Couples doing together diving course

[realdiver7]

I think it's a great idea, and a good way to be better buddies for each other. Just respect your partner and his/her learning styles and pace, and let the instructor do the teaching and correcting for the sake of the learning experience and safety.

My wife has taken all of her certification and specialty courses through me, and she is now a Rescue Diver. I am just as strict and thorough with her as any other student because I want her to be an extremely safe and competent diver. She tells everyone that she gets no slack, but she also appreciates it because she is safe and competent. We privately discuss any differences of opinion, etc. after the class is over. When we are not in class and just diving for fun, we follow the same rules of respect. There's always the dominant diver, and I will admit I am just that, however, I try not to act as instructor when I'm diving for fun, and I try not to be dominating. It's a real challenge sometimes to not assume the role of instructor when, in fact, I am one. No matter what, I'm always thinking like an instructor because that is something that can't be helped (it's engrained in the brain!). Switching roles between instructor and dive buddy, and the combination of the two is another whole thread all by itself, so enough said about that!

You will gain more trust and respect for each other if all goes well, and working towards common goals should strengthen your relationship. In the end, it will all depend on your personalities and relationship with each other. Keep the communications open, just like in anything else.

 

[HilaryRN71]

She is already a diver, I assume (Since you said you were thinking about doing Rescue with her) so that's a start. I got certified with my husband and he's done all his dives with me. I've done about 10% of my dives with him...so obviously I dive far more than he does. Our different learning styles did not come to light in class, but our different dive preferences are the biggest limiting factor to our dives.

I think it can be fun and good for your relationship in that if you both are equally involved in the sport. Just don't have expectations that you'll be perfectly harmonious. I've dove with divers of ALL levels whose style of diving just didn't mesh with mine. (Too slow...too fast...whatever the case was.)

 

[DandyDon]

If you can't get through a dive course together without fighting, there probably isn't a lot of hope for the relationship.

Yeah, probably true. I'm not good at maintaining relationships, but I do know this fundamental truth: For any disagreement, the guy is wrong, the lady is right - period.

If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around, is the guy still wrong...? :silly:

 

[MaxBottomtime]

My ex-wife and I got certified together and made most of our first few hundred dives together. Did I mention she's my ex?

 

[Peter Guy]

TSandM and I did OW and AOW this past June/July. During the classes we were not paired very often -- in part because this was because of differences in skill levels and in part because of timing (she had to miss some of the scheduled dives and did make-ups).

I enjoyed having her in the class because she's a whole lot smarter than me and takes much better notes. If I had a question, I could ask her and get a concise lecture on just about any important topic. And where her skills let her down, I could help coach her at home (mask drills in the hot tub!).

As some have noticed, we have had some differences of opinion (ahem) during various dives and she is on her way to "the dark side" while I will remain "Pure and PADI."

I do enjoy having a live in buddy and, because it is something we are doing together, I know I'm diving more than I would have.

Hmmm, we have tentatively scheduled Rescue for January -- I wonder how THAT will turn out?

 

[Charlie99]

Hmmm, we have tentatively scheduled Rescue for January -- I wonder how THAT will turn out?

Just remember that she'll get a chance to try and drown you, and vice versa .

My rescue course had just 2 students -- me and a tank fill guy from the LDS that was working on his DM. We had a blast trying really, really hard to drown the other as we took turns as rescuer and "victim" during the panicked diver exercises. It got to be a very competitive exercise .
After about 5 repeats for each person,the instructor finally refused to let us do it anymore.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

My ex-wife and I got certified together and made most of our first few hundred dives together. Did I mention she's my ex?

Have I congratulated you on your divorce?

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

I guess my wife & I must be a real anomaly based on these posts - we did our Nitrox (ANDI CSU-2) course together and our beginning tech (ANDI TSD-3) course together. She had already completed her OW & AOW before we met & married, and got me started about 2 years after we wed.

Neither of us is "dominant", although that appears to be the "norm". One more thing to be grateful we're "abnormal" on! Our instructors have commented on this - we work well as a team.

Personally, there is no dive buddy I trust more than my wife. If you have a great relationship already, learning together shouldn't induce "couple pressure".

 

[ZzzKing]

My wife and I went through OW together with no problems. I tend to talk more than her but she is a much better listener than me so she catches a lot of what I miss and I'm better for speaking up when there is a question. She generally wants me to do the leading and navigation in the water just like she wants me to do all the driving and vacation planning. We seem to work together well and we're really great friends as well as spouses. I'd highly recommend classes with your GF/wife if you generally get along well. If you argue and fight a lot, probably not.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I think I was already a DM or working on it when my wife started diving. I was in the water for her OW, AOW and rescue dives. We later took classes together from cave to trimix. I was her instructor for several classes including her DM and she assisted in the almost all the classes that I taught after finishing she became a DM. She is also usually the one I dive with and we've never had any problems. I know lots of great divers but the two I like being with the most are my wife and son.

I may differ from other instructors in that I like to pair couples together during classes. I may not pair them on every dive or excersize because I want them to get a well rounded experience but if they're in training with the intention of diving together, I want to see them do it. If one or the other is overly pushy or one is overly dependant, I just assign tasks in a manor that forces attitude adjustments. LOL and it's fun too.