Is the instructor partly to blame if you fail your OWC?

[Learner Diver]

And for goodness sake, take the class in the environment you’ll be diving in. Pretty warm water resorts won’t be producing competent cold water, poor visibility divers. If you’re going to be diving in the UK, take the class in the UK

I don't plan to do cold water training, ever. When warm water climates are available. In my view, training in cold water and low visibility for a student is fraught with risk, which I'm not prepared to take.

 

[crofrog]

Assorted Caribbean islands, Dominican Republic, Mexico.

Some places are more organized, but it's an Indiana Jones adventure getting to most.

One dive op was literally a 4 foot by 5 foot kiosk next to a marina. No signage any different than any other tourist trap kiosks. I think we passed it twice. In flip flops, in 100 degree heat.

If your into that, cool. If you're not, plan ahead.

Get to your local a day early. Find where you're going, the day before. Make it a mission, then relax and get dinner.

If everything smells like **** check your mustache.

 

[Wibble]

I don't plan to do cold water training, ever. When warm water climates are available. In my view, training in cold water and low visibility for a student is fraught with risk, which I'm not prepared to take.

Interpretation: you therefore will only be diving in warm, clear benign conditions not found in the UK

UK diving is cold water (= drysuit + thick hood & gloves) on wrecks (= risk of entanglement, need for navigation, frequently “return to shot line”) in deeper waters (30m/100ft to 40m/130ft, requiring backup gas, best with decompression, needing planning) in dark (must have lights) in currents (use of SMB to drift from the wreck) and poor visibility (the ever present probability of being separated from buddies == self reliance on your kit and skills)

None of that is taught or coached at the resort clear, warm, low current, shallow water locations

 

[Edward3c]

I don't plan to do cold water training, ever. When warm water climates are available. In my view, training in cold water and low visibility for a student is fraught with risk, which I'm not prepared to take.

Then you won’t be diving long, 2 years max.

Interpretation: you therefore will only be diving in warm, clear benign conditions not found in the UK

UK diving is cold water (= drysuit + thick hood & gloves) on wrecks (= risk of entanglement, need for navigation, frequently “return to shot line”) in deeper waters (30m/100ft to 40m/130ft, requiring backup gas, best with decompression, needing planning) in dark (must have lights) in currents (use of SMB to drift from the wreck) and poor visibility (the ever present probability of being separated from buddies == self reliance on your kit and skills)

None of that is taught or coached at the resort clear, warm water locations

This is spot on. I retrain warm water, divers including instructors, to dive our fantastic underwater world.

 

[JonnieB]

A true warrior has the war won, long before it starts.

The padi books are available to purchase online. Most of your training will be online before ever seeing your instructor.

Can you snorkel, and swim well?

Do you float in saltwater, can tread water or swim for an hour, no touching?

Can you flood and clear your mask while snorkeling?

Can you take off your mask, open your eyes, and swim in saltwater? Above and below surface?

Can you remember to never hold your breath, always exhale?

Do you have the chops to never panic in water with bathtub conditions?

If yes to the above, you'll slaughter your OW training even if the instructor is a dunce.

Hardest part of open water, if you can do the above:
-gearing up
-finding the damn shop or boat. This industry is insanely ignorant on this one.
-donning, doffing, underwater
-getting up the ladder, timing the waves
-air travel

Word of mouth is handy. But any decent dive shop in a 1st world country has a good chance of taking good care of you. (At least until you decide to buy tanks) SB is full of horror stories. Nearly nobody posts about good training

If the class kicks your butt, don't quit or try to get a refund. Muscle through it, learn as much as possible, then fail. Try again with another shop. You paid for the training, at least complete it.


Take a "discover scuba" thing in your local area. Usually just a pool session. Two people in my DS thing actually hated every aspect of scuba. So was money well spent for them.

The lady that instructed us during the DS, pulled us aside afterwards and gave us the finishing test for scuba certification. We passed all the drills before even scheduling training. Huge confidence boost.

DS clients at the shop I use in Phuket get a 30 minute toodle on a 4 meter reef

 

[clownfishsydney]

I don't plan to do cold water training, ever. When warm water climates are available. In my view, training in cold water and low visibility for a student is fraught with risk, which I'm not prepared to take.

My experience over 36+years and almost 5,000 dives is that divers who learnt in warm calm water are nowhere near as good divers as those who learnt in colder waters. A generalisation I know, but it seems to me to be very accurate.

 

[Wibble]

Then you won’t be diving long, 2 years max.

This is spot on. I retrain warm water, divers including instructors, to dive our fantastic underwater world.

I was that warm water “advanced” diver jumping in to UK waters at 36 dives in balmy warm water for the baptism of my life! Waves, tide, dark, cold, deep (30m), and alone. Lost my fin too!

Next day was a drift: utter crap buoyancy and struggled like hell.

In no way was I anywhere near qualified to dive in UK conditions.

I like diving warm, clear, reefs. But it’s hard to do as there’s the massive cost of flights and accommodation. Plus the dive shops expect experienced divers to “buddy” random strangers (i.e. be a free divemaster).

…
Yesterday’s dive was 50 miles out in the North Sea on a fantastic wreck that was only discovered 8 years ago. 60m/200ft for 50 mins on the bottom with 20m/70ft vis and a couple of hours deco. What a dive. Think I found the bell hanger.

Would never have been able to even think about that kind of diving if it were warm water diving only.

 

[Scubagermany]

My experience over 36+years and almost 5,000 dives is that divers who learnt in warm calm water are nowhere near as good divers as those who learnt in colder waters. A generalisation I know, but it seems to me to be very accurate.

so to generalize some some an instructor with thousands of dives who learnt in the maledives is not as good a diver as an AOWD with 50 who learnt in cold water?

Or do you rather mean divers who "dive" in cold water instead of "learnt"

 

[admikar]

Guys, don't be so harsh. OP stated in another thread that may not be able to whistand 3 days of work required to get OW cert. I mean, only dive gods, like myself and some of you, can realistically be expected to finish gruelling training of OW cert.
OK, I'll show myself out now.

 

[Centrals]

Do you blame the teacher if you failed the exam?