How to vet a dive shop

[formernuke]

No yup if you want to tag along come along.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

How do you let divers tag along? We don’t allow that at all. Instructors, DMs and students. That’s it.

PADI does allow this, but they must be counted within the student ratios. I'm not a fan of this approach as at best it's a distraction.

If the tag along is a family member / friend of one of the students, I'll recommend they wait till they're certified, then come along on a guided 'club dive'.

 

[Edward3c]

thank you very much for the advice. I did read a review where someone did tag along on one of the trainings so I don't think the shop would've had a problem with it. I think it was more that my sister didn't want me to go and that caused a bit of a tussle between us. I've decided she's probably not going to be a good dive buddy for me.

As a none certified diver I wouldn’t let you in the water, my dive management insurance would not protect me if something when pear shaped.

 

[NorCalDM]

How do you let divers tag along? We don’t allow that at all. Instructors, DMs and students. That’s it.

If they are certified how do you keep them out of the water? They are just diving around the class not in it and responsible for themselves again they’re certified.

 

[tridacna]

Sounds great until “tag along” parents/friends start “helping” when they think they are needed. Adds tension to the class. We explain that they can dive elsewhere in the quarry. Never had a parent or friend argue or disagree in 30 years.

 

[Rooster59]

Try to find a good instructor, then ask about private instruction. It might not cost much more than a class. It helps if you are a quick learner of the written stuff i.e. gas laws, physics, that stuff. The 2 of you get to work out the schedule, like pool sessions at 5am.

 

[The Chairman]

If they are certified how do you keep them out of the water? They are just diving around the class not in it and responsible for themselves again they’re certified.

To go against an instructor's wishes would be obnoxious and very distracting. What could possibly motivate anyone to intrude like that?

I often teach boyfriends, girlfriends or children of divers and they often want to be a part of the class. It's not up to them, but to the student. However, I never tell that to the certified diver. I get the student away from their buddy to be and ask them directly if they want the person in the pool or even in OW. They make the decision and the diver never gets to know that. I always present the decision as mine and mine alone to avoid any awkwardness.

 

[formernuke]

Sounds great until “tag along” parents/friends start “helping” when they think they are needed. Adds tension to the class. We explain that they can dive elsewhere in the quarry. Never had a parent or friend argue or disagree in 30 years.

For this reason I won't go when invited for OW classes because I don't want to be a distraction. I am going tag along for a project aware because well it gets me wet.

Another time you see this here is when doing boat dives for more advanced training as the charters won't do them unless there is x number of people on board.

 

[The Chairman]

For this reason I won't go when invited for OW classes because I don't want to be a distraction. I am going tag along for a project aware because well it gets me wet.

If they are going to be diving together, then at some point I want to see them dive together. This way, I get to identify any problems caused by the 'seasoned' diver and make sure that they have the same signals and protocols. This is especially important if the 'seasoned' diver has learned bad habits or holds to some of the old ways.

 

[Heatheroe]

I couldn’t tell from your thread 8 years ago if you had told the shop about your already scheduled vacation when you signed up for your class.

That is odd about the scheduling.

Yes we told him. We signed up in early August, the trip was for mid to late October. The next classroom sessions available weren't until September. He was short staffed and had offered a half off Groupon (unbeknownst to us at the time) so I think he was overwhelmed.