Failed Open Water in Dry Suit and Devastated - Any Advice?

[kaylee_ann]

You had 3 days of classes?? And only one was in confined water?? Look, I'm no way experienced enough to comment on the other stuff, but I'll tell you that if I only had 3 days to pass- I would fail too. And I know this based on my performance in my first 3 classes LOL. That's just not enough time!
Go somewhere else. They didn't seem to foster a relaxing environment for you anyhow.

 

[wnissen]

I'm honestly surprised that after 3 days, an instructor let you think you "failed". My OW course (not including drysuit) is scheduled for a minimum of 4 days (2 days at the pool, 2 days open water), and my students will get up to two additional days with me free of charge to help with any issues if they're having problems. At that point, if they still can't get the skills down, we'll evaluate the situation and see if another instructor might be able to assist or if it's an issue that needs some other solution.

Yeah, that seemed like total BS. I had one classroom evening, and 2x pool and open water, so call it 4.5 days, and that was barely enough to get everyone in the class shaken down. As it happened I got vertigo during dive 3 and had to come back months later after an ENT evaluation. And not once, for even a moment, did anyone make me feel like I "failed". For one thing, PADI is explicitly mastery based, they spend pages on their pedagogy and are very clear that you don't fail unless you give up or behave deliberately poorly. I am very disappointed in the OP's instructor.

 

[Angelo Farina]

I "grieved" for two days and now I'm more determined than ever - I'll be bouncing around Europe during the summer anyway, so am now looking at dive schools on Malta, to spend a month there, get the training I need (without the dry suit for now) and continue my journey from there! If anything, this experience has now only hardened my resolve that I won't be defeated by a drysuit and nonexistent muscles Thank you everyone for your posts, I mean it, thank you!

Good plan, go ahead with it!
Malta is an excellent place, as, albeit not being "tropical" water, the temperature during summer is enough for using just minimal thermal protection (people used to cold waters can even dive without any suit, for most people a shorty is enough, or a very stretchy 3mm suit without hood).
On the other hand you will not get the problems you have in some tropical waters (strong current, large waves, dangerous animals). Mediterranean is a benign, calm and pleasant environment, very favourable for beginners.
Muscles are almost irrelevant, it is all matter of proper technique and proper equipment. And most of the limits are in your brains, not in your body, and can be overcome with proper training and the help of a good instructor...
As an instructor, I found that some of the most problematic students were super-fit athletes. Runners, cyclists, triathlon, etc. They were burning air very fast, they did move too much, and often had very poor control of their brains.
My favourite students have always been females, possibly following the course without their husband - boyfriend. They were motivated, calm, and did follow exactly my instructions, making the teaching experience easy and pleasant. Personally I think that female divers have some inherent cultural, mental and physical advantages over males, at least in western countries. Most males have this "macho" attitude which is definitely bad and dangerous when learning to survive in an hostile environment.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Intuition emerging from the perspective of an American can and does distance the skeptics. A grave question which was neither asked nor formerly denied: could you have passed your OW training in warmer climates? From what I have read thus far, the inevitable result being that you had not fully prepared and committed yourself to the task at hand, and as such, you threw in the towel; of course the Instructor’s role manifested into one of lack lustre and deceit. Although, browsing the web, there were no Google reviews that warranted suspicion in any of the training facilities in Iceland. Most websites publicized 4 confined water dives including the use of a drysuit (which looked like neoprene) before proceeding to 4 open water dives. Without knowing whether you have a background in water sports, or if your objective is to dive entirely in Iceland, my suggestion would be to divide the curriculum into three parts. Online education allows you the option to complete the training in warmer climates if you so desire. The second is to find an Instructor or Divemaster who has the patience and the prudence to work with you. The third is to learn to snorkel in Iceland till such time that you are comfortable before deliberating about Scuba. Adept Instructors should always ask students to perform CESA repetitions while swimming on the surface before entrusting them to OW.

Only planning ensures real achievement.

 

[tursiops]

Adept Instructors should always ask students to perform CESA repetitions while swimming on the surface before entrusting them to OW.

I don't understand this; can you say it differently?

 

[undrwater]

Turing fail.

 

[Doby45]

Hot time soft if biscuit, roof 9 orange! Speak thee lavender and grape.

 

[undrwater]

Hot time soft if biscuit, roof 9 orange! Speak thee lavender and grape.

Good password!

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

- I'll be bouncing around Europe during the summer anyway, so am now looking at dive schools on Malta, to spend a month there, get the training I need (without the dry suit for now)

I would highly recommend Demis Farrugia (Bei Facebook anmelden) of DIVErse Scuba Solutions (Home | DIVErse SCUBA Solutions | Malta).

He's an excellent instructor, and simply a great guy. If for some reason I move my family to Europe before my wife and daughter are certified by Ryan, I'd take them to Demis instead.

He'll get you squared away in a dry suit. He produces consistent, awesome results with new divers.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Malta sounds like a great idea. What one wears for exposure protection during the OW course can have a profound effect, I am certain. I did my OW course in a poorly fitting rented 7mm wetsuit, and it was difficult. Many years later I learned to use a drysuit, and even with all the years of diving experience I had at the time, mastering the drysuit was difficult. I am aware that SOME divers manage to learn to use a drysuit in their OW course and complete the course successfully, but I doubt those divers are in the middle of the bell curve. Your experience sounds completely reasonable, maybe closer to average than you might believe.

Please let us know how the story turns out!