Actually, it's 60.
Is 100 dives enough for an instructor?
- Thread starter wazza
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thanks for correcting me on that. i guess they have changed it or i am getting so old that i cant remember. LOL, i'm getting the CRS disease. (cant remember *****)
thanks,
steve
Our diveshop wouldn't train an instructor with significantly more than 100 dives (although SSI would allow them to start the training at that point). I have 120 dives and am probably the least experienced Dive Con (closing paperwork out tomorrow with practical stuff done) that they have certified.
I personally wouldn't trust an instructor with only a minimum of dives. I just don't see enough experience in what they are trying to teach to teach it effectively.
I personally wouldn't trust an instructor with only a minimum of dives. I just don't see enough experience in what they are trying to teach to teach it effectively.
I dont think its about the quantity...
Its more about the person who is doing it, 100 dives is a Minimum one should consider before becoming an instructor.
I think what the instructor has to offer is more about proper instruction, teaching proper standards and good diving.
I have met people with 1000s of dives, does this make them better than me? with 1000s of dives, some tend to develop their own way of doing things (might be good but many times its bad)...
So, what you should look at in an instructor in my opinion is:
1- The experience he has (100 dives is a good start)
2- Is the person responsible or wreckless?
3- Does he teach well, some people are just not good teachers, they have a problem with knowledge transfer
4- STick to the standards of the agencies
5- respects the sea... and is a safe person...
Its more about the person who is doing it, 100 dives is a Minimum one should consider before becoming an instructor.
I think what the instructor has to offer is more about proper instruction, teaching proper standards and good diving.
I have met people with 1000s of dives, does this make them better than me? with 1000s of dives, some tend to develop their own way of doing things (might be good but many times its bad)...
So, what you should look at in an instructor in my opinion is:
1- The experience he has (100 dives is a good start)
2- Is the person responsible or wreckless?
3- Does he teach well, some people are just not good teachers, they have a problem with knowledge transfer
4- STick to the standards of the agencies
5- respects the sea... and is a safe person...
"Is 100 dives enough to be an Instructor?"
Depends on the diversity of those 100 dives.
I was taught & certified in a lake with visibility that would go from 10 feet to 1 inch just inside your mask in seconds, depending on how well you stayed off the bottom, or any surface that collected silt & mud. This is where I learned how to dive. Wasn't I lucky.
Since then I have made 100 dives in locations consisting of: countless lakes with VERY low vis, many sinkholes & springs in Florida, kelp & shark dives off the coast of California & Catalina Island, reef dive upon reef dive in Cozumel, wreck dives galore in Micronesia & Florida, and a few others here and there. My 100th dive being on the Speigal Grove.
In about 3 weeks, I will be attending Pro Dive in Ft. Lauderdale to take my Divemaster thru AOWSI & Resort Operations Specialties in about 10 weeks.
Do I think I am ready? Yes. Do I think I have what it takes? Yes. Have I had experience? Yes. Do I think 100 dives is enough for ME..to start instructor training. Yes.
It's all about knowing yourself & your equipment, knowing your capabilities & limits, and always being willing to learn.. no matter how much you think you know.
Dive well.. Dive often.
Depends on the diversity of those 100 dives.
I was taught & certified in a lake with visibility that would go from 10 feet to 1 inch just inside your mask in seconds, depending on how well you stayed off the bottom, or any surface that collected silt & mud. This is where I learned how to dive. Wasn't I lucky.
Since then I have made 100 dives in locations consisting of: countless lakes with VERY low vis, many sinkholes & springs in Florida, kelp & shark dives off the coast of California & Catalina Island, reef dive upon reef dive in Cozumel, wreck dives galore in Micronesia & Florida, and a few others here and there. My 100th dive being on the Speigal Grove.
In about 3 weeks, I will be attending Pro Dive in Ft. Lauderdale to take my Divemaster thru AOWSI & Resort Operations Specialties in about 10 weeks.
Do I think I am ready? Yes. Do I think I have what it takes? Yes. Have I had experience? Yes. Do I think 100 dives is enough for ME..to start instructor training. Yes.
It's all about knowing yourself & your equipment, knowing your capabilities & limits, and always being willing to learn.. no matter how much you think you know.
Dive well.. Dive often.
blackice
Contributor
100 dives!!! I'm only just about to clock the 100th and while I could teach some people some things, I would not want to teach people .. as it's a huge responsability. Maybe when I've clocked 200 or even more.
Some people want to teach .. I just want to dive.
Some people want to teach .. I just want to dive.
Some of the comments of "I wouldn't trust" this or that are interesting...
It's an individual thing.
