book or pool first

[Rhenry]

I have my significant other taking a PADI OW course. Her instructor told her she had a choice to do the pool work first or the book work first. Is there any rule as to order? seems l;ike the book should be first and then the pool.

 

[Scott]

It's pretty specific.

Before Confined Water Dive 1, have student divers complete either Knowledge Development Session 1 or listen to the Discover Scuba Diving briefing.

 

[maniago]

My wife and I did the Padi elearning basically first. That is we made sure to be ahead of the pool class with our book work - and our instructor insisted on that, which makes sense really. I just went ahead and knocked it all out before we hit any water. Its not that hard, just a bit long. That way you can ask intelligent questions and the PADI stuff tells you what youre going to encounter on each dive, so I think thats what they have in mind for OW anyway.

 

[lozadora]

I think it makes sense to read through the manual first...you understand a lot more about why you have to do certain things during the confined dives (like KEEP BREATHING!)

My blog linked in my signature describes my experience. I read chapters 1-3, reviewed in class with 3 tests, did Confined dives 1 and 2 then the next day reviewed chapters 4-5, tests, final dives, then the exam.

 

[TMHeimer]

I took it over 6 nights (plus checkout dives of course). So we did some book and then to the pool each of the nights.

 

[archiebald]

I did all the e-learning before ever getting wet.

I wouldn't feel comfortable getting in the water until I had read the theory first.

 

[Shasta_man]

Book then pool. Then you know what you are learning in the pool. Not the whole book first, but interleaved as mentioned above.

 

[Jill from Phoenix]

I prefer an hour or two in confined water before any classroom work. Students learn best hands on; it provides context for classroom learning. Especially if the student has never tried scuba in a vacation setting, going in the pool for a small taste gets them hooked and motivates them to engage in the classroom.

 

[supergaijin]

You can have a 'taste' of diving without doing any study- essentially a DSD or Discover Scuba Diving. There are a few basic skills and then a dive if you're doing it in the sea.

There is also an abbreviated form of this called a DS (Discover Scuba) which has no taught skills involved- just a dive to a max depth of 6m (in pool-like conditions).

Personally I like doing the DS to a depth of maybe 2m- gives people a chance to experience breathing at minimum cost and commitment.