Helpful hints for new divers?

[krazymad]

A good way to find a good instructor for an Open Water cert or for a Discover Scuba on your vacation is to post and ask on the forum for the area you'll be going to. Usually shops with a good reputation on Scuba Board have earned it. Good luck, I'm sure your 2nd experience will be better than the first.

 

[k ellis]

Well I would say that I go diving with a bunch of people and often times they are new to the sport. I do go on some discover scuba dives with them just to be there support more less and let them know straight up front to pay attention to the dive master / instructor as they are the ones teaching the DSD.

I have noticed in this time span that one of the best DSDs in my opinions was taught by Charlie Dolfun in Maui Hawaii as he not only made it fun and interactive but at the same time was slow and very in tune with what the new divers needed to know. Making a DSD fun is vital to new divers as it may be the one dive that wins them over or the one dive that pushes them away for life. Charlie has done well and I cant say anything bad about him.

On the other hand I have taken a DSD with a less desirable outfit just as a way to get into the water (It was free) and I was shocked at a diffrent instructors methods. It was a sit with your feet in the water and listen to me run down the list type class and one that really did not invite interaction from students to ask questions. After a brief Id say 10 minute run through (Very fast I thought) he gave us gear and said "Get in" I informed him that the gear I was given had a slight free flow but wasnt a bad one. His reply was "Oh it will be alright dont worry about it" He told everyone to then go under and dont touch the inflator he would handle it for them. I thought this whole thing went kind of like fans doing the wave at a sporting event myself!

DSDs should be safe with the major influence being on SAFETY. After that I believe it should be made fun. Diving is intended to be fun and should be kept that way after the first goal of safety is met.

Now as to where to certify. I was too faced with this question when I was going to go to Hawaii in 2007. To my horror the market in Hawaii was almost 2 weeks pay just to get certified in Open Water. I found this unacceptible and decided to shop around. I found that in my home location I could get Open Water, AOW, Rescue and my 5 certs for nearly the same price as just open water and open water in Hawaii or Florida.

Now I am not into buisness numbers so I dont know what overhead Hawaii and Florida has but paying double their what I pay in Oklahoma is crazy when if you put the math to it your doing the same skills and the same card it just wasnt economical for me to buy it there. Also saved in my opinion was valuable vacation time. Im on vacation to enjoy diving and take in the sights so spending time in class is taking away from time on the beach.

In the end of my statement I would have to say it simply put. A course is worth what your willing to pay. Look past the phrase "here is what I have to offer" and look at physical results. Ask questions and if possible ask people who have taken the classes there before. Ask people what they think of the instructor and if they recommend him. If not ask about other options.

Diving is in my opinion one of lifes best sports and it should be made fun and enjoyable.

 

[diver 85]

OP, are you certified??---sounds like not...Do yourself a favor & get certified, then a lot of questions/apprehensions will go away......

 

[CamG]

Greetings Femalediver and I am sorry to hear of your less than pleasurable experience.
I wish it was less common but as others have mentioned it is common in Resort Discover classes.
There is not enough confined water training to help you to relax and feel confident in your skills.
This is where I agree with diver 85 seek out certification here in the states from a patient instructor who understands your dive history.
He or she can help to train the anxiety out of you!
If you study hard pass the academics, practice hard the skill in confined water "pool" you will still be nervous in Open Water but ready to perform the skills required.

All to often people give up at this point believing that they can not do it!
Just simply get the training you need to feel confident and mastery of the 18 basic skills keeps divers safe so that they can enjoy the experience!
Please if you require assistance in anyway feel free to PM me and I will try to point you in the right direction for answers.
I am not biased by any agency nor products that is up to you!
Just pursue your diving goal, and keep us posted on your progress!

CamG keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

 

[femalediver]

Thank you everyone for all of your suggestions! It was in fact a discover scuba that I signed up for, and I think that it would have been much better if the instructor made us feel more confident. I am not sure if I am going to be getting certified anytime soon, but, I will definitely try to get more experience before I get back in the water.

