DIR friendly recreational OW programs

[rickthompson]

Hey everyone!

So I'm a recreational DM considering going for instructor sometime in the next year or so. I've been interested in DIR and moving towards it in my own diving over the past year, and am currently involved in a very DIR oriented scientific diving program. I'm also signed up to start cave in January.

I'm really interested in becoming an instructor because I love diving, and really want to share it with others. I'm also an officer of a scuba club, where I interact with a lot of divers who were barely taught how to not die, let alone neutral buoyancy. More than anything I want to help others be the best divers they can be and share my enthusiasm for diving.

I cannot see myself really going with the big recreational agencies. I don't really agree with their lack of emphasis on basic fundamental skills, and I know I could always supplement their curriculum, but I would really like to be affiliated with an organization that supports their instructors in producing the highest quality divers possible. Obviously I can't really go for GUE, and UTD is kind of out of my geographic region (I'm in South Florida), so I was wondering who you are all instructors for and why you teach under them? I can hardly find any info online about IANTD, what can you guys tell me? SDI/TDI? Who am I not considering?

I don't want to start an argument about which agency is better, I would just like to hear what you guys recommend.

Any help would be appreciated....

Thanks!

 

[ucfdiver]

GUE offers a Rec 1 course
Recreational Diver Level 1 - Nitrox diver | Global Underwater Explorers

 

[Teller]

Do you want to teach for a shop or independently?

 

[LiteHedded]

become a gue instructor. would be nice to have some in south florida

 

[ScoobaChef]

become a gue instructor. would be nice to have some in south florida

+1000


Be nice to have more GUE instructors everywhere.

 

[TSandM]

I'm not quite sure I understand your reasons for writing PADI off.

My husband teaches for PADI (and I DM for him) and we teach a class that emphasizes neutral buoyancy, good kicking techniques, and situational awareness. When we teach privately, we also start our students in backplates and primary donate setups. There is nothing about PADI that prevents this, and nothing that prevents you from working with your students until you are happy with their level of skill before you let them go. And in fact, the new PADI OW class is going to have some material on gas management and standards that permit you to hold off certifying students with inadequate buoyancy control.

Teaching for PADI allows you a lot of options for shop affiliations. If you are going to start out teaching independently, you have to figure out how to find students; people recognize the 800 pound gorilla. Teaching for a niche agency will significantly reduce your student flow. And I say that as someone who looked into being a GUE Rec 1 instructor -- but I wanted to do it KNOWING that the supply of people who want that class is tiny.

 

[robertarak]

This time it really is the instructor, not the agency. Just like TSandM above, my OW students are in BP/W and long hose. My website says this:

We are not a certification mill. In fact, CERTIFICATION IS NOT GUARANTEED! We provide the absolute highest level of training available and train the safest and most proficient divers anywhere. We use only top of the line equipment for students and staff alike and utilize the most current and up to date teaching methods. We are not focused on how many divers we can certify, or how fast we can do it. We are committed to training divers to the highest level possible, focusing on refined buoyancy, trim, and situational awareness.

In my area there is a joke that divers in a long hose and backplate are either GUE or DIR--- Doing It Robert. Although I am currently an instructor intern with GUE, I teach PADI and NAUI. People don't come to me to get certified. They come to me to become skilled divers. The fact that you have that same desire will serve you and your students well, regardless of agency.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I am an independent instructor who teaches through NAUI. I chose NAUI because ...

- they actually support their independent instructors
- rather than mandate what you teach and how you teach it, they provide a baseline and encourage their instructors to supplement as needed to train competence in local conditions
- they allow me to not just add supplemental material, but test for competence in that material
- they do not mandate that I "pass" someone who I feel hasn't met my standards for competence ... NAUI's philosophy is that if I wouldn't trust this person to dive with someone I love, I should not certify them

While I do not make any claim to DIR-ness, I have taken some GUE training, I taught for a year through a GUE-affiliated shop, and a significant percentage of my students go on to take GUE or UTD training with other instructors in our area (often with my encouragement if I recognize that such training fits their goals and personality). All of my courses emphasize good buoyancy control, trim, propulsion techniques, gas management, and buddy skills ... and some are taught using materials that I created.

There is nothing unique about how I teach ... several instructors in my area, representing multiple mainstream agencies, offer similar programs. There is nothing in any agency's program that I am aware of preventing an instructor from maintaining high competence standards. Agencies offer baselines ... not ceilings ... in terms of what they mandate that you must teach. Some make it easier than others for offering supplemental programs ... but I think at heart all agencies like to believe that they offer the tools needed to train competent divers.

