Is learning to dive on your own safer than learning with an instructor?

[scubasean]

A mentor is still a defacto instructor... not qualified, nor certified as such but an instructor nonetheless. When the caca hits the fan, I hope they have the skills to get their buddy out alive.

I don't think the question anticipates treating "uncertified" instructors as instructors...But I could be wrong....

 

[The Chairman]

Possibly,

But H2Andy clearly stated his reasons and objectives in the very first post. You can either take that at face value or read something more sinister into it.

 

[scubafool]

Mentor or "real" instructor, I think it is a VERY good idea to have someone to show you the ropes. That is not to say that it isn't possible to do a lot of research, talk to a lot of people, understand the neccesary concepts, & actually turn yourself into a competent, safe diver without trotting down to the nearest LDS & plopping down a few hundred dollars for some instruction. However, what vital piece of information might have slipped by you that might kill you on you're 1st or 5th or 100th dive?! Before I ever got into scuba I played with snorkeling & then lightweight freediving a lot. As in every weekend & sometimes during the week, I would hit one of the local springs & dive until my fingers were literally blue from the cold. Scuba diving?! No problemo!! I do it without a tank, so I know it will be easier with a tank! Just slide on over to ebay, pick up some gear, & hit the water! See, I told you this had to be easy! Until I forget to keep an eye on my SPG, & run out of air at 60 feet. But hey, no problemo! I'm a freediver!! I can dive this deep AND come back up on a single breath. So I'll just hold my breath & head for the top! Or at 100 feet, once again I forget to keep an eye on my SPG & get down to 800 pounds. And say by now I've figured out that I use more air at deeper depths. So I figure that the smart thing to do is head up right away so I'll have a comfortable reserve when I get there. So then I fill up my BC with as much air as it can hold & fin like ----. Yes, the three mistakes I just made on these 2 dives are pretty basic, BUT TWO OF THEM WOULD MAKE PERFECT SENSE TO A FREEDIVER!!!! AND THEY BOTH WOULD EITHER KILL ME OR CAUSE ME SERIOUS HARM!!! I don't feel like my OW class was nearly adequate to make me into a diver, but it did keep me alive long enogh to realize that I wasn't one. And now that I know that I am not a diver I dive each dive with the objective of getting closer to being one. I for one am glad that the diving industry has this certification system set up, however pathetic it may be. If diving fatalities went off the charts, Big Brother would be sure to step in, and that I don't want, in any way, shape, or form. And if someone wants to exersice their freedom to dive without formal training, like I said, they can buy some gear off of LP, buy a compressor, buy their own boat, and have at it. That's fine with me. In fact, I definitely SUPPORT their right to make that choice. But for the vast majority of people, we either don't have the neccesary time, or the mindset, to do so in relative safety. Man, I can't believe I actually wrote such a long post. I've been following the "other thread", and have been seeing points that I agree with on both sides, but it took thinking about my vote in this poll to solidify my thinking & come up with a stance. Sorry for the rant. scuba