Is 100 dives enough for an instructor?

[Rick Murchison]

There are many factors that go into whether I will recommend a diver for an Instructor Training Course in the first place, and then recommend that he or she be certified at the end of the course... The number of dives the candidate has is way, way down the list - and is nearly (though not completely) tangential to the issue.
IOW, your question can't be answered as a general one, but rather only if applied to a particular individual.
Rick

 

[GTADiver]

There is no way that someone with only 100 dives would have enough experience to instruct.

There is a difference in being an instructor and a facilitator. If your just going to put a video in a VCR then you dont need the 100 dives. With a 100 dives and a proper attitude one might be ready to become a Dive Master.

I witnessed one instructor candidate diving at a basic open water check out site. She "logged" five dives while I was doing my one dive. She would go in for 10 minutes do a 15 minute surface interval and then go back in. Her max depth never exceeded 40 feet.

 

[luvdiving]

Yes and no. It depends on the individual.

I know people that are ready at 100 dives or less (to teach basic, warm water diving). Yes.

I also know an individual that racked up her 100 required dives (and became an Instructor) by desending to 20 ft and putting in her 10 minutes of bottom time, surfacing, and repeating the drill over and over. This was done with knowledge and help of her Instructor. Qualified? Not really. No.

It depends on the individual.:boom:

 

[YorkDiver]

I have just over 100 dives logged ranging in depth from 20' to 147', with an average time of 35min with temperatures ranging from about 40s to 90s.

I have done night, navigation, wreck, drift, ice and who knows how many more specialties.

I have also taken students down (both OW and AOW).

A couple of months ago my LDS asked me if I wanted to do my DiveCon. Eventually I woud like to do my instructors so this is a nice start. Would I consider doing my instructors now? Doubt it...100+ dives isn't enough no matter what type of diving you have done.

100+ dives is a nice start, but it isn't even close to enough to become an instructor

 

[Amanda]

BUT I still think 100 dives isn't really enough to be an instructor...

That's a quote from ME...
I didn NOT say 100 dives were enough to be an instructor, that it was I am ABOUT to take an instructor course...

All I'm saying is that I've been working in a dive center for 6 months, and I've seen all of the situations you're describing, because the center's boss actually gave me do an Instructor job.
I've been leading a group of 8 divers with 4 divers with practically no-dives before (yes, the center was a bit of an unorganized one).
Wreck penetrations = 10 (I love it)
Deepest dive = 65 meters
Number of deep "more than 40 meters" dives = about 20.

And, Oh, BTW, i'm french, and in France there is not such a huge difference between DM and Instructors. What I'm about to pass is the "Niveau 4 Inititiateur", and what you can do with that is :
•Deliver "Niveau 1" (-> OW), provided an Instructor validates the course at its end.
•Lead all types of dives
•Do "baptisms" (first dives)
•Help the Instructor in the "Niveau 2 et 3" courses (-> Adv OW and Rescue Diver)

I think I'm ready to do that, maybe I'll need to be helped for the beginning of it, but I've already done it in a non-legal way.
I think the fact that I can't do any course higher than the "Niveau 1" can make a difference, sorry you didn't know that. Maybe it got you confused...

Cheers.

 

[ScubaBaby]

Do I think that 100 dives is enough to become an instructor? Honestly.....YES!

I am not an instructor - so I am trying to look at it from all possible ways - so you'll have to bear with me.

Firstly, I think you are all wrong is discouraging Amanda. Only the individuals knows whether they believe they are or are not capable of handling the situation - and if the course director or person training the "instructors to be" doesnt believe the can do the job - they wont get through the training!!!

HOWEVER - I do not believe that just because you have 100 dives this means you automatically qualify to become an instructor. I believe each organisation should have a more strict procedure in which each applicant must have done a certain amount of dives in many different conditions.

Don't get me wrong. I agree that there are many instructors out there who should have never qualified, let alone get through the training etc involved.

Personally, I dont think any organisation can say after 100 dives your are ready to become an instructor cause you could do 100 dives at 10 metres, with 50 metre vis, no current in nothing but a bathing suit cause the water temp is so hot.

It all comes to experience - and I believe if the 100 dives have been used by trying diving in all conditions successfully - they should be given the opportunity to train as an instructor.

 

[wazza]

I wish u best of luck with your course Amanda……….

 

[wb416]

Ronmedic once bubbled...

....
I honestly would never take a class from someone with only 100 logged dives. All that shows me is you met the requirements for the agency and also spent the majority of your dive time accompanied by an instructor in classes.
...

<sigh> I agree, but it is indeed unfortunate, that when minimums are set, they quickly become the standard to live by. Most don't want to put out the effort or expense to live by the spirit of the guidelines, but merely the letter of the guidelines. That's how we get people pulling crap like five 10-20 minutes dives just to get in their quota in before they qualify. They should just as well have written 5 dives in their logbook and avoided getting wet for all the good it did for themselves and their future students.

wb

 

[yknot]

One big question would have to be why someone is becoming an instructor with only 100 dives. I have seen an LDS post the price of instructor training (along with OW, AOW, NITROX, etc.). Does this then just become another "must have" piece of plastic for someone? I can't imagine having gained the depth of knowledge or desire to impart that knowledge on others after only 100 dives. I would pity the students also. My continued interest in scuba after OW training is in large part due to the enthusiasim and experience of my first instructor and I probably wouldn't have maintained that interest if a less experienced instructor had been involved. I would bet the instructers on this board with multiple years and 1000+ dives in varied conditions could come up with some real potential horror stories that a novice diver couldn't handle. Sounds like this is another issue driven by short term financial concerns.

 

[Groundhog246]

wazza once bubbled...
Dear Amanda

I would like to ask u this :
1. Did u ever went in the water with 8 divers and that was the first time for them in the water ???? ( and this is a stander every instructor can take with 8 at ones) lets say for example 3 of then are going to the surface and coming down cos they have no experience about buoyancy yet. and an other 2 of the group going deeper for the same reason and u r holding 2 in your hand ????
One of the instructor job is to be in control in the water and sorry to tell u after 100 dive no one can handle such situation.

I'm gonna agree 100 dives isn't enough. I don't think there's an instructor at my LDS with less than about 500 dives. But the example above should NEVER happen and would not at the LDS I trained and dive with. It's not realistic to expect one instructor to be able supervise 8 or even 6 OW students (in other words, this is a lousy standard, strictly dollar driven). My LDS has a staff diver (DM or instructor) for EVERY buddy pair. With usually an extra one or two kicking around if someone struggling and needs more attention. No diver can be in more than one place at once, and with a diver in each hand who may shoot of unexpectedly, what's he/she going to do (even if he's got 1000 dives) with the next one who gets in trouble? This from organizations that stress buddy PAIR.
The other issue with your scenario, what the heck are these people doing in an OW environment? Sounds like they need a few more hours in the pool. I've attended several OW as a student OW & AOW) and just to dive. With as many as 40 students in the water and another 25 staff divers, I've never seen as many problems as you've described with 8. It sounds like your experience (if this reflects it) falls in with the type of LDS/training that should be avoided.