While some agencies are more supportive than others, it really does boil down to the instructor ... how hard you're willing to work ... what expectations and examples you set for your students ... and fundamentally, how competent you are as both a diver and a teacher.

My question to you would be what's truly important to you as a potential instructor? And what resources are available in your area that will help you attain your goals? Realistically, the goals you set for yourself have far more impact on the quality of the instruction you offer than the agency you teach for ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rickthompson]

I want to primarily teach independently, and could honestly care less about doing it for much profit.

I guess my primary reason I'm not thinking PADI is that pursuing instructor is a fairly large investment for me (poor college student lol) and I don't want to just pay for a card. I'm skeptical that going through a PADI IDC sitting on my knees in a pool or doing fin pivots is really going to make me a better diver or a good instructor and so I would rather purchase training that I will get more out of. I don't want to teach full time, or really make diving a career, so I'm not at all fond of PADI's constant push for you to put another dollar in. I'm a PADI DM so I already find myself getting annoyed with the constant amount of crap they send me about "maximizing my profits" etc. and I don't think that should be the focus of a dive training agency. This is just my personal opinion, but I would rather be affiliated with a training agency that shares my views and that I can be proud to be a part of.

I understand it's the instructor not necessarily the agency. So can any of you PADI fans recommend a good IDC in Florida that teaches DIRish or shares my opinions about dive training?

 

[Oldbear]

Rick,

I really like your enthusiasm and passion to develop good OWdivers from the beginning. After completingmy PADI DM course that was the direction I wanted to take my educationtoo. I also saw many certified OW diverswho lacked what I believe to be the necessary skill proficiency to be what I wouldcall proficient divers. And based on myown training I would have included myself in that group. I continued to seek training to be a betterdiver; as I still do this day. Theunfortunate the reality of it that a great number of divers will only take justthe one OW certification course their entire lives. And as the type of courses progress lesspeople will take them at each level. Sowhat I want to do is take many of the DIR philosophies and incorporate them intothe OW course. Right now PADI is goingthrough a paradigm shift and supporting a neutral buoyancy style oftraining. But since I have been involvedat the professional level PADI has always allowed this type of training. PADI sets levels of proficiency of 20 skills.But it does not dictate whether the diver has to be on their knees or floatingin a neutral position. I specificallysent my GF to “Boulder John’s” Open Water course because while he is a PADIInstructor he teaches this way, with DIR philosophies, already.

I wouldn’t recommend that you write off the large “RecreationalAgencies” as they the marketing structure and the branding already in place. I would look to affiliate yourself with one ofthese and they teach within their standards to your proficiency and competencelevel. You already recognize that it isthe instructor and not the agency that makes a good diver. Both PADI and NAUI have that flexibility. Since you are in Florida I strongly suggest thatyou attend this year’s DEMA show and speak with the difference agencies inperson…it would be a great experience.

The IDC will not teach you how to dive or what diving philosophyto adhere to. It will teach you how tolook up standards, agency policies and how to develop lesson plans then deliverthe lesson. I am splitting my IDC upinto different segments and not rushing my instructor development. I have completed my AI and now I sit in andhelp instructors. Now as I observe coursesI watch and think about what I am seeing and hearing; what I would dodifferently and what I like and will incorporate into my own courses oneday. Later on I will take the OWSIcourse followed by the agency’s Instructor’s Exam. All of these I can do in whatever equipmentconfiguration I choose to use. If youattend DEMA there will be several IDCs with booths that you can talk with. Since I already have my AI rating I amlooking at going back to Utila Dive Center and doing the OWSI portion followedby PADI’s IE. Afterwards I will take somespecialty instructor courses that I could not get here in Colorado, e.g. WreckDiver, Deep Diver, Rebreather, etc. Youmight look into taking your IDC outside of Florida, this will give you addedexperience on other non-Florida diving you can pass along to your students.

At first I did not like the PADI policy about always pushingadditional courses, but from the open water classes that I have attended, ithas always been the students who have brought up the subject that has lendsitself to discussing additional training, whether it is the AOW, AdventureDiving or a specialty course, most often it is underwater photography. Talking about additional courses and trainingdoes not have to be pushy. I also spendone day in a BDC and the other day in a BP/W just to demonstrate the differenceand similarities in equipment configurations. In Colorado the open water dives are usually done in 7mm wet suits; Iuse a dry suit and discuss that with the students. As an independent instructor you do not havea “shop policy” that dictates you must push continuing education, sell a tripor a complete gear set-up. You can letyour students and the progression of your course dictate what additionalcourses might be of interest to them or which store has the specific type ofequipment the student is interested in.

Good luck with your IDC…

~Oldbear~