DM blew me off

[Johanan]

it is equally unfortunate that so many people choose to take such "shoddy, fast-track courses"

Thats's a question, how someone coming, let's say, to a PADI ***** Dive Club could possibly know, that the course there is shoddy and fast-track? One needs knowledge to make such a judgement. Otherwise he/she would trust the brand (reputable agency, licensed club / instructor / divemaster, etc.) But OP's story is really disturbing. He was in real danger and we can be grateful that he's still alive.

 

[ScubaInChicago]

But OP's story is really disturbing. He was in real danger and we can be grateful that he's still alive.

My goodness, this thread goes from blaming the OP, to the divemaster, to the agency. Why don't we blame the resort and then the airline that flew him there....At what point will someone chalk it up to inexperience and move on....

 

[Wookie]

it is equally unfortunate that so many people choose to take such "shoddy, fast-track courses"

Nope, a prospective student has no idea what kind of course they are signing up for. It's unfortunate that certifying agencies allow their representatives and members to teach such courses. It is just as unfortunate that these shops who condone shoddy instructors, the course directors (or whatever they are called for each agency) and indeed, the shops themselves to be shoddy too. As I stated, the scuba industry is it's own worst enemy.

For those who remember fondly the teaching standards of NASDS, LA County, and YMCA, remember how good those courses were? Of course, they couldn't compete with the 2 day resort "wonder course".

 

[Darnold9999]

I do actually remember my first dive after certification. Dove locally here in the PNW at Willis Point, dove with a group of divers from the local shop. my buddy and I went down the slope to 110 feet (the certification at the time was not limited to 60 feet). I was starting to get low on air so we decided to do a blue water ascent from 110 rather than work our way back up the slope. It was memorable becuase at about 60 feet we had a salmon flash by. First ond only time I have seen a salmon on a dive.

Was comfortable and confident doing the dive (probably overconfident, but I was much younger then) - the OW course I took was the polar opposite of what the OP received. It graduated divers that were able to plan and execute a dive as opposed to people that need significant assistance to even get in the water.

IMHO the OP's anger has been somewhat misdirected. Instead of the DM it should be directed at the crappy certification they received. It sounds like a bare minimum Resort certification that teaches you just enough to get yourself into serious trouble without letting you know what your limitations truly are - and a crappy minimal version of even that. You did not get anywhere near enough training to be diving safely. A good mentor can fix this, so could further training.

 

[Hawkwood]

... A good mentor can fix this, so could further training.

The OP has fantastic opportunities for both where he lives.

 

[Peter Guy]

What the hell -- might as well beat the horse a bit here.

a. Did the instructor's do a sh*tty job? Of course. Should "blame" be laid to them? Of course.

b. Is PADI "at fault" for letting this happen? (In order to stay within my cert -- I'll plead the 5th here! I have "suggested" that PADI do more to supervise its instructor corps.)

c. Is the OP "at fault" here? Yes. He knew, or should have known, that he had a responsibility to read (hell, study?) the materials he bought but he freely admits he didn't. Yes, it would have taken more time but it is a decision the OP made (and unfortunately encouraged by the "instructor/enabler").

From what has been written (and from what I've heard from others), this "class" is all-too-typical and works just well enough to let people cross off scuba diving from their to-do list. Now that the OP has gotten this off his chest, perhaps he will now actually start to learn how to dive by taking a real class from a real instructor!

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

In the interest of full disclosure I will mention my training. Its probably not pretty but its what happened.
There was a dive shop across the street from my hotel in Thailand. Two of my brothers had recently been certified and I had thought about diving and I got up the nerve and dropped in. We agreed I'd do a Discover Dive and if I liked it I would continue on with the course--a total of 3 days. The Discover Dive went well. I't was just me and a DM, I liked the guy and trusted him and we went thru some basic skills and by my second dive with him I was pretty much on my own following him around. I felt comfortable and he said I did well. So that night I dropped back in to the dive shop, paid my money, and was handed a text book and some written exercises and told to show up at the pool the next morning. They didn't mention that I was supposed to study 5 or 6 chapter of the book and do all of the exercises--so I just glanced thru the book. I show up the next mornimg and there is 2 other people in my class but one of them is late.The other person had already done the theory--watched the videos and read the book--and didn't want to do it again so we immediately hopped in the pool and started on the pool skills. Not having read the book or watched the videos I didn't have a clue what these skills were. The instructor did the various skills once and I copied what she did. By lunch I was done the pool skills. By then the other student had shown up and she was having a lot of problems--she couldn't put her head under water with the regulator so I was sent to a room to watch the videos and complete all of the exercises for 5 or 6 chapters of the book. The dive shop the night before had forgotten to give me the chart showing nitrogen levels and wait times so I had to cram that all in at the same time. I completed the exercises, discussed the questions I got wrong with another instructor, and it was suggested I write the test while things were still fresh. So I wrote the test--got 92%--discussed the questions I got wrong--and that was it. By then it was 7 at night and I ate and went back to my hotel and went to bed. The next morning I am out on a boat to complete my final open water dives with a differant instructor. Not having read the book and having fast forwarded thru the videos the day before I didn't have a clue what the ow skills were I was going to be tested on. The instructor briefed me on the first dive, and I remember handed me a divers compass for one of the skills and I asked her how it worked. She stormed off in a huff saying I should know. Its not rocket science but all I needed was someone to spend 2 minutes explaining it to me. So I asked someone on the boat. So once again I am in the water doing the skills and the instructor basically did them first and I copied her. And that was it. Things seemed to go pretty smoothly and the instrutor was relieved she didn't have to get too stressed. The past few days I was flying by the seat of my pants and I got thru it.

