Thumbs Down to Adventure Scuba at CSSP Today

[jchapman3]

who said anything about kneeling?

I wasn't totally serious about the comment hence the smiley at the end, with the express instruction students receive these days I wouldn't expect even one of them to be able to hover off the bottom and clear their masks ...

Agreed... I missed the original in-line scarcasm... I stand corrected

 

[divealotdiver]

How can so many people read one side of an incident and know what really happened?? Is it just because they may have had a bad experience with a pertictular shop and saw the OP's first post and "presto" it is magically true?? Or were they there and actually saw it happen first hand? Oh, maybe they talked to the villian of the post, the AS instuctor and he said that it happened just like the OP said it did. It has been my experience that the facts sometime get stated little different and until all the facts are in, who knows what really happened. I thougt that joining something like this would be a positive experience, but from what I have read here, I may have guessed wrong. I personally think that before I say anything negitive about any instructor or shop, I would have to have all the facts.

 

[Kunk35]

In response to divealot, I will admit that I COULD BE a little biased due to my past experiences with Adventure, and that MIGHT HAVE influenced how quickly I took the Op at his word. No offense to the Op, It may have happend exactly like that, but divealot is right, I wasn't there, so I shouldn't assume what happend. I think part of me wants it to have happend like it was explained, so I will have more firepower in my anti-AS campaign.

Pretty grown up of me to admit that, huh divealot? (I'm referencing the childish remark, from your first post. Didn't want you to think I'm not introspective...)

 

[YellowfinKunkfish]

How can so many people read one side of an incident and know what really happened?? Is it just because they may have had a bad experience with a pertictular shop and saw the OP's first post and "presto" it is magically true?? Or were they there and actually saw it happen first hand?

Sooooo.... You WERE there, and saw what happened, so you know that it DIDN'T happen exactly the way the OP posted?! If you were not there, then how do you know for sure that it didn't happen exactly the way he said it did? Besides, we're all perfectly aware of the fact that we don't know the circumstances first hand, some of us are just saying, that we're not surprised. Again, this IS a discussion forum. We discuss. We debate. We don't always agree.

I thougt that joining something like this would be a positive experience, but from what I have read here, I may have guessed wrong. I personally think that before I say anything negitive about any instructor or shop, I would have to have all the facts.

Well, how do you expect it to be a positive experience when in your very first post on this board, you attacked several of the people posting in this thread, and personally insulted them? Maybe before you post anything negative about other posters, you should "have all the facts" In other words, you didn't know anything about our personal experiences with AS, and you accused us of acting like children and bashing a shop we know nothing about. Those statements were wrong. I know you know that now, from your PM's with my husband. (Kunk35)

This board is great place to post, hang out, meet dive buddies, and yes sometimes we discuss bad service and shops we aren't happy with. Sometimes this board is our only voice, and our only way to vent to other divers that will understand. We also post when we are very happy, and pleased with service we receive at a shop. Most of the time, this is a very welcoming, and positive place, but just like we all have bad days, we all have various issues with shops from time to time.

Now, that being said, I do want to welcome you to the board, I hope that you will stick around, get to know us, and post on some other more positive threads. Kunk35 and I always enjoy meeting new swampers, and finding new dive buddies to dive, and hang out with.

Rhonda

 

[redacted]

In the past, shops have been advised of discussions like this and often show up with the other side of the story. So far, no direct word from anyone willing to ID themselves as associated with AS.

If you chose to remain silent on the internet, you may well deserve the beating you are likely to take.

 

[divealotdiver]

I apoligize for the earlier statements (a little childish). I think we can all learn from what happens. As for what happened that started all of this, I do not think either dive shop or instructor is completely blameless. I do think that everyone should have a different pespective on how to handle issues that arise and hopefully handle them better. As to whether or not I was there, that is not important. What is important is that I will look at situations differently from now on. So I guess it is time to pack this one up and move on. Till next time.....

 

[SteveC]

So how about a response from the offending instructor.

 

[richerso]

Wow! This thread just won't die.

divealotdiver,
I won't judge you. I promise. But all of your posts sound suspicious. You have been a little bit childish and a little bit attack-ish (offensive on the move) in your posts and yet you only have 3 posts total to your credit -- all of them on this thread. This does indeed look suspicious.

