Best training ever.

[Gary D.]

I had an interesting conversation with a neighbor yesterday that still has me wondering what in the heck happened.

It stated out with, “Did you hear I got certified?” I did and the first thought to myself was more “Job Security”.

So he goes about telling me about the excellent class he had. I responded with, how do you know it was an excellent class if you have nothing to compare it to? It could have been the worst class in the world.

So he tells me about the problems everyone had. Here is where I had a good Job Security chuckle. One gal in the class of six freaked out at everything. Flood mask go to surface choking. Remove reg and go to surface choking. He described “every” skill as a trip to the surface choking.

The gear phase of the class was directed as a bash everything but ScubaPro because it was impossible for ScubaPro gear to fail. I’m standing in the middle of Wal Mart laughing. What kind of class did you take?

Then he tells me about the open water dives. Six out of the seven ScubaPro regulators free flowed at depth in the 40df water. I say it sounds like a major shop fubar with their maintenance practice. He tells me it wasn’t and ScubaPro regulators do that every so often to clean them selves out. ***! I’m sure glad you got the best possible training, NOT. By the way Miss to surface choking got certified.

Then I hear about his trip to Coz and the two cruse ship dives he got in. A nice easy shallow dive on Santa Rosa to 80’ and one somewhere else again to 80 or 85’.

Back on the ship he looks in his book and realizes he only has a LICENSE to dive to 60’. He wondered if he should sue the dive shop for breaking the law and endangering him in the process. Still chuckling I just asked him if the Mexican Scuba Policia had contacted him yet. He told me he didn’t think there were any Scuba Police and I couldn’t resist. I said, What do you think I do, I AM the Scuba Police (ok Deputy). You’re kidding right? Not kidding at all, I go after Scuba Idiots all the time. Really?

Then we got into the gear issue. He really believes that ScubaPro has a self-cleaning feature. I don’t know if I convinced him that they didn’t but he is far enough out there to believe it.

Then the pager went off and we had to leave. It pays to have that number on my speed dial. I will see him again real soon but for the time being I couldn’t take any more.

Gary D.

 

[Rick Inman]

And this is news to you?

Come watch our Tuesday dive some time.

I mentioned to a local instructor the other day that many newly certified divers that join our group can't dive. He said, "They don't have to to get certified. They just have to able to preform the skills."

There it is.

BTW, thanks for the dive site suggestions, Gary. We dived Loffs, and yup, lots of old junk, just like you said.

 

[MB]

...So he goes about telling me about the excellent class he had....
So he tells me about the problems everyone had... it was impossible for ScubaPro gear to fail... Six out of the seven ScubaPro regulators free flowed at depth in the 40df water. He tells me ... that every so often to clean them selves out... By the way Miss to surface choking got certified... He really believes that ScubaPro has a self-cleaning feature.

That's a classic! I'm guessing he also learned to use 10% of his body weight as ballast?

Interesting theory on the self cleaning thing tho. So the regulator needs to do a self cleaning purge to get rid of all the gunk that builds up from handling all that -- uuhhh -- air? I wonder if The Choking Girl was using one of the regulators that hadn't been self cleaning. Obviously she must have inhaled some of that air-stuff. No reason to deny certifying her just for coughing from un-cleaned air!

I'll have to keep your post for future instructor courses. It ought to ease the tension and establish why some folks ought not become instructors...

 

[ckjacques53198]

I was just certified in april through SSI and a great instructor. There was no pushing of any product brand and there was no way he was passing anyone not qualified. I did my checkout dives in 50deg water with 7mm from head to toe with 28 lbs of weight. I hate to hear stories like this because it makes new divers out to be idiots.

 

[herman]

Guess I need to take my wifes Scubapro reg in for service, the self clearing feature does not seem to be working.

Some times I really have to wonder why more divers don't get killed.

 

[del_mo]

I know someone who must have gone to the same school. Over 100 logged dives, earned "Master Diver" cert ("I don't know how I passed navigation, I kept getting lost and had to surface to see where I was."), and bounces off the bottom like he/she is riding a pogo stick.

 

[Jason B]

Are you saying Scubapro regs aren't self cleaning?!

Glad I went with Apeks...

 

[jeckyll]

My LDS has Tuesday night "fun dives" a.k.a. Not-so-fun Dives. I stopped going because it's generally a CF. Or I go early and get a dive in with one of the DM's or Instructors to ensure we have a good dive first...

BTW, my Atomics must be inferior to the Scubapro's as well, they didn't come with the self cleaning feature.



On a serious note: Gary, I guess the guy wasn't willing to listen to some suggestions? Sounds like after his 'training' he could use some mentoring to try and correct some of the 'excellent training'

 

[TheRedHead]

Back on the ship he looks in his book and realizes he only has a LICENSE to dive to 60’. He wondered if he should sue the dive shop for breaking the law and endangering him in the process. Still chuckling I just asked him if the Mexican Scuba Policia had contacted him yet. He told me he didn’t think there were any Scuba Police and I couldn’t resist. I said, What do you think I do, I AM the Scuba Police (ok Deputy). You’re kidding right? Not kidding at all, I go after Scuba Idiots all the time. Really?

You should have told him you were with the Federal Bureau of Compressed Air. Seriously, diving to 80 feet on Santa Rosa is easier than diving to 60 feet in a cold, dark quarry.

My OW instructor fully realized that new divers go to places like Coz and tried to prepare us for it. I also came out of the class realizing that 60 feet was a recommendation for new OW divers and that 130 feet is the limit for recreational diving.

 

[caseybird]

Way to GO! Newbies are idiot's!