3 day Scuba Certification: Hawaii

[aquaregia]

Oh, I'd certainly not expect demonstration-quality skills from an OW diver a year later, just no worse than when they were first certified. I'm not certain I could perform demonstration-quality skills (having never been evaluated as such), so I don't don't have any business criticizing anyone else's ability to do them.

 

[DevonDiver]

I am of the personal opinion that information that is taught ought to be retained,

Some issues:

1) Retention is 90% about what the student does after the course. It doesn't matter what format of course the student takes, if they throw their manual into a dusty cupboard and don't go diving for a year, they will forget. Alternatively, if they keep refreshing the manual, go diving every weekend, socialise with divers and join a resource such as Scubaboard.... they will remember.

2) Most 8 week courses would have the same amount of study hours as an intensive 3-4 day course. The same amount of in-water time. The same amount of classroom time. Identical courses. One is 'full-time', the other is 'part-time'.

3) The extended course allows some time for reflection, absorbtion and self-study in between classes....but it also allows time for lessons to be forgotted and skills to degrade. I did an 8 week scuba course (one night a week). Each week, I forgot most of what I learned the previous week. I was too busy at work, distracted etc etc. This was especially true of the scuba skills in water. That was my learning style. I like to be immersed (no pun intended) in the subject and devote 100% to it...so the part-time study/8-week option didn't suit me as well.

4) Many people 'learn and dump'. I do this. If I don't use information, then I forget it. If I was diving with a computer, of course I would forget how to use tables. I'd probably forget stuff like boyle's law also.... because it wouldn't be 'on my mind' every time I went diving. I'd understand the concepts.... but I wouldn't have a photographic memory of the equations, formulaes etc etc.

 

[JeffG]

How many open water dives are required for SSI OW certification?

The book work is "home work." A 10 year old half wit could complete the book and KR's on his own in 10-ish hours. The teaching part is making sure the student understands the subjects covered in the KR's, and that they understand the subjects covered in the quizzes/exam. Why would an instructor need to be involved in the "home work?"

DD's schedule above is similar to the norm all over the warm water world;

If the students make prior arrange they should be told it is best to complete the book work before getting on the plane; many attempt to do it on the plane. To really make a good start to the class the first three chapters/KR's need to be completed before sitting down with the instructor.

Another 3 day option is start with the Intro Dive. Then you decide you want to be certified, so you get the book and do the first three chapters/KR's before the next session with the instructor. That next session starts with reviewing the 1-3 KR's and quizzes, then as much of the confined water as possible, but at least the first three CW sessions; then you can make OW Dive 2. Third day with the instructor is the remaining KR's, quiz and exam, remaining CW sessions and remaining 2 OW Dives.

Or you could do all the remaining CW work the second day and third day just chapter 4-5 KR's, quiz, exam and 2-4 OW training dives.

The vast majority of certified divers in the world started by booking a 3 day course; mentally and physically challenged prospects might not maintain the pace to complete in 3 days.

MY GOD...A 3 day PADI course. I thought you didn't believe they existed? LOL

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I have always expressed that I think most new certified divers, in say the last decade, signed up for a "3-day OW" course. I also know to watch the DVD and complete the book takes something like 6-10 hours.

I am not sure most new certified divers, in the last decade, "passed" in 3 days. Every course I have taught has been signed up as a "3-day OW" both as independent instructor and as employee of 6 different dive operators. Many did not complete on schedule.

 

[onebadasslass]

However what I'm asking is if there's any retention of the skills or knowledge they learn after the 3 day course.

In my honest opinion I don't think so.
I think instructors should be a little more vigilant in treating this as more than a recreational sport. This is a sport where you have free movement of 360 degrees. Most people's situational awareness are not programed for that type of movement naturally.

Add to the fact that you're in an environment where equipment failure or user error can leave you deprived of oxygen, and you got a really dangerous sport.
Scuba is safe only based on the diver using it.
......

So really the question I'm asking is if you think there's any short comings of a 3-day class, and how can they be addressed?

@g1138

Thank you for your sharp observation regarding 360 degrees of motion/situational awareness: these are some of the best points made yet. I am a new diver and took a 4 day course, with several subsequent guided dives, and I can tell you I'll be heading for a comprehensive refresher course next, because I have neither the competency nor the confidence to proceed as the OWD I am technically certified to be.

I don't retain info well without rehearsal, and a lot of it, and I know others are not the same. And though my instruction was 1:1 with the instructor, his heart was not in it and I had no "classroom time"; I was merely given the PADI book/video, told to take the quizzes, and taken on the dives. I have learned much more from instructors and DMs I have subsequently dived with. I am lost with a dive table; he just could not explain the logic of the calculations to me. I consider that skill to be crucial.

In my case, my own confidence level with technical info/equipment/buoyancy and the experience I had with a disinterested, sometimes impatient instructor had a huge impact. That said, though, it did the trick: I learned enough to want to go back, and am a natural in the water. I am hooked and eager to learn more...safely. And it scares me to think how many might not be.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

I did a 4.5 day PADI class, and I think it was thorough and adequate. There was also a two week-end option, which had the same amount of time spent, except with one extra open water dive. We were required to read the first three chapters before the first day.

1st 0.5 day: 3.5 hours of classroom work (chapters 1-3), including videos and review.
2nd full day: 8.5 hours in the pool, did all the pool exercises, lunch break in the middle.
3rd full day: Two open water skill dives
4th full day: 2 hours in classroom (chapters 4-5 [read beforehand]), 1 open water skill dive
5th full day: One open water skill dive, one open water fun dive

My instructor was very good. He taught me stuff clearly and answered questions when they came up. He repeatedly explained things with which I had trouble, so I felt comfortable with all the emergency maneuvers.

It also helped that the class had only five students, three of which dropped out by the first open dive. This gave me a lot of individual attention on my skills. About 15 dives later, I think I'm doing well.

A lot of it depends on the instructor and the class size, but I think at least 50% depends on the attitude of the diver. Do you want to learn? Do you want to improve? Or do you just want to go underwater and mess around?