Did you Interview your OW Instructor?

[Sinbad the Diver]

I don't need no stinkin' instructor..



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

I think it is, it's part of determining if you like the person. If you don't like them right off the bat, it's going to make the training process tough.

Let's see, my interview process. Walk into dive shop, cute redhead behind the counter and lots of cool toys around. Yep, where do I sign. OK, now what exactly am I going to have to do?

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

Honestly, I didn't interview anybody. I mean I looked for info on their websites, but had no idea who my instructor was even going to be.

Actually hey didn't even know who my instructor would be until class started since they basically had a class of 15 and 2 instructors and then just divided the class in half randomly (half used classroom while other class did pool, we never really saw the other group and it was basically two seperate classes).

 

[Jim Lapenta]

There was only one instructor available to me as far as I knew. I called, met him at a mall because he had just lost his business location and signed up. Would have done it alot differently if the original shop owner I talked to hadn't closed their location as well. Or if i knew there were other ways to get certed- ie independent instructors.

 

[letterboy]

I met my instructor while he was teaching my buddies Wreck class.

Talked to him for a few minutes, and signed up.

I didn't know what I was talking about then, still don't most of the time . . .

I am glad I talked with him before the class though. I am not sure I would take ANY class from ANY instructor until I at least chatted with them to make sure we got along reasonably well.

 

[SelkieDVM]

I took mine to fulfill an undergrad phys ed requirement during summer session. The instructor's permission was required, so I showed up at his office (he was the university aquatics director) and asked, "Can I take your class?" He asked me if I could swim pretty well or was comfortable in water or whatever (bear with me, this was 20 years ago) and I answered in the affirmative. I had no clue about agencies or anything else scuba-related, just wanted to take scuba because my brother had recently gone through scuba school with the Green Berets. So, long and short is, "None of the above."

 

[JohnQPS122]

No, we didn't bother with an "interview," per se, but we asked questions about how the class worked and such.

That probably wasn't a deciding factor in choosing them, though, because we had little choice - there is only one instructor/dive shop around here.

 

[Tigerman]

When I took my OW cert I did it through a dive club and they set up a "meeting" so that people could come and talk to the instructo, ask questions and if interested sign up for the course. I didnt really "interview him in private" but during the meeting we all asked questions and got answers.
Anything from how many dives do you have to can I dive with this or that medical conditon and hows the schedule for the course..


So I voted 1 as I did have a q&a session with the instructor, but not any shop owners/employees.

 

[adurso]

I was never taight to dive. I got a card so i could get fills when shops started wanting one. I go the card from another police officer who was an instructer and ran a class for those of us who needed a card.

When it came time for my wife and children to go to class, I interviewed a number of instructors with the kids with me.

The instructor I chose stopped speaking to me and started speaking to the kids when he realized what was going on.

The wife and kids did every course he taught.

 

[Tigerman]

I was never taight to dive. I got a card so i could get fills when shops started wanting one. I go the card from another police officer who was an instructer and ran a class for those of us who needed a card.

When it came time for my wife and children to go to class, I interviewed a number of instructors with the kids with me.

The instructor I chose stopped speaking to me and started speaking to the kids when he realized what was going on.

The wife and kids did every course he taught.

Thats kinda what you should be looking for in an instructor isnt it? Someone who direct his attention to the right people and answer and ask the right questions..

 

[JWard]

For my OW cert I called nearly every shop around the Seattle area, and went in to most of them. I was looking for the most for my money - most class time, most pool dives, etc. From there I talked to the employees and instructors in the shops and picked the one I felt I got along with the best (i.e. was going to teach teh most to me).

For my AOW cert I talked to every shop within 100 miles of where I lived (which was only 4 shops) and again went with the one that seemed to be the most ompetent diver and instructor. They were 1.5 hours from my house.