Do you consider Discover Scuba to be safe?

[MauiDiver17]

For my discover scuba experience in Hawaii we had a bit of basic instruction and an hour in the pool including spending some time on the bottom. Then a couple hours later we did a shallow beach entry dive on a coral reef with a depth of say 20 ft.

I felt fine. It was my first scuba experience and hooked me in a way that a pool session would not have. Having said that I had lots of snorkel experience in a variety of circumstances and conditions and felt very comfortable in the water from the beginning. Not skilled, but comfortable.

I have also run shotgun on a DS dive or two in mexico where the DM had a DS student and I roamed around keeping them in eyeshot. (I had dove with him several times before. He kept the student over the sandy areas to not hurt the reef and I went over the reef)

Whether it is safe or not I think depends tremendously on the instructor, the student, and the dive conditions.

I agree with this.
I have heard some horror stories with discover scuba's but the one we did in Maui over two years ago was excellent. Our three boys did the same discover scuba this summer with the same DM we had 2 years ago. Again it was excellent. This company was very safety oriented and really paid attention to their divers.

 

[TMHeimer]

Four: those who find themselves in a suitable location and with the desire. Like here, where they're on a tropical vacation, and maybe have always wanted to try, but don't want to commit to the full course before they know if they'll like it. Or who have an opportunity because a family member wants to try and they're tagging along. Or because someone's invited them to a DSD themed birthday party.

I actually think that people with a particular fear as you note above would probably benefit from a longer program, more like the "pool and classroom, then on to open water" that's more the norm in many parts of Canada and the US - give them the education and tools needed to address those fears before putting them in the shark infested waters of the big ocean...

Yeah, Four makes sense. As for those with a particular fear, I can see doing the whole OW course as a way of easing the fear. If the fear is not conquered and there is a no refund policy this could be a deterrent I guess (as opposed to the far cheaper DSD).

 

[Progen]

I went for DSD because I just HAD to get into the water fast! By then, I had already completed the eLearning for the Open Water Diver course but had to wait a few weeks before I flew off to the island resort for my open water dives.

 

[bracko]

A bit off topic, but many have commented on the value of DSD. My thoughts (again, having never done it or taught it) are that there are 3 types of candidates. First, those who have rather extensive "water experience" already (snorkelling, swimming, surf bathing, etc.). They should probably go straight to OW course. Second, those who don't have such experience, perhaps can't even swim or never been in the ocean,etc. They should get that "water" comfort level before doing any scuba. Third are those that have the water experience but have a particular fear--of deep water, of going underwater, possible ear issues, or like my wife--claustrophobia. These are the folks I would think would benefity from DSD.

the forth is people that do it because it's just there. irrelevant of experience or fears.

 

[Diver0001]

"Confine water" dives for an ow class dont actually need to be pool dives do they? You can find "confined water" in the sea/quarries as well?

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I can't speak for other agencies but in the PADI system this is correct provided the "confined" bit of open water you're using offers pool-like conditions in terms of visibility, temperature and so forth.

In other words, in Norway, it's not going to happen.

That said, my favorite mode for teaching OW is to alternate pool dives with practice dives in open water, which you *can* start doing part way through the course. After the 3rd module, alternating pool with OW dives really helps to prepare people better..... if people are willing to go to the trouble and pay a bit extra for a few more OW dives, which, unfortunately, many are not.

R..

 

[Tigerman]

I can't speak for other agencies but in the PADI system this is correct provided the "confined" bit of open water you're using offers pool-like conditions in terms of visibility, temperature and so forth.

In other words, in Norway, it's not going to happen.
...

How about if I turn the heating of the pool REAL low, like to 16c while the lake is 18c? Then the lake would be "pool like", right?
I was more thinking of areas where the water is a lot hotter than here though - like the places people (usually) do the DSDs..