Did you Interview your OW Instructor?

[ScubaSteve]

For those of us here that are divers of any certification, almost all of us will have had to go through the OW certification at some point. Some perhaps more than once even.

My question is this: Did you interview your instructor and / or LDS to learn about teaching style, rules, course content, competence etc. before you signed up for your OW certification? This is the best way to approach the learning process when given the choice (assuming you know to ask the questions and what questions to ask) but I wonder how many of us actually had the knowledge to do so when we first saw the "dive light".

I for one had a session in the pool (a version of DSD), surfaced and asked where I had to sign. Prior to this some information was exchanged but when I took my first breaths underwater, I knew it was for me. So, I started almost immediately. All thoughts of teaching styles etc. were shelved temporarily. For further teachings and courses, I knew a bit better.

How about you?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I didn't learn from a dive shop ... my first three scuba classes were through the YMCA.

I didn't even meet the instructor until the first night of class.

Knowing what I know today, if I had it to do all over again, I'd be asking a lot of questions ... and most likely sign up with the same instructor.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TSandM]

Well, I guess we sort of interviewed the dive shop owner, if by interviewing you mean asking when classes were held and what they cost. It really never occurred to me that there would be significant differences in scuba classes. I knew nothing about diving, and I guess I kind of likened it to ski schools . . . some instructors "click" better than others, but all in all, you're likely to learn how to ski well enough from any of them.

 

[DennisS]

I needed to be certified before taking dive classes for the marine tech program I was enrolled in. One of the school instructors was a YMCA instructor and certified us in the week before school started. I never even thought about "interviewing" him

I don't think the average person coming off the street could tell a bad instructor from a good one. The main concern is how much and how hard is the course. The majority will go for inexpensive and easy.

 

[ligersandtions]

I didn't even think to interview instructors before I signed up for my class....the only "interviewing" I did was to ask how long it would take to get certified and how much it would cost.

For the next class that I'm taking, I did interview the instructor....it wasn't really an interview, but more a phone call where we ended up discussing far more than was my initial intent and I came to realize he was someone I found to be very knowledgeable and patient, liked the way he teaches, and is well-respected as an instructor. The "competing" instructor did not give off quite the impression. I'm glad I have learned!

 

[Randy43068]

I don't need no stinkin' instructor..



I bull****ted with them for a while, is that considered an interview?

 

[Divenomad]

I questioned the shop closely, (I had very little money) met the instructor first night of class. Second OW cert, chose a shop based on a recommendation and questioned the shop again. After working in a shop, the first question I ask the shop is "I want to meet my instructor first, when can that happen?"

 

[AbyssalPlains]

I don't need no stinkin' instructor..



I bull****ted with them for a while, is that considered an interview?

Ha-Ha, love it.

 

[Randy43068]

I spent more time talking with Brando my GUE instructor than I did any other one.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

Depends on the cert, too. I did my OW through a diving club, and the instructor they had was the one you got. I got actually extremely lucky. Since I was the only OW student at the time, I had the privilege to be taught by two instructors at the same time, all in open water. All in all 12 training dives, best OW instruction one could ever ask for. For my advanced nitrox and deco procedures training I did interview instructors.