Bathtub Divers

[Shiprekd]

"While there are good instructors out there, they are, IMHO, in the minority"

I'll second that....

 

[Firebrand]

I've come to the conclusion that people generally think they have mastered skills faster than they actually did. I still practice my buoyancy skills at the start of every day of diving to make sure I can remain neutral. When I took my AOW course, one of the divers brought along an underwater camera. We were diving a place in FL called Hospital Hole, and at around 75 feet, there was a think layer of hydrogen sulfide (not toxic, but it makes you and your gear smell like rotten eggs). Below that layer, the hole reached a maximum depth of 140 feet before turning horizonally and becoming a cave. The diver in the AOW class could not keep himself neutrally buoyant while trying to take pictures and on more than one occasion, neither could another person he was photographing. The dive master had to "retrieve" the two divers from the hydrogen sulfide layer and bring them back above it. Personally, I think they should have focused more on their buoyancy control and not taking pictures.

 

[Web Monkey]

That's actually pretty common.

I've seen divers with thousands of dives start to drift up or down while trying to frame a picture.

The trick is to notice that it's happening and stop it.

Terry

a cave. The diver in the AOW class could not keep himself neutrally buoyant while trying to take pictures and on more than one occasion, neither could another person he was photographing. The dive master had to "retrieve" the two divers from the hydrogen sulfide layer and bring them back above it. Personally, I think they should have focused more on their buoyancy control and not taking pictures.

 

[zboss]

How can an instructor sign a C-card for someone that can't even clear a fogged mask or stay off the bottom, and still be able to sleep at night?

I think a lot of divers get certified and then don't go diving for years... i.e. they take scuba in college and then don't go diving until they are no longer sustaining themselves on week-old pizza. Then it's "I've been certified for TEN YEARS!"...

 

[CathyI8205]

The problem we have is that we are landlocked and have trouble getting away to dive, even if is a lake or quarry relatively near. We have no disillusions about our skill. We stink and need practice. But that's the rub. Practice is expensive and I think that's what affects most divers.

Our first post-class dive was not a good experience. They expected us to know what we were doing but weighting wasn't covered completely in class. We've learned a lot with the couple of times we've been out. And we will be tolerant of other new divers. We know how to hook up our gear and what everything is for. But our buoyancy is still rough.

 

[NauticalbutNice]

Yes, it's common. There are two reasons for divers having poor skills. They may not have dived recently and negelected to get a refresher prior to diving again. The other possibility is their OW course was inadequate. I really think we need to do a better job of teaching people to dive. While there are good instructors out there, they are, IMHO, in the minority.

What he said.

Nauticalbutnice :fruit:

 

[leo311]

People get buisy, then lazy. It happens. Recognizing the fact that everyone can't go diving as frequently as they'd like to in order to keep their skills sharp, another option may be to tag along with an OW class during the pool sessions. If the shop is already has pool time slated, I don't think it would be a big problem to have another DM in the water for some guided practice.

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
It's amazing to watch. I saw one person mount the tank backwards, attach the regulator, then demand a wrench from the boat crew because "the hoses were in the wrong place"

How can an instructor certify someone who has obviously not mastered even basic skills?
Terry

This is not actually as stupid as it sounds. I could name you at least 2 LDSs I know that mount their ScubaPro gear with the 1st stage pointing backwards away from the diver. As a result when I go on the same boat as divers that qualified through that LDS, I get asked, "why is my gear mounted [incorrectly]". Even those divers that were trained this way and subsequently bought their own gear set it up like this.
I asked the shop owner and the instructors about this and they said " that's the way they always did it and they see no reason to change". One of them told me that it gives more head clearance.
To each his own.

 

[jepuskar]

There is something very special about having a dive buddy with whom you trust their diving skills and know what to expect. When something isn't right with them and vice versa, it is usually easy to notice and take action.

I hope to be in a postion very soon to create divers that I would want to dive with.