complacent divers

[usil]

Why is it that the vast majority of divers out there have become very complacent in there diving practices?

It seems that your average joe diver gets his card and never again studys or practices knowledge and skills ever again. why?

I see "learn to dive in a weekend" ads at shops all around town.

I see prospective divers finding the cheapest quickest way to get in the water, and plenty of "instructors" ready to teach them.

I see certified divers who if you gave them a set of table they would look at you like you were from outer space. "OH I use a computer to make the dive more fun!!"

Diving is easy, anyone can do it!!

I disagree

If it wasn't for all this fancy gear that simplifies diving, we probably wouldn't have half the people in the water that we see now.

Learning the basics of diving CAN"T be taught in a weekend, What ever happened to the 11 week course??

Quality instruction requires time and money. Diving souldn't be something you learn while the kids are at karate!!

Knowledge is power and I want to know what is going on in my body, not doing something because an "instructor" said I could!

This is a bit of a rant but the frustration has to be vented somewhere!!

Whos fault is this complacency??
:upset:

 

[scubatexastony]

I see prospective divers finding the cheapest quickest way to get in the water, and plenty of "instructors" ready to teach them.

MONEY....the all-mighty dollar, biggest bang for your buck

I see certified divers who if you gave them a set of table they would look at you like you were from outer space. "OH I use a computer to make the dive more fun!!"

TECHNOLOGY....from the space shuttle to the cars we drive

Learning the basics of diving CAN"T be taught in a weekend, What ever happened to the 11 week course??

OLD SCHOOL...back when we walked to school in the snow, 5 miles, uphill both ways... I too did the 12 weeks of work to get certified, but those days are gone....alas...

"if you don't use it, you lose it", "practice makes perfect", "you're never to old to learn".....take any old addage, apply it to any task,
fact is, "WE JUST CAN'T FIND THE TIME......OR MONEY"

BULLHOCKEY!

dang, I feel better now, Thanks, Usil

tony

 

[Arduous]

Experience builds complacency. The more experience you have diving with out incident, the more complacent you will become. This path continues until you find yourself in a situation that you’re not prepared to handle. At this point you either work through it, your buddy helps you through it or you become a statistic.

I agree that we have become far too complacent in our approach to daily recreational diving. However I disagree when you say that diving is not easy. In fact I think it is extremely simple.
It is not unreasonable to expect a subject of average intelligence to pick up the basics in a weekend. To get proficient at your diving is another matter and this takes time, exposure and practice. When I was first taught to dive, my training was completed in a single afternoon and I have never once been the subject of a critical dive incident. Nor have I ever been bent or even remotely came close to running out of gas.

 

[MikeFerrara]

It's hard to say how long a class should be or how long it wll take A diver to learn. I know how long it takes most and since the beginning we have continued to add time to our class.

In addition to not requiring students to become proficient at skills (instructors aren't teaching "ethics" or "philosophy" or what ever you want to call it.

It is being treated as simple entertainment. I spoke with a couple of former students the other night. They did a referal with us so I didn't have as much time with them as I would like. Also I have made no secret over the fact that our classes have gone through major changes over the last few years. These two only dive on vacation but told me of their 100 ft wall dives, 300 ft penetrations into coral caves. They told me of numerous dives where if they would have become seperated from the DM their chance of survival would have been drastically reduced. They then went on to ask me to explain again how to figure how much weight to wear. They complained that each DM gives them a different amount. We had a long talk. Not just about weight, balance and trim but also about the rules we follow when going into an overhead. The influence I had on these divers was little compared to the shlocks at the resorts. They have become used to just following the DM. No gas planning no nothing. The industry has evolved to provide worry free entertainment. I don't teach classes like theirs anymore. All my students have to sit through the lectures were I give information that isn't really in the book. They don't leave the pool until they are ready and they stay with me in OW unril I think they can do it alone. On their last dive I follow them. The classes have gotten longer and the price has gone up.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Its unfortunate that I learn more from the boards than I ever will from an instructor or DM. I credit these boards with giving me a desire to learn more and train harder. If I hadn't found the boards I think I would still be a cowboy rec diver looking for his first and maybe last DCS hit. AOW this February . . . Rescue next year. Oooh Aaah!

 

[MikeFerrara]

Tim Ingersoll once bubbled...
Its unfortunate that I learn more from the boards than I ever will from an instructor or DM. I credit these boards with giving me a desire to learn more and train harder. If I hadn't found the boards I think I would still be a cowboy rec diver looking for his first and maybe last DCS hit. AOW this February . . . Rescue next year. Oooh Aaah!

If you pick the right instructor you'll learn plenty. Too many pick the location, price or schedule and take whatever instructor comes with the package.

 

[scuberd]

I was certified in 3 days on Maui, back when 3 days was a very short time, but I was lucky to have a good instructor. They were all day classes with lectuers before and after the "pool" work (it was in the ocean, but a sheltered spot). There was one other student besides myself so we were constantly supervised. It was the best basic class that I have seen or heard about.

But now, I TA classes and am almost a DM so I have been practicing and demonstrating skills a lot. And as a result I feel very prepared and aware of what can happen underwater, above water, and even before we get out of the car. I have learned more as a TA than I ever did as a student.

 

[metridium]

MikeFerrara wrote...
If you pick the right instructor you'll learn plenty. Too many pick the location, price or schedule and take whatever instructor comes with the package.

What's the alternative for the average non-technical student, though? Accepting word-of-mouth about some instructor from those who themselves are unqualified to judge or are his friends?

 

[MikeFerrara]

metridium once bubbled...
What's the alternative for the average non-technical student, though? Accepting word-of-mouth about some instructor from those who themselves are unqualified to judge or are his friends?

Good question and I don't know that I really have an answer. I do know that from an instructors point of view it is very hard to sell quality since the customer doesn't know it when they see it. Price and convenient schedules sells classes and as a result the fastest, cheapest shlocks are rewarded. The only answer I have is to suggest that somehow a student find out what question they should be asking.

I have students do advanced classes with us and then they're upset with what they weren't tought in their OW. I have also got to the point I almost hate to to take a student who didn't do their entry level training with us because I have to put so much time into remedial training. Why do a nav or a deep dive with a diver who can't hover or weight themselves? We end up redoing half their OW before we can start am advanced class.

If the agencies and magazines would stop flashing pictures of crappy diving that would help. The immage that's viewed as the norm is deplorable at best. But then so much of the industry would be painted in a bad light.

 

[usil]

We hear this again and again on board, picking the right instructor is key. I do agree, but what the hell is going through the dive shop and instructors head when they train sub standard students. There is really no concern for the safety of the would be diver.

Lets just rip them throught, grab the cash, besides, most of them arn't going to keep diving anyways!

This statement seems to me to embody a great deal of the dive industry.

Organisations like PADI have brought the diving world to alot of people, but what kind of people have they brought to the diving world?? Shouldn't it be there primary concern to train well educated divers, not see how much cash they can bring in!
PADI
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