Instructor wants me to do all pool sessions and 4 dives in one day
- Thread starter Ennemkay
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My advice would be to not think too far ahead. The goal is to learn how to dive and the system is "performance based" meaning that how fast you can progress depends on mastery of the material, not what kind of agenda you're on.
Most divers (80, maybe 90 percent, in my experience) can learn what needs to be learned for the OW certificate in somewhere between 6-8 hours in a pool and 4x 30-40min dives in open water provided they are working in a small group and with a seasoned instructor.
If the instructor is inexperienced (or inefficient) or the group is larger than about 3-4 divers then you will need more time. Anything less than about 6 hours in confined and you're probably not going to have enough time to master all of the skills.
If I were you I wouldn't think any further ahead than the next dive. Just go, focus on that one dive and see where you are after that. If you're a quick study and you are very comfortable in the water then you may be able to progress quicker, but forcing it isn't the solution.
R..
Most divers (80, maybe 90 percent, in my experience) can learn what needs to be learned for the OW certificate in somewhere between 6-8 hours in a pool and 4x 30-40min dives in open water provided they are working in a small group and with a seasoned instructor.
If the instructor is inexperienced (or inefficient) or the group is larger than about 3-4 divers then you will need more time. Anything less than about 6 hours in confined and you're probably not going to have enough time to master all of the skills.
If I were you I wouldn't think any further ahead than the next dive. Just go, focus on that one dive and see where you are after that. If you're a quick study and you are very comfortable in the water then you may be able to progress quicker, but forcing it isn't the solution.
R..
Damselfish
Contributor
Big fat no. Pretty sure this is against every agencies standards, for many good reasons - standards which many people consider to be on the low side to begin with. If they really suggested this and it wasn't some huge misunderstanding, run away. If they screwed up scheduling they should have no problem giving you a refund. At the very least, even if you are a quick study and a natural you will likely be really wiped out and absorbing nothing before you're near done, tends to happen when you're starting out.
Don't know where you are, but maybe you can do part of this (someplace else?) in the time you have and get the documentation to finish later. (Generally it's a good idea to plan more time than the minimum needed for dive training. Weather happens, #*&^ happens. Even better if you have time to do a few more fun/real dives right after to get some practice.)
Don't know where you are, but maybe you can do part of this (someplace else?) in the time you have and get the documentation to finish later. (Generally it's a good idea to plan more time than the minimum needed for dive training. Weather happens, #*&^ happens. Even better if you have time to do a few more fun/real dives right after to get some practice.)
Doing more than 3 dives in a day is against agency standards.
I'm required to spend, at a minimum, 12 hours in the pool and in the classroom. 16 in each is preferred. We do include a number of skills that other agencies do not as part of the required course.
I have found that after about 2 hours in the water people start to get tired, cold, and lose focus. Not what you want in training to be active in a hostile environment.
Muscle memory is also a big part of training and diving safely. In OW, your responses need to be as smooth as possible with little thought. A reaction to a flooded mask should be instinctual.
If your buddy gives you an out of air sign, your hand should not hesitate to donate the octo or the primary. You likely can't do this if you've only done the drill once.
In some cases, I have had to completely redo an OW course for a diver trained in one of these rushed, hope to survive, classes. Especially when they go from a warm water, unlimited vis experience to our low vis, colder water environment. They are not in any way prepared.
Standardized training can work IF it is supplemented with information, practice, and skills suited to each individual environment. That takes time.
Even in a warm water setting, there are things that should be done to ensure the divers are able to dive unsupervised when they are handed their OW card. They should not need any assistance from a dive pro. Tough to get them to that level in one or two days. Even though RSTC Guidelines require that level of competence.
I'm required to spend, at a minimum, 12 hours in the pool and in the classroom. 16 in each is preferred. We do include a number of skills that other agencies do not as part of the required course.
I have found that after about 2 hours in the water people start to get tired, cold, and lose focus. Not what you want in training to be active in a hostile environment.
Muscle memory is also a big part of training and diving safely. In OW, your responses need to be as smooth as possible with little thought. A reaction to a flooded mask should be instinctual.
If your buddy gives you an out of air sign, your hand should not hesitate to donate the octo or the primary. You likely can't do this if you've only done the drill once.
In some cases, I have had to completely redo an OW course for a diver trained in one of these rushed, hope to survive, classes. Especially when they go from a warm water, unlimited vis experience to our low vis, colder water environment. They are not in any way prepared.
Standardized training can work IF it is supplemented with information, practice, and skills suited to each individual environment. That takes time.
Even in a warm water setting, there are things that should be done to ensure the divers are able to dive unsupervised when they are handed their OW card. They should not need any assistance from a dive pro. Tough to get them to that level in one or two days. Even though RSTC Guidelines require that level of competence.
Damselfish
Contributor
When you talk about doing 2 OW dives tomorrow, are you talking after some pool work? If not, it sounds like a resort dive kind of thing which is what I assume you did before, and nothing that would go towards certification. Assuming this is PADI maybe it is a good case for "Scuba Diver" certification - first 3 pool dives and first 2 OW dives. I think doing that in one day is within standards? though still quick and less than ideal. It's a limited certification but at least a straightforward piece of documentation.
Dropping in to agree with your idea.
Glad you are taking your next step in training carefully. The thoughtful approach you have questioning the wisdom of the proposed schedule will serve you well as a diver.
Enjoy your diving tomorrow. You have a lifetime of diving ahead of you.
All the best,
Cameron
urbaneve71
Contributor
it is far better to be upset about your dive plans going awry then something serious injury happening to you. the fact that they would even suggest something like this would make me question just abut any other practice that they may do.
you have to sit back and really think if it possible to even retain that much information to make you safe diver - not just a certified one.
you have to sit back and really think if it possible to even retain that much information to make you safe diver - not just a certified one.
mi000ke
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I did my OW course with two others in a semi-private class so that we could accelerate the training before going on a diving trip, and we spent a total of about 16 hours in the pool over two days. The total time spent (in and out of pool) was about 10 hours per day. Our training was pretty thorough (and exhausting), and perhaps more thorough than courses run by others, but I can't imagine doing it in much less time (to Jim Lapenta's point). And we did our OW cert dives over two days as well (we did five). Glad we did not rush through it.
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