I failed the pool test!

[Web Monkey]

53F is pretty cold but I would argue that you should be able to handle that water temp and be able to perform skills in that sort of temp. Sounds like 53F may be more or less normal for your part of the world. So if I am the instructor and I see you struggling in that kind of water, I would also fail you because I will not have complete confidence that if I cert you and you are out there diving in 53F water by yourself you will be able to perform adequately.

I'm impressed! You must be quite a diver!

In normal humans, 53 degrees will give you just a little better than an hour of consciousness, and would then require transport to a hospital and rewarming in the emergency room.


Terry

 

[TwistedGray]

Clear up a few small things:
1. Work paid for the class and "work" knows the instructor and got a good deal.
2. After the "swimming test" we them put on our wetsuits. I wore a 7mm.
3. All I knew prior is that we would be in a pool. I did not think to ask if it would be heated or not; although, knowing that would not make a bit of difference because the swimming test requires NO wetsuit.
4. We will be learning every "skill" in one day at the pool. I think there are around 20-25.
5. After our "pool day" we will have 2 open water dives and then we'll be certified.

Would've been nice to spend more time on EACH skill. However, I did not pay for the class and the person that did would have to get a refund from his own friend. It's a crappy situation to be in, so I'll suck it up. I plan to practice a lot more in my girlfriend's parents pool (heated) and with her brother afterwards (he's an instructor). Also, we have all our rental gear while they are sorting out dates so that's good (free of charge of course).

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

I couldn't do 4 laps in 53 degrees in just a swim suit!

I have had a hard time in 60 degree water with a wetsuit hood, gloves, booties, and a hot drink before after the dive along with warm water dumped down my suit.

Don't give up! Those are some tough circumstances to get started under for anyone.

 

[RJP]

5. After our "pool day" we will have 2 open water dives and then we'll be certified.

Certified as "what" and by "whom"?

 

[TwistedGray]

Open Water Divers--PADI

 

[RJP]

Open Water Divers--PADI

The PADI requirements for OW are FOUR OW dives, not TWO.

 

[b1gcountry]

My instructor made me do something similar, but it was for my DM class, and we didn't have to do the survival float. I don't know what the temp was, but it was below freezing outside, and the pool's electricity had been out for three days. That was some cold water with no wetsuit on! Having that for OW is like 10x worse...

Tom

 

[Web Monkey]

Clear up a few small things:
1. Work paid for the class and "work" knows the instructor and got a good deal.
2. After the "swimming test" we them put on our wetsuits. I wore a 7mm.
3. All I knew prior is that we would be in a pool. I did not think to ask if it would be heated or not; although, knowing that would not make a bit of difference because the swimming test requires NO wetsuit.
4. We will be learning every "skill" in one day at the pool. I think there are around 20-25.
5. After our "pool day" we will have 2 open water dives and then we'll be certified.

Would've been nice to spend more time on EACH skill. However, I did not pay for the class and the person that did would have to get a refund from his own friend. It's a crappy situation to be in, so I'll suck it up. I plan to practice a lot more in my girlfriend's parents pool (heated) and with her brother afterwards (he's an instructor). Also, we have all our rental gear while they are sorting out dates so that's good (free of charge of course).

All of the above is completly irrelevant to you, since you should never go back to that instructor. If your boss paid for it, that's your boss's problem. Not only is there no requirement to do the swim test in 53 degree water with no exposure protection, I'd be really surprised if it were even permitted by the cert agency, since it's a health and safety hazard.

Two OW dives and one pool session meets nobodys OW certification standards, so the only way he can sign off on your C cards is by lying.

Even with the required minimum 4 dives, one day isn't enough to learn all the skills and become proficient unless your instructor uses the "Brain Transfer" helmet from the old "Spock's Brain" episode of StarTrek.

Getting a fast, crappy class is not a bargain, since once the class is over, you're on your own and even if you learn fast and are lucky, will be equipped to do nothing more than breathe without killing yourself.

Forget the money. Don't worry about offending anybody. Do not show up for any more classes or tests or dives.

If you want to learn to dive, find a school or instructor that takes the time to turn out safe divers.

Terry

 

[jbd]

Clear up a few small things:

4. We will be learning every "skill" in one day at the pool. I think there are around 20-25.
5. After our "pool day" we will have 2 open water dives and then we'll be certified.

This is an absolutely ludicrous description of a scuba course. This class can do no more than expose the students to what the "skills" are. It will not produce any semblance of proficiency in diving at all. Even at zero cost, this class is not worth the time to take it and will make any subsequent diving far more risky than it should be.

 

[haha49]

53 F. Were you in a wetsuit or swimsuit? 53 F is nothing to play around with. Those temps require a 7mm suit for many, 5 mm for almost everyone else.

thats mild to me.. i dive with a 7mm in 45 everyone says you have to do dry.. i do it wet its not the water that bugs me its geting out of the nice warm suit and into the cold air..

what i would do is just goto a pool and do some pratice laps that way you can at least get used to the water so your a bit more compterbal..