And then you make a statement like "As to whether or not I was there, that is not important."; yet this seems to somehow be at the very heart of the point you keep trying to aggressively impress upon us.

A couple of observations here. 1) You are either very new to this forum; or 2) you are a sock puppet.

If you are new to this forum, perhaps it would be more appropriate for you to participate in other threads that are more amiable. We, I mean all of us in this thread, readily recognize that this is a contentious and emotionally charged thread; maybe even argumentative. This is not an appropriate thread for you to make your inaugural post on. Go find a more amiable thread and get to know the community first.

If you are a sock puppet, well then, what more do I need to say?

BTW, FYI, the majority of us posting and debating on this thread actually do know each other. We really have met each other. We really do dive together. . . . . And dare I say it <<GASP>>, we will dive together again. However, at the moment, we are having a little family argument. We will get through this.

Those platforms really should be marked. And I like the idea of having posted schedules wherever; and whatever form they might take.

 

[Kunk35]

Wow! This thread just won't die

 

[jchapman3]

How can so many people read one side of an incident and know what really happened??

Here's the thing, and since you're new to the board, and new to this group, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and help you out. We have to assume some basic truth's from the original post. I can't imagine anyone launching into a story that is COMPLETE fiction to a group of people that actually know each other (Could the facts have been distorted, were certain things embellished...maybe, probably, who knows)... however, here are the issues that have me concerned (and I dive there, so I have a right to be concerned):

1. There more than likely was a large group of students on a platform in the middle of an OW dive
2. The two instructors (the one with the class and the one entering the water) more than likely had some sort of discussion; what was said is frankly irrelevant.
3. The second instructor, knowing that there were already students on the platform decided to decend his students on the platform anyway.

Now, the question really is...why do any of US care? Because we also dive at CSSP and this kind of nonsense affects us all. The issue of the shops consuming the lake is an old one. Most of the time everyone get's along... sometimes there's a rub. I did my OW there, I like diving there...but the ever-increasing nonsense between the shops and access to the water is the #1 reason I don't like to dive there anymore; I'll wait for the air and water to get a little colder to weed out the serious divers from the resort divers.

So with all that said, in my PERSONAL opinion... do I believe that and Adventure instructor talked to another instructor in the water and then knowingly dropped his students on top of a class that was already there? ABSOLUTELY. Do I believe that same instructor spewed out "we own this platform, and this is our's go way" content. ABSOLUTELY. Would another instructor from another shop done the same? I don't know...I don't know any of them. But I HAVE seen AS instructors behave that way. I have observed it first hand twice, and it occured once during a class I was in...so my response isn't simply interpreting what I read. I've SEEN it.

Here's the takeaway, for those of you still reading:

1. Whiteboards on easles with timeblocks on the shore outside each platform would solve the contention problem between instructors, as well as inform the recreational folks when to avoid those areas. Cheap, easy, no instruction necessary... but someone has to decide it's worth doing. (And you would think that with all that money the shops spent on pavilions and platforms, that cost would be trivial in comparison; I bet Dave would even keep them for the shops, and put them out on the weekends when congestion is at it's peak.)
2. The instructor that made the CHOICE to drop his students on top of an occupied platform made a bad decision. The events that followed are between the two instructors (and hopefully PADI).

The net-net here, as divers at CSSP, and as members of this group is: Something should be done to eliminate the clash of overcrowded access to the lake during peak times, and IMHO since it's the shops that are causing the congestion (and to some degree appear to be interested in turf wars), they should provide an amenable solution that enables the most number of divers to use the lake as possible. (and that doesn't mean blocking out an entire DAY, ... simply identify the times when the spaces are needed. "Plan your dive", "Dive your Plan"...and a dive plan should include a timeframe for entering and exiting the water. ).

Not 2 weeks ago Kory and I were diving at our favorite lake in Oklahoma; there were 2 divers on the shore as we were gearing up doing a surface interval. A quick chat informed us that an instructor was doing an OW for one of his students. We exchanged dive plans so that we would not interfere with his lesson and skills, and likewise, they wouldn't accidentally run into us; easy breasy...and that's how it SHOULD be. Respect for the water...respect for other divers.

So divealotdiver, welcome to the group. Have you been diving with a SwampDiver yet? As Richerso pointed out... you're awfully interested in a topic and group you've only just met ... how about an introduction, and some pictures on your profile? How long have you been diving at CSSP?