New diver getting my certification, is my instructor doing it wrong?

[Baileywantstoscuba]

SO... This instructor is a NAUI instructor. I have reported to Naui and I'm awaiting a decision from them before I take any further actions. I need letters stating what rules he broke, as I have a witness to my open water dive and my confined water )if you can call 45 minutes setting up gear open water training). I'm pretty stuck until naui makes a decision and ita up to the instructor Chris to decide if he will refund my money. Thanks for all the help and support and positive feedback. Help is much appreciated.

---------- Post added May 7th, 2013 at 10:10 AM ----------

Wow this is a horrible story and I really like that everyone's supporting the OP, but I think he allowed himself to be taken advantage of and allowed himself to be a victim in the situation.

I'm not saying he's wrong, but bully's will bully you and sadly there are people in this world that will take advantage of you if YOU let them. I've been bullied and taken advantage of and after the fact I had to admit that I allowed myself to and in every situation I always had a choice to continue or not.



I understand that you wanted to get done for your vacation, but you agreed to go knowing you never used the equipment and had little ocean experience putting yourself in a bad situation



Why would you let anyone curse and scream at you ever? The second MY instructor cursed at me I would have told him not to ever talk to me like that again and if he did I would have just walked away.



I don't like confrontation either, but you have to admit at any given time you could have just walked away from the entire situation. Why would you put your trust into a person that makes you scared, curses at you and intimidates you?



Did he physically force you to stay in the water or just yell and intimidate you to do so? Again you had a choice to get out of the water and you didn't.



I don't understand how he MADE you do anything. The second that he tried to force you to buy anything should have been a huge red flag and made you realize that he's only out to cheat you out of your money. Knowing that you should have realized if you allow him to cheat you once he will cheat you twice. Again you could have simply said no and walked out. You may have been out of a few $$$ if you already paid for the class, but it's better to take a small loss then continue dealing with a cheater and end losing $3000 overall.

I would continue to fight this issue and maybe even take legal action, but you also need to chalk this up as a lesson learned in life and use this situation as a reminder to never let anyone bully or intimidate you under any situation.

Bully is a word thrown around WAY to much. I never claimed to be bullied or a victim. I literally had no clue what was okay in scuba training. I knew screaming and cursing weren't right and I responded with yelling back and telling him this wasn't okay, I didn't feel safe, it felt off. This being said I did a total of 2 "dives", really wasn't much time spent diving. More him pulling me down, screaming, me coming back up or being left alone. I did leave after the second experience as I thought the first dive was just nerves. I was on an island so I had to wait for my boat.

This wing said I DID learn from this and I'm not taking a victim stance, but now a proactive one. Hindsight is 20/20 and it's always easy to look at someone else's actions or situations and point out what could be done differently. If I could do it different I obviously would, but like you said its a life-lesson and I wouldn't change the experience, the money spent hell yes, but it's giving me insight on what I can work on. Nobody is perfect, including myself and I'm learning.

Im a smart women and he did cut some corners and take advantage of my lack of knowledge. He did do some very negligent things. That's why I'm choosing to take action and be proactive. At no point was I a victim, taken advantage of yes. But never a victim. Thanks for your feedback, while I find constructive critism productive, I think there is a way to go about it.

---------- Post added May 7th, 2013 at 10:14 AM ----------

Being = Wing. Not wing. ***This being said.

---------- Post added May 7th, 2013 at 10:16 AM ----------

Also I'm bailey and I'm a women. Thanks for the feedback.

---------- Post added May 7th, 2013 at 10:23 AM ----------

Also in response to me going knowing I didn't know how to use the equipment, I figured once we got there I would be trained in the water or land or boat or wherever. Also I figured, being an instructor myself of a different sport, that sometimes training someone in the environment was going to happen and can be a practice training method. I went in with no knowledge of this sport, I did ask questions on the matter and he assured me I would become fluent and knowledgeable of the gear at the dive site. I was very wrong in this assumption.

I appriciate the feedback and the take charge of your own life attitutude, but what this man did regardless was reckless and dangerous, and from what very experienced instructors have told me is this was an improper way of training and negligent.

I came on scubaboard to get information and to see if it was just in my head (aside from the screaming and cussing, that is unacceptable always).

 

[Chocula]

I'm pretty stuck until naui makes a decision and ita up to the instructor Chris to decide if he will refund my money.

I am sorry that you seem to have found a rotten apple among the SCUBA community. Hopefully you paid with a credit card and can dispute the charges. If you paid cash, then it is probably a matter of convincing him that it is in his best interest to refund your money. Work with your bank and contact the Better Business Bureau. Dispute the charges for anything he misrepresented or did not provide to your satisfaction. Document everything, be honest, and be persistent. Document any times he may have misrepresented his shop or his qualifications. If you paid to be instructed by a NAUI Instructor Trainer, but were provided someone with lower qualifications, then you have a legitimate claim against any charges.

I know from personal experience that this individual has represented his shop as an authorized dealer for brands where they are not. If the products you purchased from him, even if it is just a snorkel, were misrepresented; you have a legitimate claim for a full refund. Contact the misrepresented manufacturers, they may be able to help you pursue a refund. He needs to understand that you will cost him more in time and sales that the money he got from you is worth; at which point it becomes in his best interest to provide a refund.

At this point, I would consider your relationship with this person to be soiled. Don't accept store credit, additional training, etc.. Get your refund and go your separate ways.

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Separately, find a local dive club. I think the Whalers The Whalers Dive Club - Home might be in your area. California Diving News has a list of clubs as well. You don't have to be a member, just attend one or more of the meetings and talk to people. Find out who they recommend and WHY. You will also meet other people to dive with at these meetings and hopefully make some new friends. Check references and find an instructor who meets YOUR needs. Talk about the total costs involved. Most can give you pretty good estimates and provide realistic expectations about any additional charges that might occur.

I sincerely wish you a fantastic experience with diving. You are now wiser, and it is up to you to make those fantastic experiences happen!

-Chocula

 

[Colliam7]

SO... This instructor is a NAUI instructor. I have reported to Naui and I'm awaiting a decision from them before I take any further actions.

And, thank you for the follow-up to let those of us who commented earlier know where things stand. Keep us posted on NAUI's final decision.