Good instructors?

[simbrooks]

(In another attempt at a feel good thread - although i know it will lurch off after only 10 posts onto something else )

So what is one of the most commonly asked questions on Scubaboard by newbies? "Which agency should i go with?" And the most common answer to this would be "Its not the agency, its the instructor that makes the difference". Not wishing to start an agency x vs agency y debate (i think that horse is also very dead), so please dont go there.

Due to the fact that new divers, either those just before doing OW and those who are thinking of changing instructors (due to bad instruction or moving around the country/world), will find themselves not being able to fully distinguish the poo or ok from the great instructors (i know you can interview some instructors when you know what to ask, but again, newbies dont always know what to ask). Hence the theory behind the thread, who have you had instruction from that you thought was a good instructor and why?

This is an attempt to collate good reviews of good instructors out there that newbies or those moving around could use in their respective areas to find good quality instruction.

To start the ball rolling, i dont think i had a good OW instructor and so i went a searching around and found GDI off SB and things have gone well since then - although i have yet to do the cavern/cave stuff with him and dont know if he will be a nazi at that time . I feel he is a well accomplished diver, skilled in many ways and very friendly to his students and any one else for that matter. I feel my diving has come on considerable under his guidance and would like to continue that instruction.

The only other instructor i have yet to dive with recreationally was Walter, he again was very friendly and helpful. IF i lived near Ft Myers i would have tried to continue on my instruction with him. Another who i have noticed on this board (although probably not the only one) would be Mike Ferrera, who almost always has something useful and helpful to say - again i dont dive in IN, so no go there! I am sure there are others, i have heard good things about some others on other threads and would like to know if anyone has something to add about their personal favourite instructors over the years?

 

[ArcticDiver]

A good instructor knows the subject matter but need not know the most, or be the best at it. A good instructor must be able to read the student and use the most effective way of communicating with that particular student. A good instructor understands the class purpose is to help the student learn, not demonstrate their own superiority. A good instructor keeps the student alive until the student can make their own safety decisions.

 

[simbrooks]

A good instructor knows the subject matter but need not know the most, or be the best at it. A good instructor must be able to read the student and use the most effective way of communicating with that particular student. A good instructor understands the class purpose is to help the student learn, not demonstrate their own superiority. A good instructor keeps the student alive until the student can make their own safety decisions.

I wasnt quite asking what a good instructor is, although that is useful stuff to know, for anyone at any level. Another thing i might add to that is that a good instructor should be a good "role-model" for the diving students, ie not teaching them bad habits through their actions whilst teaching - even if it isnt part of the actual course, the way the instructor/mentor acts has some effect on the student.

Do you know anyone who you would define as being a good instructor (judged so by you and by your very consise, but good description on what a good instructor is) - either in AK or wherever else you might have been and trained?

 

[Scubaguy62]

Simbrooks

I have met several instructors, but have only received instruction from two, and I believe none of them are members of SB. They are: J. Michael Anderson, and Lissette Gomez. Both good instructors, but based on my experiences with them, I would recommend Michael over Lisette. Nevertheless, IMO, learning is the student's responsibility, and if the student is disciplined enough to do the work and not just "get by," the instructor's job will be limited to monitor the learning and to answer questions. The choice will then be limited to which instructor does it in a way with which the student is comfortable.

 

[Walter]

Thanks for the compliment.

Mike Brady is an excellent Instructor. He is certified to teach NAUI He teaches in the Delray Beach, Florida area. Mike is on the board.

Ken Nemeth is an excellent Instructor. He is certified to teach YMCA and PADI. He teaches in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Ken is not on this board.

This is excellent if you live in an area in which onne of these instructors teach. OTOH, how do you find a good instructor if you don't?

This is beyond what you were asking, but what the heck I'll post it anyway. I wrote this for another website, but it's my intellectual property and I'll post it here as well.

Interview potential instructors. Most people never ask any questions beyond price. As the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for." Excellent instructors will usually have a higher priced class for a number of reasons. The instructor is dedicated toward providing you all the time you need to master necessary knowledge and skills. Extra pool time can be expensive. Keep in mind; the instructor is trying to make a living. His time is valuable.

Consider alternatives. While many instructors teach through dive shops, some of the best are independent instructors or affiliated with colleges, universities or YMCA's.

