getting me trained at a later date.
 
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Blueringocto_73 as you stated you completed open water dive 1 & 2, if this is a PADI certification you can request dive shop to sign you off as a Padi Scuba Diver.
PADI Scuba Diver — proof of an entry-level scuba
certifi cation with a minimum of two open water
training dives. this will allow you to dive under supervision of a Instructor. Make sure you get a referral from shop that you completed all confined dives an classroom.
Then you will have no problem finding another Instructor to sign you off on diver 3 & 4 in order to gain a Padi Open Water cert.
 
Interesting, I talked to an instructor at another LDS. He told me that a surf exit with gear on isn't a requirement on any dive in the OW program. But in my mind a crab crawl on the first dive would be a good idea, so that everyone is on the same page.
 
elgoog:
This is where it gets a little iffy. The gear failure reported was a wetsuit feeling too tight and restrictive. OP also suspected that the reg was not working correctly because of difficulties breathing but the instructor at the time confirmed that it seemed fine. Due to the thick wetsuits, cold water and lots of weight, the failures described are pretty normal first impressions for OW students in Monterey.

Edit: Clarifying my use of the word "iffy" - what I mean is that this could be seen as rental gear failure or totally normal and expected given the conditions.
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If that's the case, then it may not be as clear cut. As an experienced diver, the instructor may have felt the OP was getting cold feet (figuratively, although I'm sure it was literal as well) and used it as an excuse. However, the instructor could've also been complacent and figured as long as there's flow, it's fine.

Part of an instructor's job is to ready students for adverse conditions. Either he underprepared the student, who freaked out about perfectly fine gear.....or the student was correctly informed and the gear was amiss. If it's the first case, then part of the responsibility is on the OP.
 
victorzamora:
If that's the case, then it may not be as clear cut. As an experienced diver, the instructor may have felt the OP was getting cold feet (figuratively, although I'm sure it was literal as well) and used it as an excuse.
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Students skipping the 2nd day or sometimes even the 2nd dive of the day is not uncommon here. I've done 4 non-GUE courses in Monterey and have seen people do that in all of the classes. Almost always the students were in wetsuits. I've done it too and not wanting to be limited to one day of diving (class or otherwise) was the main reason I got a drysuit.

victorzamora:
Part of an instructor's job is to ready students for adverse conditions. Either he underprepared the student, who freaked out about perfectly fine gear.....or the student was correctly informed and the gear was amiss. If it's the first case, then part of the responsibility is on the OP.
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I don't know about the OP's pool dives or preparation but here's what I've seen.
My OW class pool dives were done in a 72F pool wearing the same 7+7mm wetsuits I wore in the ocean with the same amount of lead that would be needed there. This was recommended by the instructors but one student opted to do it in her bathing suit because it was a really hot weekend and she didn't want to deal with that much neoprene or weight. She said she was getting the cert to dive on vacation in the tropics. She ended up dropping out of the class after dive 1 on day 1. Another one of our LDSs has an on-site pool that's heated to 84F. I don't know if this happens all the time but I've done 4 different pool days there for various GUE classes and have seen OW classes where no one was wearing more than a shorty. The first time those students wear that much neoprene and lead is in the ocean which is 25-30F colder and has 10-15ft viz in the area where the checkout dives are usually conducted. I'm not saying this is the standard procedure around here or that this was the case with the OP but it does happen.
 
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