Dave/CVChief - I think you misunderstand. I wasn't trying to make excuses for the dive op - merely, in an unbiased and unconnected capacity - to present
options and
perspectives that might serve to balance the debate. I felt the OP presented a very one-sided and ill informed criticism of a dive centre, based upon his perceptions of what happened. As devil's advocate, nothing more, I wished to raise the possibility that there were other sides to the story. I also wished to examine the responsibilities,
on both sides, student and instructor, that form the relationship within a training course.
Unless you were a witness to the course in question, and have an instructor-level understanding of how a course
may be run, then it is prudent to keep an open-mind on such matters. I saw a lot of people jumping to vast conclusions, based on a report based upon the
perceptions of a disgruntled customer. I also saw errors and inconsistencies in that report. In a neutral capacity, I have sought to clarify those errors and inconsistencies.
I don't, not for a second, wish to make any presumptions about what actually happened on this course. My responses have been merely to encourage others to do the same.
CVChief, I have not sought to advocate any form of diving instructional practice. I merely point out that different instructors have different approaches to training... and that an OW student may easily fail to recognise the methods or motivations of an instructor's actions. That does not, of course, deny the reality that some instructors are indeed negligent, lazy or downright incompetent in their duties. I just felt that, with the information provided, such a determination was impossible... it was unwise and premature... based upon an emotional and uninformed public lynching, as the OP may have intended. In addition, I feel that you have greatly misunderstood the teaching approach I have explained, as an example, in this thread. It'd be off-topic to follow that course of debate on this thread - but if you wish to further debate the matter, or receive a more clear explanation, then please start an appropriate thread and let me know - I'll be happy to join you there.
Dave, you are absolutely correct and I certainly won't deny that the standard of scuba instruction and diver safety is enormously varied across different regions and dive operations. Again, that's a debate for another thread.
Within
this thread, I have read statements made by the OP and see many different factors. Some point towards standards violations. Others are merely a matter of perspective. A perspective, in this case, that doesn't understand the function, format and philosophies of teaching scuba divers. A perspective that has also leapt to potentially inaccurate conclusions regarding the risk and/or injury they may have been exposed to. Without hearing the other side of the story, there is little to balance that perspective except for the informed consideration of those who do teach. I don't blame the OP for his perspectives, however, I have attempted to post questions and comments that might encourage them, and others, to analyse them.
Some issues were also raised but not fully clarified. I was surprised to see that some people have leapt into the debate fray without seeking to clarify these issues. It's wrong to castigate someone based on assumptions. With the information presented here thus far, nothing more than assumptions could have been made. I thought that was unfair and irresponsible.
I sought to raise doubt... both in the OP and the reader's minds. Because if doubt might exist, then it supports my recommendations that perhaps a more effective way for the OP to raise this issue would be to ask questions first and make accusations later. For instance, a simple post on the Diving Medicine forum would have eased the OP's concerns about their 'bloody nose'. Likewise, a few questions in New Divers and/or Basic Scuba would have clarified the standards applied on Open Water courses. I am sure that informed responses would have been forthcoming from the helpful divers and instructors who form this online community. If, having done this research, the OP still felt that the dive centre/instructor concerned had failed in their duties, then an accurate and clear warning could be given. Such a report would carry a lot more weight, and be a lot more useful for fellow divers, than an uninformed, emotional and potentially inaccurate public outburst.
I have also sought to illustrate some learning points from the OP's experience. In particular, the need to take personal responsibility in the conduct of your dives. Yes, of course, the instructor has a duty of care to the student. That is undeniable. But... and a big 'but'... the existence of 'duty of care' does not allow the individual student to
abdicate responsibility for their own safety.
My personal approach is to
empower students to grasp that responsibility and apply it whilst diving... as they would do in day-to-day life. I do so because, when their course ends, that responsibility
will be theirs...and theirs alone. I disagree with creating students who are reliant on others, particularly professionals, to take responsibility for them. Who need to be told what to do, after graduation. That is an instructional failing and not in the spirit of what the open water course is designed to achieve. Nor is it in the interests of diver safety. Reality may support that this failing occurs all to often, for which the modern scuba industry should be ashamed.
I felt that I recognised this attitude in the OP... who on his check-out dives... was perplexed that his instructor did not molly-coddle him to the surface. I wasn't there, so I don't know for sure. Would I have intervened? Probably. But that's situationally dependant and the situation is not accurately known. But having intervened, I would have an interesting de-brief for the student... who'd need to rectify their deficiencies before
re-taking that check-out dive. Was this the intention of the instructor concerned in this incident? Possibly not. Maybe probably not. But I won't cast judgement based on an assumption. That is all.
