A bit discouraged

[Don Wray]

PADI requires that you be able to swim using any stroke, nonstop, 200 yards without aids of any kind, or, as an option, 300 yards using only a mask, snorkel and fins. Wet suits are not allowed. You cannot swim a couple of laps and stop to rest or the task must be repeated. I think probably the no refund on the boat trip would be if you cancelled, not being told to repeat. With that said, you are not the first, nor will you be the last to have difficulty with the watermanship skills. However, once you are certified and surface with a strong current between you and the boat or shore you will understand why the skill is necessary. I concur with taking some swimming lessons and giving it another go.

 

[cinder4320]

I mean nothing personal here just a few comments:

From your post you are ASSUMING they will not give you a refund and haven't yet asked. It won't be a refund per say but since you aren't ready for the dives your funds should be credited toward when you actually do them in the future. This seems common sense and I can't imagine the dive center not agreeing to this. It makes the shop look bad when you post here that you won't get a refund on the dive trips. Since you haven't asked them yet many posters are judging for no reason. Undeserved bad PR.

Did you get your PADI course book ahead of time to do the 'at home" portion? If so you should've read that there is a required swim. Its detailed inside. I do not really fault the shop here nor should they be teaching people how to swim. From PADI's perspective if you can't swim at the beginning of the class there is no way in 3 or 4 days you will be a competent diver. They have to require and assume basic swimming ability before the course begins.

I understand you are saying with mask and snorkel it was different but for most people it becomes easier with these items. It isn't really snorkeling unless they are requiring you to dive and come back up, clear snorkel all without taking head out of water. You should've been allowed to swim on surface with snorkel in mouth and truly not much water should've entered the snorkel.

By asking you to return for help later it seems like they were actually very helpful. At that point in time I highly doubt you could've completed the "dive" related required skills (nor is it allowed if the swim test isn't passed). Most people find it much simpler to slap on fins and swim which increase your leg power. Thats why PADI has you swim a longer length if gear (snorkel/fins) is used.

Don't give up though. Practice swimming and getting comfortable in the water. If you are not comfortable in the water at the surface it will be much worse 30' down! This isn't something you want to rush into. It helps to be a "fish" at the surface before learning to dive.

Miranda

 

[wvjohn]

Don't be discouraged! If you are reasonably fit and want to do this you can.

I am a rank newb who just finished the YMCA OW program. 56 yrs old and hadn't been to the gym in a while, but an ok swimmer. my 17 yr old son and 29 yr old wife took the course with me. we had to do a 300 yd swim - no fins - I was last because I did it slowly but my wife was first - then we had to do 35-40 ft underwater on one breath - wife and son did it but I'm a little "bouyant" and could only get about 30 ft - 3 times - the entire class is standing there looking at me and the DM says, want to try the alternative - one breath but on the surface? - I said sure and did a full pool length on one breath without a problem -

I was already comportable using fins but we had 6 pool sessions after that and only used mask snorkel and fins for the whol second session

as the others said, see what alternatives are available from the LDS - maybe you need to join a pool and practice fins and mask before the next class or enroll in a longer class - the LDS should have some juice with the charter boat so they should be able to work something out..

If my wife and I can do it - so can you!!!

 

[rawls]

Remove the "dis" part...

 

[drbill]

It was your first day in confined water, and you were supposed to do three open water dives the next day? I am not an instructor, and perhaps that is normal these days, but we had two weeks of confined water work before we did open water dives. Hopefully others who are instructors have already commented on whether this is normal by today's standards.

Don't let it get you down... it sounds a bit unrealistic based on my understanding of what you wrote.

 

[rakkis]

Technically, there is no requirement to space out the confined water skills. The only requirements refer to depth and presenting them in a specific order. So they CAN be taught in one day if someone is willing to be in the pool for at least 4-5 hours.

Generally, I would shy away from doing that though. That detracts from a student's learning.

Did you or did you not perform all your confined water skills?

 

[neil]

Any advice for a discouraged but eager and determined newbie?
D

JD'sMom,

My advice is to see how much of your money you can get back or to make sure you can at least apply what you've spent to finish later. You shouldn't be forced to take a private class just because of the swim evaluation. This shop is in too much of a hurry to take your money, IMO.

I sent you a PM.

 

[superstar]

I may have found the problem. Does your swimming leg stroke resemble the motion of pedaling a bicycle or the motion of a pair of sissors opening and closing???

 

[h90]

That with the private lessons for swimming with fins sounds not OK for me.
For me it would sound normal to tell you to try a little bit swimming with fins yourself (smaller fins are better for learning) and join the next course.
Even you complete failed it should be possible to learn that in 1 or 2 days, to be good enough for a OW dive.
Try to get your money back or at least a credit. Go to the next shop tell them about your experiences and ask for their idea.

HI all

Well, today was my first diving lesson and I have to say I was disappointed and discouraged. I've never swam with fins and snorkel before, and part of the class was the instructor evaluating how well you swim with fins and snorkel on. Having never done that, being used to swimming the traditional way and taking martial arts were you do use your knees, I failed, terribly and was sent home and told to call the shop on Monday to arrange for private lessons. That means my boat dive ticket, gone and non-refundable. I'm determined to become a diver, but I feel as if I'm being rushed to learn something that is not natural. I"ve already invested a lot of money in this shop and these lesson's, so I don't want to change, but I want to learn correctly. I had felt 4 days might be rushing things, and doing the book work at home, but again, I felt it was a good shop with good instructors. Any advice for a discouraged but eager and determined newbie?

D

 

[AmyJ]

this doesn't quite make sense - today was your first time in the pool, and you were supposed to have 3 OW dives tomorrow? And you said it was a 4 day class? None of that seems to add up.

That was my first thought too.... huh???????:huh: and not just OW, but BOAT dives.... ouch!! that just does not sound good at all. Just my .02.