How does one deal with an instructor that makes them uncomfortable?

[yle]

Wow... your description sounds just like I guy I used to know. He was hired by the shop I worked for to manage our classes. He then decided to assign all classes to himself. His conduct with his students was exactly your checklist... some students quit the first day, some assumed this was the way scuba class is.

We (fellow instructors) complained to management, they told us to "give him a chance". Students complained to management; they were given refunds. Then female shop employees complained that he was harassing them (and he was); he was fired.

If your friend's instructor is of the same ilk, they should run away and take with them whatever they can. Even if they have to run away with no refund and start over from Classroom 1, i.e. the worst case scenario, it's better than "sticking with it" and hoping it will improve. If they find an instructor and class like the one you had, they'll be much happier divers and have no regrets.

(For what it's worth, most of the instructors I've worked with are similar to the one your described for YOUR class... with students opting to follow them into the cold Pacific water even when they had the option to finish on vacation.)

 

[The Chairman]

Nobody wants to learn under a figjam.

Figjams think only of themselves.
Figjams want to be the center of attention.
Figjams want to feel superior.
Figjams believe they know it all, so they've stopped learning and adapting.
Figjams want to have the lowest SAC.
Figjams want to have the most exotic dives.
Figjams always tell you tales of daring do, and never daring don't.
Figjams are the poorest instructors, but their pride often forces them into that kind of achievement.
Figjams simply can't dive and let dive.
Yes, there's a bit of figjamminess in all of us, but try to avoid being a figjam anyway.
When you meet a figjam instructor, run away. Don't try to endure them. Don't try to outfox them. Just move on to another, hopefully less figjammy instructor who will put you first.

Spoiler

Figjam: Fudge I'm good! Just ask me!

 

[Storker]

Spoiler

Figjam: Fudge I'm good! Just ask me!

Y'know, sometimes I really resent the PG-13 rating here on SB. That acronym really loses from being PG-13'd.

 

[BoltSnap]

I just can't see how this person can continue walking to the store/school and continue the course with this instructor. Regardless if the accusations are true or not, if you don't like a person this much and you think that they are as much of jerks as you claim them to be, walk the heck out and not go back for training with this alleged jerk. If you are going to be a scaredy-cat and tip toe around the issue and not have the will to face them and demand refund and an apology, no one is going to do it for you.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

If they have done their confined water dives, all that is left is open water dives. They can always do a referral to a warmer location. If it is a shop, they can always ask for another instructor if the shop has more than one. Are there any freelance instructors in the area?

Personally, if they have already paid for the full course, I'd suggest they stick it out for the remaining 4 dives. The guy may be a total ass, but unless he is teaching them to do something unsafe, just finish and focus on developing skills and lots of diving afterwards. It should just be a few more hours over 2 more days and they have their card. Assholes are everywhere, figjams are common in this hobby, unless he has gone way off script and is teaching something unsafe, just finish and get the card. Thats when the real learning begins, and that only happens with lots of diving.

Good luck,
Jay

 

[dmaziuk]

There may be some others I'm forgetting but he general problem is that my friend is not comfortable and is having a bad time. So how does my friend get out of this with credit for work completed, so they can finish elsewhere?

Is there such thing as "credit" for pool dives? As I understand it, you can do the written test by e-learning now, and you can do the "finals" by referral, but you have to complete the pool dives to get the latter.

 

[Hoag]

A good friend of mine enjoyed the DVDs from some of my dive trips so much that she decided to learn how to dive herself. There were two main dive shops in the town where she lives. One is a PADI site and the other is NAUI and SSI. She asked me which one I would recommend. (I learned to dive from PADI.)

I told her that PADI, NAUI and SSI certifications would be recognized pretty much anywhere in the world, so that shouldn't influence her too much. Instead, I suggested that she go to each of the shops and hang out for a little while. She which one makes her feel more comfortable. See which shop seems the most willing to chat and to answer any questions. See which shop she would feel she could trust to teach her the skills she would need to properly react if something went horribly wrong.

The thing that I stressed to her was that when push came to shove, she should go to the shop that she had the best "gut feeling" about and that she should trust her instincts. I would recommend the same thing to the Op, trust your instincts. If you don't like it there, find someplace else that will meet your needs.

 

[happy-diver]

Now if you could stage a mass walkout, heh heh heh!

 

[dmaziuk]

You're welcome to walk out on me all you like, just as long as you don't ask for refund. And then I'll honestly tell anyone who asks I fail "masses" of students... I'm sure there must be a downside I'm not seeing.

 

[yle]

Is there such thing as "credit" for pool dives? As I understand it, you can do the written test by e-learning now, and you can do the "finals" by referral, but you have to complete the pool dives to get the latter.

Yes, every section of the PADI OW course is separate, in terms of getting "credit". Five classroom sessions, five pool sessions, four OW dives. And there's a couple other little things that also get checked off separately.