 

[Osric]

Thank you everyone for all of your suggestions! It was in fact a discover scuba that I signed up for, and I think that it would have been much better if the instructor made us feel more confident. I am not sure if I am going to be getting certified anytime soon, but, I will definitely try to get more experience before I get back in the water.

I recommend snorkeling as a good way to get comfortable with some basic skills. Once you feel confident snorkeling, certification is a great next step.

I would not dive if you don't feel confident. Fear and panic are your greatest risks.

Osric

 

[k ellis]

I recommend snorkeling as a good way to get comfortable with some basic skills. Once you feel confident snorkeling, certification is a great next step.

I would not dive if you don't feel confident. Fear and panic are your greatest risks.

Osric

+1 on that. Diving is not for everyone but it is a simple relaxing sport. Work your way back up to it if you desire by trying things like snorkleing.

 

[Sea Lioness]

Thank you everyone for all of your suggestions! It was in fact a discover scuba that I signed up for, and I think that it would have been much better if the instructor made us feel more confident. I am not sure if I am going to be getting certified anytime soon, but, I will definitely try to get more experience before I get back in the water.

I agree with the recommendations to get OW certified (near home is usually the most economical way to do it). An Open Water certification course will give you much more in terms of knowledge, skills and confidence than you can ever get from any Discover Scuba experience. The Open Water course includes significant classroom time, significant time to learn and practice skills in the pool, followed by open water dives with an instructor to demonstrate the skills and complete the certification. You do not need any prior experience diving to enroll in an Open Water course.

However, if you don't want to do a full open water certification course yet, but would rather do another Discover Scuba Diving experience first, then you should research dive shops at your vacation destination before you get there, and look for recommendations of good shops and good instructors in that area. Discover Scuba Diving can be conducted much better and much more responsibly than what your prior experience with it sounds like, but for that to happen, it is essential that you find a good instructor.

 

[Crowley]

Okay - if you don't have the opportunity to get fully certified and instead will do a repeat DSD then the course should be conducted like this (assuming PADI):

- First, a briefing - preferably using the DSD flipchart, or the DSD cue cards for the instructor. Can be either or, but is mandatory. Paperwork completion and a short 9 question true or false quiz.
- Preferably watch the DSD DVD (not mandatory but useful)
- the briefing consists of: how pressure affects the air spaces in your body, how to keep them equalized, how to interact with aquatic life, basic buoyancy control, breathing and swimming technique, equipment introduction, underwater signals and basic skills.
- Dive 1 ( confined shallow water, maximum depth 6 metres) - skills include BCD inflation and deflation at the surface, regulator recovery at the surface, breathing from a regulator underwater, regulator removal, replacement and clearing underwater (blast and purge methods), regulator recovery, clearing a partially flooded mask, equalisation technique. The optional alternate air source prior to the second dive has technically been removed from the program but is still routinely taught (Note, if you do the experience only in a pool, only the BCD skill is required)
- Dive 2 (optional) - fun dive, maximum 12 metres, under close supervision of an instructor. The two dives can be combined without exiting the water.

That's a brief (incomplete) summary of the program to give you an up-front idea of how it should be conducted. There are variations on the theme; for the full program please PM me.

If you're not getting what you think you should be getting, don't do it, find a better shop with a quality instructor. I know a lot of people disapprove of the whole concept of a DSD but given that it exists, as an experience it should be safe and fun and wonderful, not scary.

Hope that helps,

C.

 

[vladimir]

I know a lot of people disapprove of the whole concept of a DSD but given that it exists, as an experience it should be safe and fun and wonderful, not scary.

And should probably not include a surf entry on Kauai's south shore, as my (ex-) wife's did. (More of a swell entry, actually, but still challenging for a first dive with minimal preparation.) What a fiasco! I can imagine DSDs being safe and enjoyable in benign conditions, for those comfortable in the water, but it was years before my wife tried scuba again, and she turned out to be a good diver once she had proper instruction.