Certified and Dangerous. Where do we go from here?

[MrsBBC]

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[MrsBBC]

If I were to contact the certifying agency, I would only do so to express the inadequacy of the program rather than of the instructor. It almost seems that the program is set up to fail for many divers. I wonder if it has occured to the dive shops and certifying agencies that slower, more extensive, training might be more profitable for everyone because it will produce divers that are more inclined to stick with the sport.

The dive centre should not be offering a dive course if they cannot offer adequate training time or instruction.

This is my major peev with PADI; that anyone can dive and super super fast. It's setting people up to be dangerous divers and encouraging instructors to offer poor, rushed instruction and to certify everyone. Their guidelines on Instructor/DM/Student ratios are also disgustingly inappropriate.

However, Choose the right dive centre/instructor, a little research goes a long way.
The AOW peak peformance buoyancy requirements can be met by someone with barely any control of buoyancy or trim and can be met within the first 5 mins of the dive. A good dive instructor however will spend 60 minutes with the student/students in the water and give a thorough brief and debrief.
The instruction I received on my AOW was very poor, the AOW I assisted on when completeing my DM was exceptional.

Nic

 

[TSandM]

Has anyone of you ever heard that a student failed and was refused to be certified? I haven't.

I can think of at least four that my husband has refused to certify. Three, he gave the "Scuba Diver" cert to (the one where you have to dive with a professional escort) and one was sent on to the next class to try again.

 

[MrsBBC]

I can think of at least four that my husband has refused to certify. Three, he gave the "Scuba Diver" cert to (the one where you have to dive with a professional escort) and one was sent on to the next class to try again.

Ditto

As a professional dive instructor you have the responsibility not to certify someone who should not be certified after providing them with an appropriate level of training and guidance.
When I was a Divemaster trainee one girl was provided only with her Scuba Diver as well. She could not swim 200m because she could not swim. Therefore she was not certified. It took the dive instructor two separate trips into the sea, and over 2 hours, to get her to float for 10 mins. It should take the instructor 10 mins. The instructor is a dive instructor not a swimming instructor and he should not have to experience a learner diver clinging to him trying not to drown during the unaided surface swim.

Her boyfriend was astonished that the centre would not certify her. She did not get past the Scuba Diver section of the course as the 200 swim is a requirement for the OW section. His claim was that everyone is crap when they are first qualified and that all his friends are crap. To which the instructor replied, 'well they shouldn't be'.
The student confided to me that he could not swim when he passed his OW but he liked diving so much that he then learnt to swim afterwards... who is certifying these people?

 

[sidewinder77]

Yes, it was Millbrook. I have the philosophy that training under the bad conditions will leave you better prepared during good conditions, so in theory, I like the idea of training in the quarry. In this case, we probably would have struggled even under good conditions, so it was just too much and too quickly for us.

This is not necessarily true, as you may have probably realized after this experience. Before testing your limits, you have to KNOW your limits.

Good call though, on admitting that you guys had a tough time. I would agree to most of the posters that you guys should get in more time with an instructor, and of course practice, practice, practice!

Goodluck! Am sure you'll eventually get the hang of diving.

 

[*dave*]

I can think of at least four that my husband has refused to certify. Three, he gave the "Scuba Diver" cert to (the one where you have to dive with a professional escort) and one was sent on to the next class to try again.

I've also had a few who didn't certify full OWD and a few who washed out entirely. In each case, it was their choice. I don't quit on students, but they've got to be competent for certification.

 

[downdeep]

It's fun to read these forums. I remember when I first got OW. I thought I was a diving sack of hell.
Little did I know how little did I know.

 

[NoDiver]

I don't have anything of value to add, but I wanted to say that it's a very good thing that you are aware of your limitations. I really hope you continue with it, especially since you have the opportunity to dive warmer, more benign waters.

 

[rebelrph]

As a DM I have seen certified divers who didn't have the grasp on this sport that you do. My first thought when I read your OP was a positive one... you had a full understanding of the problem ( and your "solution" to keep diving WELL within your limits further verifies to me that you and your wife will be great divers in the future). I can't add any better advice than that already posted. There is some really good stuff here.
On a recent trip to Coz I was in a group of divers with 2 newly cert divers. The wife was having a little trouble and was down to 1000psi at the 32 minute mark. But her knowledge of the THEORY part was great... As I talked with her to encourage her, I told her she had all the "how not to die stuff" down pat and she just need practice to become proficient. The first time someone plays golf they will not be very good either, but with practice can improve. Diving too.

Keep up the great progress at YOUR PACE and when you've mastered the basics, do the AOW with ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR.

I can't think of a better way to spend a day than making a bunch of bubbles !

TC

 

[altaskier]

I thought I post an update for some closure to this thread.

Great to hear!

Even if you felt uncomfortable with your skills, I was going to echo the suggestion of a few others that you don't give up and that instead you hire a divemaster/instructor as a private guide for some easy dives in a warm, clear location like in the Caribbean. Be straight with the divemaster about your skills and concerns (but out of earshot of your wife), and then let the divemaster encourage your wife in her skills (and you too!).

It can be nice to separate the role of spouse from the role of instructor.

Warm, clear water and pretty fishies can make diving fun, and having fun means all can be relaxed and gain proficiency without obsessing over it. I now have fun in cold and murky quarries as well as on tropical reefs, but it would have been a lot harder for me to gain initial confidence and skills in a quarry.