From an instructional point of view, I'm going to push somebody who's got great skills harder than someone who has average skills.....
There is a minimum standard that you must achieve in order to pass, as a few on here and other boards have found to their detriment! This is what I tell students, there are certain skills that we have to get done by standards, if you keep it high and tight that's all you'll have to do, but if you leave the door open, that's when I have my fun...... Unfortunately, there's no one who's kept it high and tight enough for my satisfaction yet......
One of the problems I see these days, is that some of the newer cave instructors don't have their confidence and control nailed yet and they tend to take care of problems immediately, taking what I call the nanny approach instead of letting the student(s) try and work through it themselves before stepping in. Our job is to take people beyond their comfort level but NOT to get them into a freak out state and it's a fine line to walk sometimes! However it's also the funnest part of teaching when you start "snowballing" people, but there have been times in the cave when I'll back off 'cause I feel one more thing would be the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.
Oh yeah and when I say you did a really good job and they're won't be any drills on this dive, I'm lying, just means I'm trying to catch you unawares.....
I also happen to feel if you teach more than you fun dive, you shouldn't be teaching, but heck that's just my opinion.....
Safe diving,
Rich
