How happy are you with today's level of Diver Education?

[njedrn]

Personally, after spending 2 days reading this thread, I feel a strong consensus from most people posting, that OW training does not actually prepare a diver to be independent and safe while diving outside the supervision of an instructor or DM. I actually experienced this, first a little background, then my story.

I completed my OW in June, although I learned about diving and the basic skills to stay alive, I felt as if I was not prepared to dive on my own (by that I mean to plan and execute a dive with a buddy just as green as I). This notion was reinforced after completing the class.
Our class was structured with a study at home component, then 4 hours of class time on Friday night. After completion of the classwork and exams, my buddy and I had our pool dives on Saturday morning, 2 open water dives Saturday afternoon, then our final 2 dives on Sunday. I was excited to finish, but just after the completion of the Sunday dives, I realized that my buddy and I had no real clue how to plan or execute a dive outside of using our air tables.

Due to my lack of confidence, my brother and I decided to take the AOW class in the days following the OW class. One of the guys in our OW class was on the dive boat the day we were doing our AOW dives, it was a wreck dive that we were practicing compass nav, both the guy from our class and his sister (also newly certified OW) took the same dive – but ended up not being able to get back to the mooring line, got caught in the current and swept 300+ yards past the boat. Neither one of them were able to safely perform the dive.

After the AOW course I finally felt as if I had the basic information and core skills needed to BEGIN to safely organize, plan, execute and return from a dive without the assistance of a DM or Instructor. Diving has become a passion for me, and I will spend a lifetime mastering these skills and learning new ones, but the true danger with the OW course is that in my experience, there is no warning or awareness that the OW course is a stepping stone, not landing zone.

~NJEDRN
"If someone accused you of doing a good job, would you have enough proof?"

 

[The Chairman]

For me, it's more an opportunity to illustrate what has already been taught. However, there are many opportunities for teaching. It might relate to staging gear at the site, keeping their gear organized, reading the site, managing the environment, timing in gearing up.... Lots of teachable moments during debrief, too.

I can't demonstrate skills, only evaluate them during checkouts. That doesn't mean I can't teach.

I agree... skill instruction is over by the time we hit OW. I am not going to put a person who can't R&R their Scuba Unit in the suds hoping that they will get it this time (they can't touch the bottom). Can they have a momentary lapse? Possibly. I always explain my classes in this manner.

• Online Academics: Acquire the knowledge necessary for Scuba.
• Academic Test: Show off that knowledge.
• Pool Sessions: Acquire and develop the skills necessary for Scuba.
• Open Water: Time to show off your knowledge as well as you skills!

By the time I get to OW, I am changing my gear a bit. I will no longer have equipment that mirrors their instructional gear. They get to see a Hogarthian set up and begin to learn the importance of buddy briefings.

 

[Diver0001]

and these are requirements to be certified?

They're not performance requirements but Dave is right.

I do something similar. Try to make check-out days seem as much like "normal" dive days as you can. Get the students to judge conditions, make a dive plan, etc etc. It's just one step in preparing them as well as time allows to take on doing a dive without me telling them what to do the whole day.

That's adding value to the check out days but it's not a "performance requirement". I don't understand why someone would want to teach if the only thing they think they have to put effort into are the performance requirements. I know it happens but there are some instructors who try to make the course a little more interesting than that.

R..

 

[Walter]

One of the things I found out when I took my OW class is that "No one taught me HOW TO DIVE!" They taught me pretty much how not to kill myself, but they didn't teach me how to dive, No fin kicks (standard flutter kick was assumed) No "trim" training, weighting was covered, but not emphasized, as was neutral buoyancy and how to maintain it.

All of those are taught in an adequate class.

That wasn't quite what I had in mind. I think a "standard" course usually involves something like 5x in a pool and 4x in OW for a total combined bottom time of something around 7 hours.

That's less than half of what is needed in the pool alone.

 

[JeffG]

They're not performance requirements but Dave is right.

He's right in that he teaches that during the OW section. But it is not required. Some of it is common sense. Some of it comes from the love of diving and having a mentor frame of mind.

But its a huge leap to say that this extra knowledge has any impact on a divers certification. To call this "teaching" sounds more like self justification.

An "Evil" instructor could not do any of Dave's and still certify a diver.

Personally, I doubt such a beast exists because of the "comes from the love of diving and having a mentor frame of mind"

At this point...this is a bit of mental masturbation. Somehow some instructors seem to feel devalued if the topic of a 2 day course is brought up and try hard to redefine what constituents training to prove that a 2 day course doesn't exist. Its laughable actually.

 

[*dave*]

and these are requirements to be certified?

No, but I consider them essential in developing independent divers.

 

[*dave*]

At this point...this is a bit of mental masturbation. Somehow some instructors seem to feel devalued if the topic of a 2 day course is brought up and try hard to redefine what constituents training to prove that a 2 day course doesn't exist. Its laughable actually.

Jeff, the "course" is the entire certification process, not just class time. I feel two days is inadequate for the class/pool portion, but it's still not a two day course you are referring to.

 

[JeffG]

Jeff, the "course" is the entire certification process, not just class time. I feel two days is inadequate for the class/pool portion, but it's still not a two day course you are referring to.

Its a two day course with a two day evaluation.

and with the link I provided. The evaluation isn't even a part of it.


You can redefine it all you want. But its still 2 days of classes.

 

[DCBC]

RSTC Standard, ISO Standard, Alternative ISO Title

Scuba Experience No equivalent

No equivalent Level One Diver Supervised Diver

Open Water Diver Level Two Diver Autonomous Diver

Dive Supervisor Level Three Diver Dive Leader

Asst Instructor Level 1 Instructor

Scuba Instructor Level 2 Instructor

Instructor Trainer No equivalent

No equivalent Service Provider

 

[Web Monkey]

Monty Python:

Well there's rat cake ... rat sorbet... rat pudding... or strawberry tart.
Man: Strawberry tart?!
Woman: Well it's got some rat in it.
Man: How much?
Woman: Three, rather a lot really.
Man: ... well, I'll have a slice without so much rat in it.

​

A too-short class is still too short even when the Open Water dives contain "teaching moments" .

Terry