Failed PADI Rescue....now what?

[scadreau]

After reading more of your posts, it is clear you need to find a good mentor. Find someone who is a good diver. Ask him/her to help you get your basic skills honed. Do a ton of diving. Confidence comes from being able to do the main things without thought. When buoyancy, air management, buddy skills and diving becomes second nature, then move on.

Scott

 

[nldiver1984]

I favor a smaller class size so things can be better taught without a bunch of students being in a frenzy to gear up and get the exercises completed. Overall I'm frustrated with the shop and will probably never dive with those instructors again

 

[drrich2]

I think you've got the right idea, particularly with something you're having trouble with. Depending on how much more expensive it is, private instruction might be well worthwhile.

Probably what I'd need to do if I took a thorough course in navigation...

Richard.

 

[RJP]

I think it may be a wonderful thing that your instructor did not automatically pass you from these classes. I think he is trying to send you a message...

I do wonder where the instructor was during the Deep AOW dive where the OP was buddyless, in an overhead situation, and seconds from going OOA. IM states that for the Deep Adventure Dive that the instructor should...

Directly supervise all student divers. Position yourself so that you or a certified assistant can make immediate physical contact with and render assistance to divers. Continually observe divers with only the brief, periodic interruptions needed to lead the dive and to provide assistance to individual divers.

Sure doesn't sound like that happened.

 

[DENLASCUBA]

In my AOW course I panicked when I became dangerously low on air during a deep dive. We were exploring a shipwreck that was 100ft to the bottom and my problem began when the hull of the ship was directly above me, and I couldn't see the surface because of this. I had to make a CESA and was at the surface by the time my air had depleted to 0. Where was my buddy? Not all AOW students stick to that rule. Long story short my instructor didn't think I handled the situation properly and I had to do that part of the course again.

Are these the same instructors? If so find a new instructor, your instructor should never have let you go under any overhangs and should have breifed you not to before hand. You said you were on a deep dive, now was this the deep dive adventure dive or another adventure dive being performed below 18m? Also where was your instructor when you ran low on air, how often was he asking for your remaing air?

If you are having issues I would take some time to get more diving experience and take your time completing courses, especially if you are looking at taking the DM course in the future it will involve a lot of work especially with dive skills.

 

[nldiver1984]

I don't think I was given a fair assessment and they just based their decisions on what I said about me being nervous in doing some of the exercises. Any good instructor would iron these issues out by either taking extra time to teach the material or allowing me to re-do the course when I felt I was ready, not in SIX months time when I I'll likely not be able to do it due to other commitments. I'll be writing some detailed points once I receive the survey. I doubt PADI looks at those anyway.

 

[flots am]

Failure to be active and take control of a rescue situation. Lacking confidence mostly. Nothing else was said about helping me further

Tell the instructor you want a refund. That should get him interested. The purpose of the class is to teach you rescue skills and build your confidence.

His assessment points to a problem with his teaching, not his student.

In my AOW course I panicked when I became dangerously low on air during a deep dive.

These are all training issues. Someone is signing off on your paperwork and handing you a card before you're ready.

I'd find another shop. And still ask for a refund.

SCUBA training is supposed to be performance based, not "We did the dive so you're done now". Running out of air is due to poor/nonexistent planning and poor situational awareness. These are things that should have been taught in class and practiced until they actually existed and worked properly.

my problem began when the hull of the ship was directly above me, and I couldn't see the surface because of this

You're not allowed to be inside/under anything. You're not trained for it, and it's a standards violation.

flots.

 

[redacted]

I don't think I was given a fair assessment and they just based their decisions on what I said about me being nervous in doing some of the exercises. Any good instructor would iron these issues out by either taking extra time to teach the material or allowing me to re-do the course when I felt I was ready, not in SIX months time when I I'll likely not be able to do it due to other commitments. I'll be writing some detailed points once I receive the survey. I doubt PADI looks at those anyway.

You were on a deep training dive where you let yourself run very low on air, lost your buddy, and then decided to do a CESA rather than seek to share air. I suspect that anything you said was just the cherry on the cake.

 

[nldiver1984]

I've done 30 dives since then, so I think I've learned something. Ill ask for a refund and if they refuse I'll call PADI to complain.

 

[DENLASCUBA]

You may not necessarily get a refund but maybe some compensation for uncompleted portions of the course. You can always tell your instructor you want a referral record so you can seek a new instructor, he must supply you with this and sign off on all sections that you completed and passed. In this case you could ask for a refund for the unfinished parts possibly. If he will not give you a referral (don't forget the pic- certification form) then you should contact PADI who will then deal with the instructor. As for a refund again that depends on the shops policy and how much you have completed.