Diving lessons disappointment

[seastargf]

HEY! thank you so much. That's very helpful. When I was in the class, the instuctor was so far away from me I couldn't tell what he was doing - if he was actually doing it at all. If someone stood in front of me and gave me explicit instruction - I know I could do it!! Strange to learn more online than in class. (????)


SEAYA

 

[ItsBruce]

I concur with everyone that you were short-changed and that you should take it up with the local dive shop ("LDS"). If they don't give you satisfaction, post it.

No one addressed private instruction, so I will. I got a private instructor for my kid. It was fabulous. JustLisa's husband, Roger (I forget his screen name) did my kid's first and second OW dives on a referral when my kid was in Hawaii. It, too, was private and my kid reports it was good beyond words. Still later, my kid and I did AOW with the first referenced instructor. This was semi-private (just my kid and me). When I did Rescue, I was lucky enough that it was just the instructor and me. While I had a great instructor for my OW class back in 1986, I can't give enough praise to private instruction. If you can afford it, it makes quite a difference.

 

[ScubaTexan]

No one addressed private instruction, so I will. I got a private instructor for my kid. It was fabulous. JustLisa's husband, Roger (I forget his screen name) did my kid's first and second OW dives on a referral when my kid was in Hawaii. It, too, was private and my kid reports it was good beyond words.

Roger is Turtleguy9 on here...

 

[Web Monkey]

Thank you so much for your reply. I have found a couple of people here in Tulsa who give private lessons . By the way, since your are an instructor, is there a secret to mask clearing or do you just keep practicing. Is there anything at all I can do at home with my mask to simulate the skill?

Practicing won't help until you know what you're supposed to be doing, and that was the instructor's job. Different masks purge differently (depends on whether it has a purge valvel or not)

Once you get a new instructor, he/she should have you all set on mask purging in just a few minutes.

Don't let the jerks get you down. Some people just shouldn't be teaching.

Terry

 

[chucksterman]

Hello And welcome seastargf (newby here too)

 

[BoomhowerSpeaks]

Welcome to the board, good luck with your certification. My brother had alot of trouble with the mask thing also, it sounds pretty common. He got it down, he just had to practice.

 

[chucksterman]

Hello seastarge and welcome to this awesome site! (newby here too) I had almost the same thing happen to my son's mother during her teaching by an instructor. I agree with all the guy's above,find a different instructor (not too professional on his behalf.) Just dont give up like she did altogether. The first time I did a mask recovery,I tilted my head back too far when I went to clear and took water in through my nose and flipped!! I started right toward's the surface and about then my instructor grabed my leg and pulled me back down toward's him and I tried again and succeeded after afew moments of hacking underwater.TxHockyguy has a great idea for practicing,another that worked for me was to do it in steps if your still having problem's. Try gradually filling the mask alittle more each time you try(although you wont have this luxury if your mask ever get's knocked off or a strap break's) but before you know it,you will have it beat.Anyway's,hope this help's and good luck in this beautiul sport! ( I'm not trying to step on any toe's here guy's,just know what worked for me and just throwing the idea out there) charles

 

[snepdiver]

Welcome to ScubaBoard. Do not feel bad about your mask clearing skills. Everyone that was training at the time I was had problems learing one skill or another. Practice is the key. Well, a good instructor is probably the most important key.
I had to practice mask clearing for probably 2 hours on my own. I just go in my local pool, had my wife hold me underwater by my shoulders and I did it over and over and over. Breathed some pool water more than once. But finally got it figured out. It was a feeling like, Oh thats the way to do it. Like the OW certification class implies, It is training. Teaching you to learn a new task.
My LDS specializes in one on one instruction because they realize that everyone does not learn at the same rate. Some LDS's just want to heard everyone through at their pace.
Anyway, Good luck. You will find tons of support here just as I did during Cert.
This is a great community with tons of supportive members.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

HEY! thank you so much. That's very helpful. When I was in the class, the instuctor was so far away from me I couldn't tell what he was doing - if he was actually doing it at all. If someone stood in front of me and gave me explicit instruction - I know I could do it!! Strange to learn more online than in class. (????)


SEAYA

Quick overview of a mask clearing method:
Look up at a 45 degree angle
Touch the top of your mask with two fingers, press the seal against your forehead and exhale until clear.

I see a lot of students who tend to pull the bottom of the mask away from their face when putting one hand on each side of the mask and tilting it up to clear. They pull the bottom so far away from their face that the mask fills faster than it clears.

Put your mask on at home and exhale through it. Feel the air coming out from under the seal? That's what the water will do when you clear, gently pressing the top of the mask helps break the bottom seal so the water can escape when you exhale.

When you are horizontal you can tilt your head to the side so the side of the mask is at a 45 degree angle to the surface then press on the "top" of the mask (the side that's closest to the surface) and exhale to clear. The water will run out the "bottom" (side of the mask that's down).

Good luck!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[*Floater*]

Opinions please - am I making too much of this? Anyway, I have since gone diving in Puerto Muerlos Mexico and it was fantastic. This was the third "discover scuba" dive I have done . I sure would like to get certified! Has anyone used a personal instructor to get certified?

Thanks for the opinions and suggestions!

1 to 1 lessons are pretty normal in many warm water places and very affordable. I've been to the Philippines several times and OW courses were something like $300-350 with everything included, and are often 1-1 because there are almost as many instructors as there are divers there on any given day.

But you need to learn to clear your mask and you don't need an instructor for that. Just take your mask to swimming pool. First practice diving without it, eyes open (yes it stings) until you are comfortable keeping them open. Then try to put the mask on underwater and clear it. Sea water and fresh water hardly sting my eyes at all.

Most instructors teach the mask clearing while kneeling down, but you might want to try doing it later while floating off the bottom for in case you lose it in open water. Just keep your eyes open and keep looking at the bottom or something else to have a reference for depth.