Questions to ask.

How long have you been teaching? Most instructors improve over time. They learn new techniques and get ideas from other instructors and through experience to improve their classes.

Do you certify all your students? Only instructors who are in a hurry and care nothing about your safety will answer yes. You want an instructor who will require you to be safe and knowledgeable before issuing a c-card. An excellent instructor might tell you that he is willing to keep working with a student until the student either qualifies or gives up.

What skin diving skills will I learn? While there is some disagreement on this point, many professionals believe a solid foundation in skin diving will not only make you a better SCUBA diver, it will make learning SCUBA easier.

Will I learn confidence-building skills? There are some skills which have no direct application to a typical dive, but which do build your confidence as well as your abilities. This, combined with an understanding of the panic cycle, will make you much less likely to panic.

Do you teach the panic cycle? Panic is the most dangerous aspect of diving. Many instructors do not understand panic and believe there is no way to combat it. In actuality, panic is understood. It is though learning the panic cycle and by increasing skill levels that panic is avoided.

Do your students swim with their hands? This will let you know if the instructor pays attention to details. Good divers do not use their hands for swimming.

Do you work on trim? Divers should be horizontal in the water. Good instructors will see that students are striving towards good trim. Poor instructors often neglect it.

Do you overweight your students? Many instructors overweight students. It is not a good practice.

What method do you use to correctly weight your students? Any answer that does not involve actually getting in the water means you want to avoid that instructor.

What kicking styles will I learn in your class? Most instructors teach only the flutter kick. Good instructors also teach frog and dolphin. Excellent instructors teach those as well as scissor and sculling. Excellent instructors will encourage you to use the frog kick and will demonstrate backward swimming.

How many people will be in my class? Small classes are better. You'll have more individual attention. Unless the instructor is using assistants, more than four students are difficult to watch.

How many certified assistants will you be using? Unless the class is relatively large (more than 4 students) this should not be an issue. An instructor should have a certified Divemaster or Assistant Instructor for every two students over four. There are times when divers working on their Divemaster or Assistant Instructor certifications assist with a class. This is normal and not an issue, but they do not count toward the assistants an instructor should have when working with larger classes.

Will I be learning skills kneeling on the pool bottom or mid-water? This question is not critical, but will let you know if you've found an instructor who has a great deal on the ball. The over whelming majority of instructors (even good instructors) teach skills kneeling on the bottom. Don't eliminate instructors who do. Some instructors have realized your mask will flood while you are swimming, not when you are sitting on the bottom. You need to learn skills in the manner in which you'll be using them.

Questions to ask yourself

Is the instructor patient? While talking with your potential instructor, you should be getting a feel for his personality. Patience is an important quality for an instructor. You want to avoid instructors with a drill sergeant demeanor.

Would I be happier learning from a man or a woman? Only you can answer that question, but in general it is not usually a serious consideration. There are excellent instructors and there are poor instructors. Men and women fall into both groups.

 

[simbrooks]

I wasnt trying to limit it to SB member instructors, just they are obviously around here and visable to everyone. This was meant as a list of good instructors that might help others to find decent instruction.

With regard to it being the student's responsibility to get the info out of the instructor, i think it is a give and take situation for both, but seeing as the instructors are the ones providing a service and more experience and knowledge, what they have to give is different than what a student gives. The instructor gives, instruction, example, ethusiasm, patience, understanding and is also there for support (safety too?), the student gives willingness, ethusiasm, eagerness to learn, instruction following (but questioning the why's where needed) and determination to try the various skills experiences and whatnot for the course.

 

[simbrooks]

Thanks for the compliment.

You are welcomes, credit where credit is due and of course, i am sure others would say the same that know you.

I can only see the hijacks coming from tangents thrown up by your interviewing question posts though

Thank you for inserting that info, again i hope this thread is of use to many other people and is a positive encouragement to instructors to keep trying to thought of positively by their students by going that extra mile.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I've had three good instructors.

The first was Kevin Heiber, my normoxic trimix instructor who I also went to for my IANTD instructor training. He isn't very active any more.

The second was my cave instructor Steve Keene. A couple other board members have gone to him for their cave training and they too have been satisfied.

The third was my Advanced trimix instructor, Greg Such.

