I was trained for years by one of those small agencies "that keep their instructor pool very small because they are very conscious of internal quality control." Let me describe what it was like.
As we began the program, the instructor made it clear, telling us it would not be like PADI--I will not be "holding your hand." I didn't know what that meant, but this description of one training exercise should make it clear.
The skill on which my buddy and I were to be evaluated was "bottle passing." We did not know what that was, and we were told it was transferring a stage/deco bottle from one diver to another. This was at the very beginning of a tech program. Here is the sequence of what happened.
As we began the program, the instructor made it clear, telling us it would not be like PADI--I will not be "holding your hand." I didn't know what that meant, but this description of one training exercise should make it clear.
The skill on which my buddy and I were to be evaluated was "bottle passing." We did not know what that was, and we were told it was transferring a stage/deco bottle from one diver to another. This was at the very beginning of a tech program. Here is the sequence of what happened.
- We were told that we would descend to a certain point and my buddy would transfer his stage bottle to me, at which point I would add it to the stage/deco bottle I was already carrying. We would use AL 80s for the performance, meaning I would start with one AL 80 sung at my side and finish with two. We would do it while simulating a decompression stop next to a silty wall. We were warned that disturbing that silt was not allowed!
- The instructor decided that the skill was not challenging enough, so before we got started with the bottle pass, he put me out of air so that I would have to do the skill while breathing from my buddy's 7-foot hose.
- As we did our simulated decompression stop on an ascent line next to a silty wall while connected by my buddy's 7-foot hose, my buddy handed off an AL 80 to me, and I struggled to attach his AL 80 next to the AL 80 I already had in place while trying not to disturb the silty wall next to me. It was not pretty.
- After we got out of the water and were thoroughly and completely reamed for our (my) pathetic performance, we were told to go out and practice on our own while he worked with other students on other skills.
- After a very frustrating practice session, my buddy and I got on shore and literally yelled at our instructor, primarily asking him how the Hell we are supposed to do that skill.
- In response, he told his how he thought we should do the bottle passing, showing us technique we had not imagined. That was the first an only instruction we received.
- That evening everyone at all levels watched the video of our performance. The instructor focused the video and discussion on the part where I tried to clip the passed bottle onto my lower D-ring and instead accidentally clipped it to the bolt-snap of the AL 80 that was already there. That was a great point for ridicule and general merriment as the group laughed at my incompetence.
- That was it for that session. My buddy and I went online and looked for videos of people passing bottles. We then met in a swimming pool and practiced.
- We then repeated the session and passed.
- A thorough explanation of the skill and its importance would have been followed by a clear explanation of how the skill should be done.
- A demonstration would have shown the student what the skill looked like.
- The students would have first done the skills with AL 40s instead of AL 80s to allow an easier transition.
- There would have been no extra problems introduced at the earliest stages--no deo stops, no silty walls, no OOA air sharing.
- initial attempts would have included interventions at problem points to help the student solve problems and understand correct procedures.
- As the student succeeded in early trials, more challenging situation would be added later to improve overall student learning. Eventually the student would do it on deco stops near silty walls with AL 80s
- There would have been absolutely, positively, certainly, no ridicule of the student's first attempts in front of a general audience.