Failed to get Scuba cert. ? ? ? ?

[cmalinowski]

My girlfriend was uncomfortable when we were in the pool during out OW cert class. She ended up going to the surface and bailing on the whole thing. She was just not comfortable. The LDS offered to give her private lessons and help her out any way they could, but she decided that being underwater with a tank strapped to her back was just not for her... and that's ok.

 

[mako1]

the shop i dive with said if you can't do all the skills you don't get a card! they will put you into the next class, and try again to do your skills,at no extra cost to you. they have had people do three classes, most just don't try it again. by the way there is no money back if you can't or won't finish.
mike

 

[The Goat Show]

Why should she get her money back?

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[ScubaDoobaDo]

Maybe she could get a mask with a purge...My hubby and I have one and it was great for certification - Clearing my mask was probably my least favorite thing to do but this helps and I know I can clear it either way... especially if my life depends on it...

 

[kelpmermaid]

who were failed on attitude. The husband had been diving before and thought he knew everything. They could not be bothered to show up on time or to read the text to keep up on the academic portion.

 

[Spratman]

I agree. If a person loses their mask at sixty feet, or develops a leak, first instinct when they start to gag is going to be jetting for the surface, since that is what they would do in CW. Why should the instructor be penalized because someone cannot master a skill?! Some people can never master somethings because their mind or body will not cooperate. I'll never be able to jam a bassetball, so the coach is the problem?? Sounds like an instructor that I have and am glad they are out there.

My girlfriend was uncomfortable when we were in the pool during out OW cert class. She ended up going to the surface and bailing on the whole thing. She was just not comfortable. The LDS offered to give her private lessons and help her out any way they could, but she decided that being underwater with a tank strapped to her back was just not for her... and that's ok.

 

[Bill Schindler]

I was talking to this girl the other day about scuba, and she said she failed the NAUI O/W cert. When I pressed her for more info she said that she had a hard time clearing her mask, and the instructor didn't let her get her O/W cert.

There probably more to the story but, I've never heard of anyone failing scuba classes before, I've heard about people taking longer then other people, or quiting, but failing?

Thoughts on this?

It's rare and unfortunate but there are times when folks do fail. Perhaps there were time constraints on why they couldn't work with the student to improve the skills so they could pass. However, when the instructor passes the student and provides a C-card they are certifying (for life) that the diver has demonstrated sufficient skills to merit the certification. The instructor is definitely assuming liability at that time.

 

[Stirling]

I agree with Jonnythan that this is good news. Of course the instructor should spend some time with the student to help them master the skill. But you should be paying for the instructor's time and expertise whether you learn the material and skills or not, so you pay for the class even if you don't get certified. And if you cannot learn the skills in a group setting, you should expect to pay extra for private lessons.

Nobody is saying the student is dumb; some people are just so uncomfortable in the water that they cannot learn to do what are, after all, very simple skills. And that's why this is good news. The skill is not hard to learn, and the skills you learn in the OW class are *required* for a reason. A person who cannot learn to do something as simple as this should not be certified, because there is something else going on with them that is keeping them from learning how to do simple things in the water.

The inability to learn how to clear your mask is just a symptom of a *much* bigger and more fundamental problem. You don't need to be expert at it to go diving. On the other hand, people who can just barely learn the skills required to pass the course but are so uncomfortable that they are on the edge of panic if anything goes wrong are a danger to themselves and to others. How do you identify those people *except* by giving them simple skills to master and requiring them to do the skills in the water?

On edit: One of the young men in my OW class failed to get certified because he couldn't get through the surf on a beach dive (which was required, at least by my NAUI instructor, in 1973). The surf was actually pretty rough, and he got knocked down and dragged around a little and I think lost one of his fins, although I believe somebody else fetched it for him. I thought that was pretty hard luck at the time, but beach dives through surf were what we did most of the time, and you had to do it.

 

[hantzu701]

Although I get along with my OW instructor, OW was my last class with him. Although his instructor number is in the sub-1000's, I thought he was terrible. In one weekend, he certed 30 students. I was constantly astonished at what he considered a "pass" for his classes.

I did see him put his foot down with a female student. He didn't fail her, but he had a pretty serious conversation with her about doing something else besides diving. The student had cancer and had only months to live. One of the things that she wanted to do was to go to Bonaire and go scuba diving. She could not clear her mask. Although he seemed conflicted about it, he wrote a letter for her and she went down to Bonaire.

From my understanding, she never received her cert. She passed away seven weeks later.

 

[scubamate]

I certainly don't mean to speak for other instructors but here's how I work. I will not give up on a student that is determined to get certified. I do not charge extra (except pool rental) because it may take a little more of my time. If you need (want) to come into another clas so be it. There are also times when I'll have a DM work with them on certain skills as they may click with the assistant where they don't understand a thing I'm teaching (exagerated).

I would also invite certified students to join my classes and/or pool sessions if they want. I just ask that they not interfer with the students.

Several years ago I certified a young man who was deaf. He had taken class from another shop twice, paid full price both times and failed the final exam. He came over to us, went through class again (#3), was a fish in the pool but failed the final. This young man was crushed thinking he'd have to pay again. One of the store owners sat with him one-on-one for several hours, came to me and said the guy understands this stuff. A couple days later one of our club members mentioned that he may be having trouble understanding because he had to read the questions. She came in, signed the questions to him and he only missed 2. After open water when I handed him his signed temporary card, his crying on my shoulder was extra payment enough.