Did your OW course prepare you to dive?

[Tracerbullet]

The more I learn about diving, the more I realize how little I know about diving. Always room to hone existing skills, learn new skills, gather more knowledge, gain more experiences. Maybe that is due to my OW, i dunno.

I think this will be me forever

 

[SetheryJ]

Haha, no. I dedicated my own time to practicing, developing skills, seeking out a better working knowledge of theory, etc. frankly, I’m shocked more new open water divers don’t die.

 

[Tracerbullet]

I think this will be me forever

Haha, no. I dedicated my own time to practicing, developing skills, seeking out a better working knowledge of theory, etc. frankly, I’m shocked more new open water divers don’t die.

So your saying that you have gotten to the point where there is no room for honing your skills, learn new skills, or gain more knowledge? I can only hope to get near there. Personally I hope there is always room to grow and learn. I would be bored otherwise

 

[Desertlifter]

I think this will be me forever

I hope that this will be me forever. Learning and improving is as rewarding to me as the more visible cool stuff about diving.

As to the OP, my LDS has a great main guy and his assistant instructors all had different contributions to my learning. I was very happy with my experience and am returning for more training as I can.

 

[Cthippo]

For myself, I felt like I came out of my OW course well prepared to go dive. That said, I went into it very comfortable with being in the water and also working with breathing apparatus (SCBA rather than SCUBA). I absolutely have a lot to learn, but on the day I got my C card, i felt like I was adequately prepared to go dive.

Obviously, not everyone comes out of their OW class feeling this way, even if they pass, and I asked the question because I wanted to divine why that was. Putting aside the quality of instruction (mine was very good, bordering on excellent) I'm wondering how much comes down to comfort in the water or general confidence or some other factor.

 

[boulderjohn]

Obviously, not everyone comes out of their OW class feeling this way, even if they pass, and I asked the question because I wanted to divine why that was. Putting aside the quality of instruction (mine was very good, bordering on excellent) I'm wondering how much comes down to comfort in the water or general confidence or some other factor.

I came out of my OW class feeling very good about my ability to dive, with no problems. It was not until years later when I went pro that I actually read the course standards and saw how deficient the course was in those terms. Many of the standards were skipped altogether. Yet, I felt fine. Who knows why?

I think a lot of the dissatisfaction with OW classes that you hear comes from people who originally felt just fine after the OW class and then over the years took more advanced classes and got more advanced training. They come to believe that more advanced learning should be part of the OW class, even believing that it is absolutely necessary. In reality, it is like mocking a good algebra class because it does not teach calculus.

 

[boulderjohn]

A few years ago, we had a few people (not many) who argued that the scuba industry would be better served if OW classes were conducted the way NAVY SEAL bud/s training is done. Doing this, they argued, would weed out the people who were not sufficiently fit and dedicated to the sport. In case there are such people reading this, I offer an article from today's New York Times:

Navy Report on SEAL Trainee’s Death Details Medics’ Failure to Help Him

Seaman Kyle Mullen’s death a few hours after completing the brutal Hell Week portion of the SEALs’ selection course raised broad concerns about how the course is run.

www.nytimes.com

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I think a lot of the dissatisfaction with OW classes that you hear comes from people who originally felt just fine after the OW class and then over the years took more advanced classes and got more advanced training. They come to believe that more advanced learning should be part of the OW class, even believing that it is absolutely necessary. In reality, it is like mocking a good algebra class because it does not teach calculus.

I'd settle for actually doing all required skill/exercises, and being weighted properly so I could more easily conduct skills neutrally buoyant and trim. I get the market demands that the typical open water course is trying to meet (done in one or two weekends), so I wouldn't change standards to add anything. It is possible to create competent divers with 4 open water dives. So keep it at algebra. No discrete math, Fourier transforms, wavelets, differential equations, etc..

 

[undrwater]

I believe my instructor, while teaching under the PADI umbrella, was also an LA County instructor. He had us do a lot of the skills that LA County does (but not all I learned later).

By the end of the class, the only thing I felt I needed was a good understanding of the site.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

By the end of the class, the only thing I felt I needed was a good understanding of the site.

What do you mean? Dive site? Dive planning? Or ....?