OW class problems and questions

[nova69400]

They NEED to replace your mask, not questioning their financial blah blah at all. This is not acceptable in my opinion. I see a leaking mask as a safety issue in this case because the more task loaded a new diver is, the better the odds that they aren't paying attention to important tasks. ( not controlling bouancy, looking at gauges, keeping an eye on buddy) If you're not comfortable in your gear, it is a set up for disaster. They are basically setting you up for more issues than you really need as a new ow diver.

You should spend as much time in the pool as you need to get the basic skills down. I don't mean hey look I can flood my mask and clear it, I mean I can take my mask off and drop it, pick it up, put it on and clear it. The LDS should afford you all the time you need to get comfortable with ALL OF YOUR SKILLS !!!!

If they don't replace your mask absolutly for free, I'd start the search for a new lds. I would be weary of being dive buddy's with anyone who put finances over safety.

 

[spectrum]

We were kind of hoping to be certified in time to do a vacation dive this summer, but not sure that will work.It's cleared up but now she's kind of spooked - and she absolutely loves the water.

It's clear that this is not happening for you folks and that this instructor (perhaps the whole operation) are not the ticket.

Even if you all survive local certification this spring you will not be equipped to safely enjoy your vacation.

When do you say "vacation dive" do you mean getting out of the house some day to hit a local site or are you planning a vacation trip around this?

My suggestion is to speak to the management of the shop armed with the many qualified evaluations in this thread. If they can't set you and your family up with a competent and supportive instructor than take your losses and go elsewhere. You need to be groomed as a team, do not get separated.

Getting certified to these sub minimal standards is the worst thing that can happen to your family. In addition to safety concerns I am willing to bet that you will not have the skills and information to truly enjoy diving, It will be a dreaded chore and a lifetime of joy will be squandered. Diving is a great (family) sport but you all need to know what you are doing. Based on the pool experience so far I can only imagine the ocean dives.

I would suggest that one way or another you get with a good instructor. For a family of 4 a private deal may work out well. Spend the spring and early summer getting certified and enjoy local diving this summer. This can be on your own schedule and pace. Once you are working together like a team (instead of herding cats) go away do some awesome vacation diving.

If you do certify and go directly to a vacation dive event I suggest hiring a Dive Master to help ensure a positive experience. Pulling off a vacation trip takes a lot of planning and open eyes. Doing it out of the gate, as a family of new divers boggles my mind.

Good luck, do this right and all of you will be rewarded in the end.

Pete

 

[Sask Diver]

My family has been taking an OW class together and we've run into some problems. Pool session 1 was basically fine. Pool session 2 was kind of a disaster for most of the group. I took in a mouthfull of water when trying the reg retrieval and it went down hill from there. The ones that didn't have problems have been declared "ocean ready" but aren't really comfortable with the idea of going into the ocean yet. So now I've got some questions and would appreciate any suggestions or input.

1. Pool time - The class was set up with about 5 hours of pool time. Is that typical or is that short?

2. The pool session - especially the 2nd one - was hop in the pool and start some drills. Is that the normal way classes are run? Or do they usually spend some time just swimming a little in the shallow end to get comfortable with all that gear?

3. Equipment - I had a lot of problems with my mask leaking. When I tried to take it back to the shop and switch it, the shop gave me kind of an earful about how it hurt them financially to swap it and how it must be me and not the mask. But since at a "discover scuba" session at a different place I'd had NO problems whatsoever with the mask leaking, I insisted. Is it expected for some people to have to switch things like masks or was I being unreasonable?

Bottom line is I'm trying to figure out if my expectations are unreasonable, if I'm just not cut out for scuba or something in between. Any advice is appreciated.

I just finnished my confined classes a few weeks ago and had similar problems to yourself, my first mask leaked and they gladly exchanged it for me.
As for the course itself, we had rather large classes so a few things were rush over, some caught on slower than others ect, ect, ect.
But I am welcome to go to the pool anytime there is a class on, and practice my skills especially those one's that got a little rushed.
I really appreciate this for a couple of reasons, I practice skills twice a week, my open water dives are not untill the middle of june. (lake is still coverd by ice) so I can keep what I have learned fresh in my head.
And second is I meet new people every three weeks, so I am always meeting potental dive buddies.
Ask them if you are allowed to go and do a splash to keep up or practice your skills

 

[TSandM]

What Spectrum said.

Seriously . . . if you get well trained, so that when you go to open water you feel confident and full of anticipation, rather than apprehension, you'll be much more likely to continue to dive. And it is worth it, even if it ends up costing you some more money for instruction, and some more time. You are in Southern California, which is an INCREDIBLE place to be a diver, with easily reached sites where you can dive with sea lions, and sunlit kelp, and glorious hydrocorals, and the ridiculously improbable bright orange Garibaldi and purple and orange long-haired nudibranchs. Diving is a great family activity, which gets you outdoors and active and sharing something wonderful.

Bottom line: It's worth the investment. Unfortunately, it does not sound as though your first attempt has been very successful. I concur with a discussion with the shop owner, and if that is fruitless, come back here -- I'm sure you can get a recommendation for a shop and instructor who will give you the kind of class you ought to have.

 

[mdb]

I would join the many others on this thread and advise to let your feet do the talking. Do not look back. Take your MSF and boots and gloves and find a reputable store or independent instructor that will properly introduce you and your clan to the U/W world.

Diving is an amazing experience, weightless in the wonderland, fun for families and access to the rest of the 70% + of the planet.

The store you describe is, unfortunately, all to common, and the training, or lack thereof, very sad indeed.

All the best, do not give up. The folks here, particularly in the SO.CAL forum, can get you headed in the right direction.

 

[RJSDiverNJ]

Due to time constraints with rented pools, sometimes the focus is really on the skills first and if there is time later, swimming around for fun and getting comfortable. It doesn't sound ideal, but it is reality in some circumstances.