Would you trust a WSI with years of active successful teaching (indeed, to sweeten the pot she was your WSI and you were totally wowed with her teaching ability and in-water skills) who has decided to teach diving - and from the very first dive has bent her efforts to becoming the best dive instructor ever - who's just pinned on her "instructor" rating at 100 dives?
I would.
Rick
It's an individual thing.
Would you trust a WSI with years of active successful teaching (indeed, to sweeten the pot she was your WSI and you were totally wowed with her teaching ability and in-water skills) who has decided to teach diving - and from the very first dive has bent her efforts to becoming the best dive instructor ever - who's just pinned on her "instructor" rating at 100 dives?
I would.
Rick
PhotoTJ
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No. I know that everyone is different, and there may be some who could teach at 100, but there is simply no way that 100 gives you the experiance to handle the variety of problems that can arise. 100 for Divemaster, and then 100 while working as a divemaster might be enough.
There has to be some beginning standard to set the bar.
As I am approaching 400 logged dives and close to or over 100 unlogged, plus several hundered pool sessions, and am just now doing my IDC, I have to look back and think about it.
I would say that at 100 dives, I was a divemaster, but don't think I was ready to be an instructor. Yes, I could teach some things and do them very well. I worked for several years without pay, as a DM, but never had the desire to become an instructor.
However, there are a lot more issues to teaching than just 100 dives.
I have known people that could be very effective, competant, capable instructors at 100 dives.
There are other people with well ove 1000 dives that I think should not be left unsupervised with a garden hose.
As for myself, I never had the serious urge to become an instructor until this summer.
I think there needs to be more credentials than just some number of dives.
As I am approaching 400 logged dives and close to or over 100 unlogged, plus several hundered pool sessions, and am just now doing my IDC, I have to look back and think about it.
I would say that at 100 dives, I was a divemaster, but don't think I was ready to be an instructor. Yes, I could teach some things and do them very well. I worked for several years without pay, as a DM, but never had the desire to become an instructor.
However, there are a lot more issues to teaching than just 100 dives.
I have known people that could be very effective, competant, capable instructors at 100 dives.
There are other people with well ove 1000 dives that I think should not be left unsupervised with a garden hose.
As for myself, I never had the serious urge to become an instructor until this summer.
I think there needs to be more credentials than just some number of dives.
-100 dives is not nearly enough dives to become an Instructor.
-Nor is the Divemaster phase adequately long enough.
-Also, 12 yrs. old, or 10 yrs. old or whatever it is now, is ridiculously too young to be certified.
Common sense tells us these standards are ridiculous.
Not only should the amount of logged dives be much higher for an instructor, but the age should be set at a reasonable level as well.
With all due respect to my fellow board members, an Instructor is responsible for peoples lives here. An Instructor with 100 dives in whatever conditions, posessing a huge amount of false self-confidence, is much the equivalent of a toddler playing with matches. No matter the extint of their 100 dives are they near prepared for that kind of responsibility lyes ahead of them. It's merely an accident looking for a place to happen.
Simply put, the Diving Agencies (PADI, NAUI, etc..) who are setting these standards are letting their greed get in the way of better judgement.
If the Dive Industry hits another slump financially, what will these Agencies do next? Lower the Certification age to 8, or lower the Instructor requirements to 75 dives to push them through quicker thus gaining access to their money more timely. I wonder what Certification levels they'll try to convince divers they need next? IMHO the Diving Industry from a Regulation standpoint is quickly becoming a farce.
Splash
-Nor is the Divemaster phase adequately long enough.
-Also, 12 yrs. old, or 10 yrs. old or whatever it is now, is ridiculously too young to be certified.
Common sense tells us these standards are ridiculous.
Not only should the amount of logged dives be much higher for an instructor, but the age should be set at a reasonable level as well.
With all due respect to my fellow board members, an Instructor is responsible for peoples lives here. An Instructor with 100 dives in whatever conditions, posessing a huge amount of false self-confidence, is much the equivalent of a toddler playing with matches. No matter the extint of their 100 dives are they near prepared for that kind of responsibility lyes ahead of them. It's merely an accident looking for a place to happen.
Simply put, the Diving Agencies (PADI, NAUI, etc..) who are setting these standards are letting their greed get in the way of better judgement.
If the Dive Industry hits another slump financially, what will these Agencies do next? Lower the Certification age to 8, or lower the Instructor requirements to 75 dives to push them through quicker thus gaining access to their money more timely. I wonder what Certification levels they'll try to convince divers they need next? IMHO the Diving Industry from a Regulation standpoint is quickly becoming a farce.
Splash
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