How upset would you be?

[AXL72]

Now you guys are making me a bit nervous. I was supposed to start my OW cert classes today. Only problem was, when I showed up at the shop (after a 30 minute drive) the instructor/owner looked at me and said "Did you watch the video?" To which I replied "Nope, you didn't give me one." Funny seeing how I specifically asked when scheduling "Don't I need a video and some books to study?" Well he was out of books and said he'd arrange for that. I wasn't all that worried about it at the time but the more I think about it the more I worry. I drove home, with the dvd this time, and spent the entire evening watching. Learning... well, everything I already knew from my discover scuba class and from reading this board for the last few months. No biggie, still good stuff. Only thing is, now I'm starting to think about the schedule I have. I'm going in tomorrow night again to go over the material and do the classroom stuff... at least I think so. (The shop owner was swamped with people and had JUST returned from a trip to the bahama's when I showed up) If I'm doing classroom tomorrow night, and my checkout dives are saturday and sunday... how much time am I possibly going to be able to get in the pool practicing without taking a day off work (kinda hard to do being in the military) in two days!?! Granted, he is doing this for me as a private lesson (just me all by my lonesome) at a HIGHLY discounted price, so I haven't been pressing the schedule issue. I'm also a fast learner and have already had a bit of experience (two dives). Hopefully he's taking this into account with everything. but at the same time, I don't want to get cheated just cause I'm paying 350 instead of 500. The owner and his son who work the shop are excellent guys (Spent time talking to them for quite a while previous to scheduling the class) and seem very capable. I just want to make sure I'm going to get the info I need. Guess I'll find out. Anyone else just kind of "fly by wire" on thier cert? Not have thier books? or watch the entire DVD in one night? Or is it just me?

DELETED.....someone cried wolf.....and totally misused quotation marks / paraphrasing

 

[BeachJunkie]

I am not sure about the OP, but this situation of ill equipping you, when spcifically asked "Do I need a video...etc.?", and then having a man-period by asking, in a trifling manner, "Did you watch the video?" really pisses m off. GRRRR...can u say "your instructor sounds like a real FUQER"

He really didn't ask in a trifling manner. It was more of a "hey man, how's it going? You remember to watch the video?" Big Lee is a really nice guy. I think I just kinda caught him at a bad time and being a private class with just me while he's still runnin other classes, I'm sure his mind is gettin torn. Plus he was in the middle of gettin ready for a trip to the bahama's when I showed up. And had literally JUST returned (like 15-20 minutes before I walked in the door) from said trip yesterday. I'm going again this evening to kick things off. I'll post up how it went. I've got high hopes... hopefully they don't get crushed.

 

[Walter]

You should be very upset. You should be upset with yourself. Frankly, that instructor seems pretty typical to me. He cut a few corners, but nothing out of the ordinary. Yes, the class was inadequate, but then the vast majority I've seen were inadequate. You assumed this guy would be a good instructor without asking anything about his teaching methods.

Get your mother another course with another instructor. To choose a good course, follow these guidelines.

 

[boulderjohn]

You should be very upset. You should be upset with yourself. Frankly, that instructor seems pretty typical to me. He cut a few corners, but nothing out of the ordinary. Yes, the class was inadequate, but then the vast majority I've seen were inadequate. You assumed this guy would be a good instructor without asking anything about his teaching methods.

I am really sorry you have seen so much of this. Frankly, I have not. Admittedly, I have only watched maybe a dozen instructors go through a class in my AI days, but I have generally not seen such things. I recently spent a week diving in St. Maarten, and I was able to watch as an instructor went through an OW course with students. Even though resorts in general have a reputation for cutting corners, this was all by the book. I also saw an AOW class in operation, and that also was very thorough. In fact, the instructor went well beyond the class description.

That last line brings me to the exceptions. The AOW diver had to go beyond the class description because one of the students had been taught initially by an inadequate instructor who cut corners, passing students, for example, on hovering when not a single one was able to do it. I know that because by sheer luck I sat next to that student on my return flight. I told her the same thing that I told this person: report the instructor to the agency. In the few other cases of standard-skipping I have heard about, I always say the same.

 

[jefffalcone]

You should be very upset. You should be upset with yourself. Frankly, that instructor seems pretty typical to me. He cut a few corners, but nothing out of the ordinary. Yes, the class was inadequate, but then the vast majority I've seen were inadequate. You assumed this guy would be a good instructor without asking anything about his teaching methods.

Get your mother another course with another instructor. To choose a good course, follow these guidelines.

You know Walter, you're right. I should have done a more thorough interview with the instructor. I know the man from dealing with him in his shop, and his course is described on his website. He repeatedly states in the course description that he will spend as much time as you need to learn, and that most people cannot learn to dive in 2 to 4 days. On his dive charters he has the most conservative safety standards that I have ever encountered. I assumed based on these factors that he would conduct a more thorough course than he did. You know what you get when you assume. In retrospect I know exactly where I went wrong. My main motivation in starting this thread was to show my mother that what went on in her class was indeed substandard. Her confidence was a little shaken and I thought reading people's reactions to her course would make her feel better.

 

[BeachJunkie]

AXL72, After re-reading what I wrote I understand how you came to the conclusion that your did. Thats why I re-explained it. I apologize for the misunderstanding.

 

[jefffalcone]

I have to admit also that I chose the course that was geographically most convenient for her.

 

[Walter]

My main motivation in starting this thread was to show my mother that what went on in her class was indeed substandard. Her confidence was a little shaken and I thought reading people's reactions to her course would make her feel better.

I hope she feels better and is interested in learning from a better instructor. They are out there, they just aren't common.

 

[jefffalcone]

I hope she feels better and is interested in learning from a better instructor. They are out there, they just aren't common.

I guess I just got lucky with my OW course. I picked the first one I found online and the instructor was excellent. He made sure that everyone could preform all of the skills taght reasonably well in the pool. My good experience made me think that the lack of quality instruction talked about on this board is exaggerated.

Fortunately I live in an area with quite a few dive shops, so I won't need to give any more of my business to this one.

 

[Annemf]

Wait a minute, Jeff and Walter. 7 of 16 hours of scheduled class/pool time was cancelled. That is 44%. Would you have asked how much of the class is usually cancelled? I think this instructor / salesman knows the correct answers to all of the questions needed to make a sale.
It is especially upsetting that I ended up believing for a while that I somehow should have done better with less than the promised course.
I am feeling a lot better about it, thanks.
Jeff's Mom