Diving lessons disappointment

[Ocean One]

Sorry you had an ugly experience with your instructor. Unfortunately, there are males out there that think diving is still for just males. Lucky for you there are many others that don't hold that same philosophy. You've been given good advice from others. Sort through it and pick what you thnk will work for you. A GOOD instructor will be there for you and help you get past the mask clearing skill.
Definitely let the LDS know of your experience and dissatisfaction!!!!!!!

 

[Bean_Counter67]

seastargf, my wife & I have a similar incident with our instructor while performing our AOW. We talked to the owner of the LDS, it helped the situation a bit. Please consider the most important aspect that you need to obtain the best training that you can get. An LDS does not want the reputation of not being able to adequately train their students properly.

What is interesting is over a year after the incident, we now have a great respect for the instructor. Chances are we may not take another course with him respectively more for his teaching style. We now understand where the instructor was coming from, for his background was routed as a technical diver. It is the insight and information he has conveyed while in the shop that has been helpful in our development.

 

[dk2943]

I, too, had a problem with my instructor. I finally went back to the shop and they got me a new instructor, who was terrific

 

[Midnight Star]

This was the third "discover scuba" dive I have done

This may also be part of the problem. Was this instructor and class in the "discover scuba" realm? It's really no excuse, but since it's such, he might want to pass as many through the system as possible without, taking responsibility for individualized instruction within his class. That way, he maximizes throughput, while retaining some sense of legal liability (you just can't get it, in a short time frame, get out, cause I don't want to be liable for you within the constructs of my teaching schedule) - he would therefore pick those that he can easily push through the system with "mental osmotic ease". Since you weren't passing mental ions that day, unfortunately, you were excluded and set aside. I could also make other assumptions, based on the information you gave in the post ... but i'd need more first hand knowledge to post that.

Sorry for your bad experience. Stay with it, and find someone that will work with you in a way you feel comfortable with ... the rewards in the long run are well worth it. and be safe.

-----

Mike.

 

[RICHinNC]

So, how did it turn out? Did you go back to the shop and talk to the owner? What happened?

 

[seastargf]

HEY!
Thanks so much for the support. I truly love to dive so I really need to get certified. I have decided to go with a private instructor. I did tell the dive shop about my concerns in a nice way and I will let it be! I am thinking about diving Florida Keys sometime this year or Grand Cayman. Life is so much more exciting when a person discovers diving.

 

[cummings66]

The only thing I feel bad about is the fact that you're paying more money than you should in order to get certified. You paid this shop to learn to dive, the instructor basically shoved you aside and now you're going to spend more money on another instructor to teach you what the first didn't.

IMO I'd ask for a prorated or full refund because you did not get what you paid for.

That said, I know of shops that will not pass a student who's having problems with a skill. The instructor must know you have a skill down pat and if he feels a student doesn't he won't take you to the OW dives until you do. He spends his own time and money to get you there if you stick with him, however he doesn't charge extra. He really wants to see a student succeed and will go the extra mile to help. Unless he feels you're a danger to yourself he wouldn't kick you out of the class. I know he's told me that he would do that if he felt it necessary.

I mentioned that because not all shops are like that, nor are all instructors. Don't let this experience color your perceptions in other words. It sounds like you're not but I wanted to let you know many others have been where you are now.

Don't forget to dive local, I've got buddies in Tulsa and we'll dive Tablerock and Beaver Lake occasionally.

 

[FunkyDiver]

It's too bad your LDS didn't make this right with you. It is BS that you are having to spend double what you should be, to learn to do something so cool. I just got certified earlier this year and I had a similar experience as ChrisStearman. One of the first times I tried this (only at 6') I took a snoot full of water and started to choke. At the time I didn't realize you could do this underwater and still live . I headed for the surface. My instructor was on me like Oprah on a rib roast. He grabbed me by the BC and yanked me back down.:no He later explained that I wouldn't be able to do this if I had been deeper. After I thought about and realized he was right, I accepted the fact. I still never really liked doing the mask clear skills, but somewhere along the way (he always made us do it multiple times every pool session), I realized I got more comfortable with it, and now it's no big deal. There were plenty of great suggestions and procedures to learn to do. I hope all goes well for you and have a great time diving!

 

[spectrum]

seastargf

Sorry you ran into that first intructor but good luck with you new ones. Most good instructors will do whatever it takes as long as you are giving it your all. That includes repeating with the next class. Getting blown off on day two and told to pay for private lessons is just plain wrong.

Good move on doing whatever it takes, it will be worth the effort, but you already know that!

Pete

 

[pir8]

I really hate hearing horror stories like this. It tends to give instructors a bad name. We're not all like that.