How many of you had bad instructors?

[Potapko]

I didn't even get into my nitrox "class". It was 2 hours sitting at a table with the instructor. Different one than the owd, different shop as well, then we did a 5 minute run-through with the oxygen analyzer, on a tank of air.

Cert in a month, no dives, no tests other than verbal. So needless to say, I haven't gone diving with nitrox yet.

 

[mweitz]

I was so lucky. My instructor was awesome. She is an experienced Monterey diver (20 years) and avid cold water diver. She was fun and supportive of the group. We had a small class (six of us). Our DiveCon was great too. They both had very different dive styles and both expressed their style. Good to have some different opinions on dive types and such.

If anyone is thinking of going to classes in the SF Bay Area and wants the contact info just PM me. The class was in San Carlos and we had people drive from SF for it (6 weeknights yet).

Mark

 

[The Kraken]

My instructor for my OW wasn't a "bad" instructor, he just "wasn't". He imparted the required information, taught the requisite skills and so forth, but without any type of passion or energy.

My AOW instructor, on the other hand, was a real son-of-a-witch !!! And I loved it.
The guy was absolutely Marine DI demanding. For my navigational skills he set up the course with legs of 100 yards. If I didn't return to +/- 6 feet at the end of the circuit, it was unacceptable. For the peak performance buoyancy he installed a tape measure on a buoy line. Any deviation of more than 1 foot and the specified depth was unacceptable. By the way, this was a PADI instructor.

 

[scubagirl15]

Kracken,
Your OW instructor sounds like one instructor I had: he appeared to be interested only in notching up certifications for his own instructor rating. He "taught" my Nav specialty by reading out loud from the book, didn't have a clue how to actually navigate with a compass or anything else. He also "taught" my Nitrox specialty from the book, couldn't answer anyone's questions unless the question was in the book and actually got upset at the students for asking questions.

Of course, much later, I find out this guy really only dives two spots: Tobermory and a local quarry. Alright, alright: he also dives Cozumel. What a joke. I paid good money but would've got as much out of it as if I'd just stayed home and read the book. Instead, I re-did the course with a different instructor from a different store.

When I suggested to the store owner that perhaps I could have a different instructor sometime, I was told this yahoo was a great instructor. I would've thought if a customer came to you with feedback, you'd listen. Guess not.

 

[jrdivagrl]

mo2vation, what was the shop called? do you happen to dive with oe express?? or oex?

 

[FreeFloat]

Yeah, I'm sorta curious myself given that I now live in Toronto and would like to know which store gave you that 'warm and fuzzy feeling'. PM me if you like