So two days later I am out on a boat heading for my first dives. Was I totally self reliant and did I have a handle on everything I was supposed to know? Probably not. So whose fault is that--I did everything I was told. The DM I was buddied with told me to follow his direction--so I did. I trusted him.

This stick out in the post to me, so it's not like you didn't know or have someone besides the dive shop to talk to before hand. Did you discuss it with your brothers at all?? I didn't know anyone that dove before I got certified, and even though my course was only 3 days my LDS stressed the point of getting the material and going over it again, and again before doing the class, not to wait until a few days before.

 

[Ken T]

The last minute approach to taking a course certainly contributes to anyone being un-prepared.

I at least had time to review all the materials before heading down to Hawaii for my resort course.
In fact I read three books -the current PADI OW manual, an old version of the PADI manual and Scuba Diving by Dennis Graver.
But, I'm a bit of a book worm.

Since then I have continued my education with local dives and courses and have read or I am in the process of reading:

The Six Skills and other Discussions by Steve Lewis
Beginning with the End in Mind, Fundamentals of Recreational Diving - the GUE OW course manual
Deco for Divers by Mark Powell

There is a large dive community in Calgary...lots of local divers to hang out with, 5 shops to bum around in and take local dives with, and of course lots of instructors / mentors about.

So, to Brnt999 I suggest checking out the Underwater Outlaws, the local Calgary dive club/social group, and the Alberta Underwater Council for dive events across the province.

7mm wetsuits and farmer johns are available for rental, and a drysuit instruction/course would not be out of the question if you want to improve your skills during our upcoming dive season.

 

[Oldbear]

I am writing this, as much as anything, to vent and get it off my chest.
This past January I got my OW certification in Thailand. ....

Brnt999,

Welcome to diving...

I am not going to discuss the DM's actions as others have. I would, however, like to suggest to you a couple of technics that might extend your bottom dive time. It is not uncommon for new divers to have very high air consumption rates...I have been there. There are a few things you can do?

1) Dive more...more diving experience will make you a more relaxed diver.

2) Learn to lower your consumption rate; there are many threads in SB on the subject. One technic that worked great for me was to watch TV wearing my mask and snorkel for 1+ hours at a time...it really worked.

3) If necessary and possible use a larger tank; larger tank = more breathable gas = longer bottom time (depth and physical exertion being equal).

4) If you have not already done so buy your own regulator and learn all of its features and proper settings; I have dived with poorly set regulators before and it reduced my bottom time by about 1/3.

I am sure others will have other suggestions but don't let your Mexico experience put you off from diving...it truly is awesome.


~Oldbear~

 

[brnt999]

The last minute approach to taking a course certainly contributes to anyone being un-prepared.

I at least had time to review all the materials before heading down to Hawaii for my resort course.
In fact I read three books -the current PADI OW manual, an old version of the PADI manual and Scuba Diving by Dennis Graver.
But, I'm a bit of a book worm.

Since then I have continued my education with local dives and courses and have read or I am in the process of reading:

The Six Skills and other Discussions by Steve Lewis
Beginning with the End in Mind, Fundamentals of Recreational Diving - the GUE OW course manual
Deco for Divers by Mark Powell

There is a large dive community in Calgary...lots of local divers to hang out with, 5 shops to bum around in and take local dives with, and of course lots of instructors / mentors about.

So, to Brnt999 I suggest checking out the Underwater Outlaws, the local Calgary dive club/social group, and the Alberta Underwater Council for dive events across the province.

7mm wetsuits and farmer johns are available for rental, and a drysuit instruction/course would not be out of the question if you want to improve your skills during our upcoming dive season.

So tell me, the water temperature in Thailand was 82f and the water temperature in Cozumel was 78f, what the water temperature where you live? Is it truly possible to enjoy diving in cold water?