Best Track to Instructor?

[Matteo]

just wanted to get some varying opinions from those on the board....do you think it is better to progress through the standard levels of certification a little at a time or attend one of these "schools" that will bring you from your current level of certification all the way to instructor in one shot over the course of a few weeks or months?... seems to me that doing it the traditional way, with plenty of recreational dives in between cert levels would give you more experience by the time you reached instructor level and there is no educational substitute for experience IMO....what do y'all think?

 

[dive_lover88]

The best way is through getting the certs 1 by 1,take your time,get experiences and have fun. Enjoy yourself,dont need to rush all the way to instructor level. Get alot experience so that you can share them with your students when you become an instructor.I am doing that now,going the traditional way instead of the express lane.
Safe diving
Darren

 

[oly5050user]

just wanted to get some varying opinions from those on the board....do you think it is better to progress through the standard levels of certification a little at a time or attend one of these "schools" that will bring you from your current level of certification all the way to instructor in one shot over the course of a few weeks or months?... seems to me that doing it the traditional way, with plenty of recreational dives in between cert levels would give you more experience by the time you reached instructor level and there is no educational substitute for experience IMO....what do y'all think?

go slow..develop a relationship with the facilities you get trained at so when the time comes you may be able to get classes there..As a former store owner I only hired instructors that either --1. received training from my facility-they get first shot..
2.or experienced-proven instructors known to the local industry. I would not hire an new instructor that has no experience in my local area.Maybe if they want to sit in on some classes,ok, and we will see what they can do but it would take a considerable amount of time.From the store owners perspective it is very expensive to bring in a new student and then have a new instructor screw up and the student goes out and recommends a different facility for training and equip purchases..

 

[El Orans]

Nothing beats experience.

 

[GDI]

Not just getting experience but getting experience in as many different ways as possible - good luck

 

[AaronR103]

Would you want to be taught by an instructor who had only been diving for 2 months? Would you want your loved ones to be taught by an instructor like that? Slow experience is the way to go.

A

 

[Matteo]

yep, seems like everyone is in agreement on this one...slow and methodical is the way to go...thanks for all the responses!

 

[ScubaKimmie]

Those instructor supermarkets are a joke. I've seen guys who couldn't earn an advanced card return from one of those schools, still a dangerous diver. Take your time, your future students deserve the best, not the fastest.

 

[ScubaMike05]

Think about when you started at OW. How would you like to be taught by someone who only has like 40 dives under their belt? Or even worse, an instructor that still struggles with buoyancy.

Down with those schools! I've also heard that you can get a DM cert in the caribbean in like 4 days. Hell with that!

 

[spectrum]

IMO I want an instructor who has been diving a lot and who has diversity in conditions. Significant experience in the region is also critical.

I'm in Maine, I don't want an instructor who make his 500 dives in Florida and is not experienced in our water, conditions and gear. Just having been taught about it is not what I'm after.

How many dives? How much time? That's hard to say. I could buy into 500 real easy, in many cases less I'm sure. It really depends on the individual and the range of diving they have experienced. I've read stories of instructor candidates sitting on platforms sucking down tanks of air to log dives, useless and insane!

The other side of the individual equation is the aptitude to instruct, some just are not cut out for it.

Lastly be careful about turning a passion into work.

Personally my goal is to someday be appreciated by a few divers as a mentor.

Pete