 

[ArcticDiver]

I wasnt quite asking what a good instructor is, although that is useful stuff to know, for anyone at any level. Another thing i might add to that is that a good instructor should be a good "role-model" for the diving students, ie not teaching them bad habits through their actions whilst teaching - even if it isnt part of the actual course, the way the instructor/mentor acts has some effect on the student.

Do you know anyone who you would define as being a good instructor (judged so by you and by your very consise, but good description on what a good instructor is) - either in AK or wherever else you might have been and trained?

Thanks for the explanation. What you want is clearer now.

All my instructors are, as far as I know, no longer actively teaching except for Ed Carbonne, of the SeaFever, who did my EAN course. So, it really wouldn't do much good to name names.

But, if you want individuals rather than qualities I would point to the people I dive with. Living so far from sea water I take full advantage of everyone I dive with, or who I see dive. They are a wealth of info, and its' all free.

The posters on this and other web sites are also valuable teachers. Sometimes though the flame of their passionate belief burns so hot it singes my wings and I turn away as quickly as I can.

In all this though my emphasis whether I am teaching or learning is that the ultimate outcome is the learner's responsibility. Its' the old story of taking a horse to the trough, but you can't make him drink.

 

[RSoper]

Questions to ask.

What skin diving skills will I learn? While there is some disagreement on this point, many professionals believe a solid foundation in skin diving will not only make you a better SCUBA diver, it will make learning SCUBA easier.

As an instructor i would personally rather spend the time allocated for the classes working on the students "in-water" scuba skills than skin-diving, to me it is more relivent. I think the student would benefit more from spending any potential extra time allocated for skin diving skills, practising scuba skills, not that skin diving is to be ignored, but i think given the choice of teaching students skin diving skills, or scuba skills, the scuba skills ultimately would be of more use (IMO.)

Will I learn confidence-building skills? There are some skills which have no direct application to a typical dive, but which do build your confidence as well as your abilities. This, combined with an understanding of the panic cycle, will make you much less likely to panic.

Do you teach the panic cycle? Panic is the most dangerous aspect of diving. Many instructors do not understand panic and believe there is no way to combat it. In actuality, panic is understood. It is though learning the panic cycle and by increasing skill levels that panic is avoided.

Do your students swim with their hands? This will let you know if the instructor pays attention to details. Good divers do not use their hands for swimming.

Most students will try to swim with their hands at least initially, it is only natural as it was probably the way they were taught to swim. They should of course be taught otherwise in the scuba course, but i do not see how this makes for a bad instructor.

What kicking styles will I learn in your class? Most instructors teach only the flutter kick. Good instructors also teach frog and dolphin. Excellent instructors teach those as well as scissor and sculling. Excellent instructors will encourage you to use the frog kick and will demonstrate backward swimming.

I think your students have to learn to "walk before they can run." The stuff you are talking about here is all well and good, but i think a bit out of the scope of the basic scuba course. It would be great if we could teach our students more advanced techniques of diving (in sequence,) but at the end of the day, the basic scuba course could end up going on for ever. This would no doubt be great for the student in terms of what he/she learns (if they manage to retain all of the information,) but the instructor / school has to make a profit / living somewhere in the equition, and a course which goes on for ever is not neccasarily a profitable one (and i'm not talking about earning a fortune here, just a little more than breaking even.)

Will I be learning skills kneeling on the pool bottom or mid-water? This question is not critical, but will let you know if you've found an instructor who has a great deal on the ball. The over whelming majority of instructors (even good instructors) teach skills kneeling on the bottom. Don't eliminate instructors who do. Some instructors have realized your mask will flood while you are swimming, not when you are sitting on the bottom. You need to learn skills in the manner in which you'll be using them.

I teach my students to perform the skills while kneeling on the pool floor. I do not see how you can expect them to have mastered their buoyancy to the point where skills can be introduced while "hovering," at early stages of pool training where skills such as mask clearing, regulator recovery and so on are introduced. Again this goes back to being able to walk before you can run.

These are just my opnions, i think you have to remember most schools / instructors have to try and complete a basic scuba course within a specified time frame, to make it practicle and cost effective. Adding all these extra skills is all well and good, but would extend the duration of the course significantly, some students have difficulty mastering just the basic skills by the end of the course programme, let alone things like "frog" and "dolphin" kicks.