Dive world is better off with tougher courses?

[all4scuba05]

Do the dive shop/instructor who notices that a student isn't ready for the checkout dives go and say,"sorry but you're going to need more pool time. Come back next week and don't forget it's going to cost you more since it's extra days."

 

[all4scuba05]

Look, elitists, if the short courses that they are giving nowadays created a dangerous situation we'd have a s***load of beginning divers drowning. Scuba isn't all that complicated you know. If an old fart like me can jump into it like I did, anyone can do it.

Keep in mind that anyone can drive a car too.

 

[RiverRat]

Yep I say don't make them "tougher", but clean them up bigtime. Get rid of the fin pivots and vertical hovers and replace those crap skills with some better ones that concentrate on horizontal trim, balanced rig, touch on some breath control (kinda tough in OW) and a little info on SAC rates, turn pressures etc. Just spend a little more time on buoyancy control, fin work and trimming out the student. Then in OW get the buddy pairs to really work on a few nice, slow, horizontal dives. It'll build more confident divers from the start. They'll be safer and the environment will like it better.

 

[RiverRat]

Look, elitists, if the short courses that they are giving nowadays created a dangerous situation we'd have a s***load of beginning divers drowning. Scuba isn't all that complicated you know. If an old fart like me can jump into it like I did, anyone can do it.

Yeah this helps a lot..............:mooner:
Actually, if you look at some of the accident data out there, a good percentage of accidents happen to newer divers.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Do the dive shop/instructor who notices that a student isn't ready for the checkout dives go and say,"sorry but you're going to need more pool time. Come back next week and don't forget it's going to cost you more since it's extra days."

I do but I don't charge them since I teach through the university. I try to catch the problem early in the quarter so we can get together during "open swim" at the pool which gives them an extra day each week to practice. That usually gets them up to speed but if not they have to wait until the next quarter to continue with the pool sessions. One of my students was killed sky diving last year and that was a hard memorial service to attend, I can't even imagine what his sky diving instructor was going through. Personally I do my best to give my students as much information as possible and I drive them to be confident in their skills before I take them into open water because I never want to attend another students funeral. I teach college students and I tell them that they aren't allowed to die before I do.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

There has been plenty of talk about how easy it is to get OW and AOW certified. If it was made significantly tougher, there would be alot less divers nowadays. Which for Business would be bad. While those that can't stand "dumb and dangerous " divers would be happy. If half the divers that exist now don't deserve a Cert and had them revoked, would it not affect business such that the dive industry would suffer monetary losses? and if so, would that not cause prices to be driven up in order to compensate for the great loss of cash in the industry?
What would you prefer? Think of how it might affect you.

I think you're operating on an erroneous assumption ... that instruction that placed more demands on the student would result in fewer divers.

It's generally stated in the industry that about 3 out of every 4 people who get certified rarely, if ever, dive again. One theory for why that happens is because they learn enough to go out and terrify themselves, post-class ... and decide that diving's not for them.

Make the class more comprehensive, give those people more tools to work with and more confidence in what they're doing, and you'll probably lose fewer of them.

I have found that people who develop a certain comfort level in the water tend to become more active divers. Those who never get beyond the level of needing the services of a dive professional to plan and lead their dives for them remain on the fringes of the activity ... or stop doing it altogether.

More demanding classes don't have to be like boot camp. They can be fun ... they just have to focus on the right things. I know several instructors who are demanding ... and yet rarely ever lose a student by expecting them to put effort into learning appropriate skills.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Look, elitists, if the short courses that they are giving nowadays created a dangerous situation we'd have a s***load of beginning divers drowning. Scuba isn't all that complicated you know. If an old fart like me can jump into it like I did, anyone can do it.

With all due respect, I'll reserve judgment on the efficacy of your diving prowess until I've seen you dive ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Do the dive shop/instructor who notices that a student isn't ready for the checkout dives go and say,"sorry but you're going to need more pool time. Come back next week and don't forget it's going to cost you more since it's extra days."

In fact, I won't take someone to open water if I think they're not ready for it.

I rarely charge someone extra for additional work, however ... as long as they're willing to put in effort, I'll figure out a way to make it happen.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[LavaSurfer]

How many times will this same question be asked different ways?
Put that in your Poll

 

[zen_man]

How many times will this same question be asked different ways?
Put that in your Poll

As long as this is a forum board on the Internet, it will be asked. It's about people reaching out and connecting with others. As an ex mechanic and working in IT, both positions I have been asked the same questions over and over and over. The was I look at it is not RTFM, go to school or use the 'search'. I look at it in a way that in order to keep it, I have to give it away. The more I explain something to someone, the better I understand it myself. If no one ever asked me the same questions, there would have been things I just forgot about and I wouldn't have been as proficient as I was with what I do. Plus, there is a magical thing that happens when teaching people. One, it feels good to give away something you know. And two, you get to meet and make friends with new people.

Buck