DementialFaith:
I think someone should start calling the American psychological Society and ask them to stop sending hydrophobic and hydro-traumatized individuals to scuba shops. I mean... shouldn't they start their fear-overcoming journey by, let's say, combing the beach first? Frankly, I find it a little too much to ask someone who's terrified of a swimming pool to be breathing from a compressed air tank 40 feet below the wonderful Californian waves. Not to mention that it's really a distress-filled situation when you're trying to work with these water-challenged individuals... and to see them try so hard and not going anywhere... to have to try and pull the plug on the situation. Why are we getting these people in our scuba classes?
I would suspect you are cheaper than therapy.
I've had lots of people that were afraid of one aspect or another at being in/under water, and in many cases they do just find. I suspect that it has more to do with the desire and how well the individual can learn to control their fear.
The problem is, fear is one step away from panic and that, as we all know, can be fatal to more than just the student.
In a reasonable class size and assistance, you have the chance to spend pool time to resolve if the person is a danger to themselves or other, or just needs the time.
My worst student was an old Marine, that took the class because his unit was taking the class. Wost swimmer I have ever seen and most afraid of the water of anyone I have ever seen actual get in water. But he wanted to show his guys that he could do what they could. I gave him extra pool classes, he did extra work on his own, and in the end passes easier than most regular students. Most are not like this.
As the two major aspects of this are desire and the ability to control their own actions (at least as I see it), evaluations take a bit of time, but should be fairly easy. Some should not take the class - some are ok.
Note: Never had a single student who was afraid of the water ever get into trouble or have a major problem later. They either never went out, or they went out with more safety concerns than the normal person.