Frustrating Confined Water Training - Need experienced advice

[lylii]

Hello, I had my confined water training this last weekend. It was enough to make me reconsider the open water dives. We didn't do the recommended buoyancy check before getting started - if we couldn't sink the instructor just stuck more weight on us until we could stay on the bottom. My weights were put mostly in the back so I spent a lot of time flailing around on my back till the divemaster finally pulled me aside and moved my weights around. Our BCDs had the incorporated weight pockets so when we had to remove our gear and put it back on, the same thing happened to all the students - gear stayed on bottom of pool, student rocketed toward surface until grabbed and pulled back down and wrestled into gear by instructor or divemaster. Do not understand the point of that horrifying exercise. There were several points in the training where I was seriously afraid I would die. None of us developed any buoyancy control and certainly didn't make any attempts at "trim". Now we are supposed to go to open water this weekend. I don't feel safe and am scared to death. Is this the typical experience?

 

[runsongas]

no, you should try to get as much of a refund as possible and find a new shop.

if you do the don and doff with the gear at the bottom of the pool, you are supposed to split your weight so that you have enough on a weight belt to swim back down. but that seems to be the least of your problems.

 

[seaseadee]

Yikes! Diving should be something you should love, not be scared to death of. Have you considered a sitdown with your instructor? Explain what it is that is making you fearful and see if you can't work through it?

P.S. If you can't work it out find an instructor who will work with you.

 

[Rapid Star]

Sounds like you were being rushed thru the confined portion of the course for whatever reason. When I did the removal / replacement of my BC during confined water, we were instructed to kneel on the bottom with your right leg up. When removing the BC, you swung it over and rested it on your right leg hence it kept you down. Putting it back on was just the opposite of removal. At no point should anyone float away from their gear! We were using weight integrated BCs so no one was wearing any kind of a weight belt.

I am inclined to agree with the others who have replied to this, have a talk with your instructor first to explain your concerns. If no action or offer of further confined pool training is given, ask for a refund and find a better shop.

 

[northernone]

I too recommend speaking with your instructor. And shop owner. If it isn't an enjoyable experience and isn't improved try elsewhere.

For the love of diving,
Cameron

 

[KevinNM]

This is not normal or good. I would not continue with this instructor.

I know there are other shops in the area, I trained at "The Dive Shop" (1911 Old Ranch Rd 12, San Marcos, TX 78666), they have their own nice pool. Note that I said at, we used their facilities for a GUE course with an instructor from Florida, I didn't take a course from them. But they seemed pretty reasonable and sane.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Sounds like you were being rushed thru the confined portion of the course for whatever reason. When I did the removal / replacement of my BC during confined water, we were instructed to kneel on the bottom with your right leg up. When removing the BC, you swung it over and rested it on your right leg hence it kept you down. Putting it back on was just the opposite of removal. At no point should anyone float away from their gear! We were using weight integrated BCs so no one was wearing any kind of a weight belt.

I am inclined to agree with the others who have replied to this, have a talk with your instructor first to explain your concerns. If no action or offer of further confined pool training is given, ask for a refund and find a better shop.

It sounds like the instructor did not bother to demonstrate the skill well enough or at all. I am a DM candidate and assist with many OW classes. This is the method my instructor uses as well. No one floats away even when overweighted and with all weights in the integrated pockets while wearing a wetsuit in a pool.

Others gave you good advice. I don't think that your reaction is abnormal - I would feel that way as well and no experience should be like this. It definitely will not want to get you excited about diving or want to move forward with your training. I hope this does not scare you off. Please let us know how it goes!

 

[Damselfish]

How many people are in the class? How do you feel about mask clearing and all the other skills (hopefully) covered?

People just learning can be stressed out and have inaccurate views of what is going on - but if you wanted to write a description of a lousy class, that sure does sound like one. You can and should talk with the instructor, but if they're teaching this way I wonder how much good that will do. (The divemaster at least bothered to move your weights to a better position, maybe talking to them first will provide a feel for how this is going to go.)

If you can't get satisfaction or a refund, I would still go elsewhere. You want to do this properly, and it would be a shame to wind up quitting or hating it simply due to an inadequate class. There is also a thing called a referral, where you do the class and pool one place then the OW dives elsewhere. Typically this is used when people want to do their class at home and their dives on a warm water trip, but maybe you could arrange that in this case. (You may need more instruction from the new place to sort some things out, but that's ok.)

 

[MichaelMc]

I would ask for a different instructor and if that does not work, a refund and go to a better shop. That was dangerous, which they should know, and it was very unnecessary for it to be dangerous.

They did not do their job prior to that point. Tell them you felt it was too dangerous. The exercise was supposed to be your chance to demonstrate that you had enough control to remove and replace your BC while remaining in control of buoyancy, body position and depth, with minimal assistance. You are unlikely to need to do it on a dive, but it is a final test of skill and is convenient if your BC gets stuck on something or you want to check or fix something on your BC. Clearly they did not set you up to succeed at that. For one, some of your weight in a weight belt is almost essential to be able to do it comfortably and fluidly. Discounting the option of kneeling on the bottom, which makes the needing to control buoyancy and depth parts a bit moot. Assuming this was PADI, who has good standards for this, but these instructors did not set you up to succeed.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Like others have said I'd see about getting a refund or a different instructor. You now know what you don't want so that might help you interview to hire an instructor that you like. You are paying them and they are working for you. TripAdvisor is a good place to find a good dive shop and good instruction. Read the reviews. If you know some happy-looking divers ask them where they went.

My girlfriend also had a bad experience in her confined water exercises and dumped the instructor and got a full refund. I hand-picked an instructor for her and she had a great time and is now certified and having fun. It's supposed to be FUN.