Yesterday I conducted my last pool dive as an active instructor. I’ll be doing my last checkouts on July 2nd and 3rd. It just so happens that this occurred right around the same time 14 years ago that I did my first Open Water checkout dives with students. So it seems fitting that I go out around this time after 16 years of being involved in teaching an activity I thought I would continue doing for many more years.
Teaching, that is. I will continue to dive, just not as an instructor with students. It’s time to head in another direction as other interests become more important. But that’s not the only reason for this decision. Several factors played a role in this decision.
First was my age and the things that go along with getting older. The gear gets heavier and seems more cumbersome. The efforts required don’t yield the same rewards they once did in terms of enjoyment, satisfaction, relaxation, and excitement. Cold water certainly does not hold the same enjoyment it once did.
The time required to travel to and from sites seems to get longer each time I do it. No matter the destination. The loading and unloading of gear are more of a chore. While I still enjoy being in the water once I am there, there is not as much anticipation of getting in. But these are far from the only reasons to stop teaching now.
A considerable part of it is my perception of the industry itself and the direction it has been going for several years now since I became an instructor. In financial terms, the costs of teaching have increased to the point where, as an independent who offers small personalized classes, it’s just not worth it.
Instructor dues are reasonable, but liability insurance is ridiculous not only in its cost but in its very structure. Unlike other forms of insurance, dive instructor liability insurance protects and punishes those of us who refuse to cut corners, maintain small sensible ratios, and still believe in face-to-face interaction for extended periods. Those who put in more time, go the extra mile for our students, and refuse to sell certifications pay the same amount as those who do just the opposite.
Add the increasing number of lawsuits due to instructor negligence, inattention, and incompetence to the point where even finding an underwriter is getting harder. Therefore, you have the state we have now. And none of this will change as long as the industry seems to have an acceptable number of deaths.
Any time mention is made of reducing ratios, requiring longer class times, or more skills and knowledge, certain entities get their knickers in a twist. They veto or outright shut down attempts to introduce these in the RSTC or WRSTC. Not that it would do any good anyway.
Both of these organizations are paper tigers with no teeth or claws. They are not there to protect the diver. Instead, they give the illusion of doing this while protecting the industry from further scrutiny by bodies that could actually force them to do something. Even when an entity says it meets ISO Standards, that is no guarantee of quality. Who do you think writes the ISO Standards? The industry! I have yet to see any evidence of an ISO audit conducted by an independent non-industry related or government auditor.
To add to the issue is the code of silence some try to enforce on instructors and other pros. For example, agencies have clauses that forbid dive pros from making “disparaging” or what they consider “derogatory” comments about the industry. I’m not going to be a party to that. Whether it’s PT Barnum's sales tactics, outright lies about what is and is not allowed, or standards that set an instructor up to fail. I will continue to call those things out.
I will continue to do service work and content creation when the opportunity presents itself. I will continue to sell gear for the foreseeable future as well. But it is time to reserve any in-water time for my enjoyment without the added responsibility of students. It’s been a good run in many ways, and in others, not so much.
I’ve lost many friends to this activity. That also eats at me every time I get in the water, which gets harder to accept when I have students. For those who hoped to train with me in the future, I’m sorry, but this is the right decision at the right time.
I will also only respond to messages sent via email or Facebook. I've shut off the ability to send me private messages here.
Teaching, that is. I will continue to dive, just not as an instructor with students. It’s time to head in another direction as other interests become more important. But that’s not the only reason for this decision. Several factors played a role in this decision.
First was my age and the things that go along with getting older. The gear gets heavier and seems more cumbersome. The efforts required don’t yield the same rewards they once did in terms of enjoyment, satisfaction, relaxation, and excitement. Cold water certainly does not hold the same enjoyment it once did.
The time required to travel to and from sites seems to get longer each time I do it. No matter the destination. The loading and unloading of gear are more of a chore. While I still enjoy being in the water once I am there, there is not as much anticipation of getting in. But these are far from the only reasons to stop teaching now.
A considerable part of it is my perception of the industry itself and the direction it has been going for several years now since I became an instructor. In financial terms, the costs of teaching have increased to the point where, as an independent who offers small personalized classes, it’s just not worth it.
Instructor dues are reasonable, but liability insurance is ridiculous not only in its cost but in its very structure. Unlike other forms of insurance, dive instructor liability insurance protects and punishes those of us who refuse to cut corners, maintain small sensible ratios, and still believe in face-to-face interaction for extended periods. Those who put in more time, go the extra mile for our students, and refuse to sell certifications pay the same amount as those who do just the opposite.
Add the increasing number of lawsuits due to instructor negligence, inattention, and incompetence to the point where even finding an underwriter is getting harder. Therefore, you have the state we have now. And none of this will change as long as the industry seems to have an acceptable number of deaths.
Any time mention is made of reducing ratios, requiring longer class times, or more skills and knowledge, certain entities get their knickers in a twist. They veto or outright shut down attempts to introduce these in the RSTC or WRSTC. Not that it would do any good anyway.
Both of these organizations are paper tigers with no teeth or claws. They are not there to protect the diver. Instead, they give the illusion of doing this while protecting the industry from further scrutiny by bodies that could actually force them to do something. Even when an entity says it meets ISO Standards, that is no guarantee of quality. Who do you think writes the ISO Standards? The industry! I have yet to see any evidence of an ISO audit conducted by an independent non-industry related or government auditor.
To add to the issue is the code of silence some try to enforce on instructors and other pros. For example, agencies have clauses that forbid dive pros from making “disparaging” or what they consider “derogatory” comments about the industry. I’m not going to be a party to that. Whether it’s PT Barnum's sales tactics, outright lies about what is and is not allowed, or standards that set an instructor up to fail. I will continue to call those things out.
I will continue to do service work and content creation when the opportunity presents itself. I will continue to sell gear for the foreseeable future as well. But it is time to reserve any in-water time for my enjoyment without the added responsibility of students. It’s been a good run in many ways, and in others, not so much.
I’ve lost many friends to this activity. That also eats at me every time I get in the water, which gets harder to accept when I have students. For those who hoped to train with me in the future, I’m sorry, but this is the right decision at the right time.
I will also only respond to messages sent via email or Facebook. I've shut off the ability to send me private messages here.
