Now I understand

[SPARKMEL]

As a new diver myself i find your story interesting yet worrying. To be honest you seemed to be ill prepared especially with equipment. This obviously led to complications with boyancy which can seriously effect your dive. This could have also led to a panic situation underwater. I was taught that preperation is key to reduce problems ie tank fastening. BUT well done to you for writting this thread as new divers like me can learn from this and not become complacent with the whole diving set up. Take a bit more time and preperation next time so you can enjoy the dive. Also buy a new mask i also learned this lesson as i used the dive shop one and it was rubbish so i bought one there and then. Hearing of bad dive shops really worries me as a new diver as i am learing all the time. But what i have learned is that YOU are responsible for yourself and if you are not happy with elements of the dive then speak up. DO NOT be intimidated by peer pressure from divers who have 3000 dives under their belt, they really should know better but viewing stories on here this is always NOT the case...
Thanks

MARK.....

 

[chillyinCanada]

Mask worn looser not tighter is what stops the leaking, as long as it fits your face in the first place and you dont have any hair stuck under the mask skirt anywhere.

 

[bada3003]

A few remarks:

1. Finding a scuba instructor off craigslist seems a bit unconventional. I might hire some help when doing yard work, but even then the quality is highly variable. In many instances, you get what you pay for.

2. You mention that the instructor seemed to know what he's talking about. As a OW newbie with 8 dives, maybe that's not the best position from which to accurately gauge a dive instructor's qualifications. And if I understood your account correctly, your wife's safety was also involved since she partook in OW training. I am assuming that you at least asked to see the instructor's certifications.

3. Since multiple family members seem certified and you're going on diving late March, I would just caution to exercise common sense and prudence. When family members dive together, task loading can impose additional stress and it doesn't appear you're too at handling that.

4. Sharing your story at scubaboard was probably the best thing that you did. I could not deduce what you meant by "Now I understand" but I hope that the various comments have helped provide perspective.

Best wishes.

 

[DelrayDM]

You might want to talk with the boat / shop.
(It's not clear to me if the instructor worked through a particular shop.) I believe boat operators, captains, etc, do want to get feedback about instructors they allow on their boats.

If the instructor worked through one particular shop, then the shop should definitely be interested in your comments.

 

[crosshairs]

Find a new instructor...none of what you described is normal......and as has already been mentioned..report the incidents to his certifying agency....Im pretty sure he is breaking many training standards, and allowing you to use Nitrox before being trained is definitely a breach of standards regardless of the agency

 

[agesilaus]

Find a new instructor...none of what you described is normal......and as has already been mentioned..report the incidents to his certifying agency....Im pretty sure he is breaking many training standards, and allowing you to use Nitrox before being trained is definitely a breach of standards regardless of the agency

We are done with him.

BK

 

[AfterDark]

What a terrible story! I normally agree with Jim but if someone is doing a training dive then IMO the trainer sets and makes the plan and the trainee dives it. Unless there is a clear flaw in the plan or the trainer is clearly leading them into disaster. You were close, too close.

The thing that strikes me besides the story as a whole is the nitrox and the fact nobody picked up on it.
He put you on nitrox without training, unplanned to increase HIS camera time!


"Incidently he had me on 31% Nitrox even tho we had not done the Nitrox class. The bottom was at 90 feet so there was no possibility of going too deep."


This moron shouldn't be allowed to do this kind of rip off to anyone else! Report him to anyone and everyone that can do something about this poser. Start with the BBB and work your way from there.

 

[DeepSeaDan]

I'm very happy you survived the experience of being "Instructed" by Tom-the-Doofus who thinks he's an Instructor.


My friend, shop very carefully for your next scuba instructional experience. Talk to people. Get references. When you have a list of potentials, talk to them. Find someone who is professional, caring, attentive & pleasant. Accept nothing less.


Good future dives!

Regards,
DSD

 

[finnks]

Find a new instructor...none of what you described is normal......and as has already been mentioned..report the incidents to his certifying agency....Im pretty sure he is breaking many training standards, and allowing you to use Nitrox before being trained is definitely a breach of standards regardless of the agency

How certain are you that supervised use of nitrox is a standards violation? My impression (non-actionable level of confidence) was that it is allowed. After all dry-suit use in OWD is allowed and that adds considerably more risk than nitrox over a hard bottom considerably shallower than the MOD.

PADI AOW consists of a series of 'adventure' dives, each being the first dive of a specialty course. Cannot nitrox be selected as one of the specialties? Requiring dives for the nitrox specialty is of course an entirely separate discussion - when I took NAUI nitrox there were no dives, just a few hours in a classroom. Don't remember Advanced Nitrox (TDI) being a whole lot more complicated...

---------- Post added March 12th, 2014 at 03:28 PM ----------

What a terrible story! I normally agree with Jim but if someone is doing a training dive then IMO the trainer sets and makes the plan and the trainee dives it. Unless there is a clear flaw in the plan or the trainer is clearly leading them into disaster. You were close, too close.

This moron shouldn't be allowed to do this kind of rip off to anyone else! Report him to anyone and everyone that can do something about this poser. Start with the BBB and work your way from there.

Not to pick too many nits - but at least PADI is changing this paradigm. Under new standards even in OWD course students plan their dives and follow their own plan. Instructor reviews plans for reasonableness and correct deco management. Incidences like the one discussed in this thread are a large driver for the change. Also it has been observed that students who planned the dives within the class are far more willing to continue planning their own dives and continue diving after the class. Those students for whom the instructor did dive planning within the class remain far more dependent for dive planning, and far more reluctant to force their group to remain on plan. Gee - better instruction results in better knowledge retention and confidence for the students - resulting in more diving, enjoyment and safety. Duh.

Glad PADI listened to scubaboard while revising their instruction standards!

 

[agesilaus]

I'm very happy you survived the experience of being "Instructed" by Tom-the-Doofus who thinks he's an Instructor.


My friend, shop very carefully for your next scuba instructional experience. Talk to people. Get references. When you have a list of potentials, talk to them. Find someone who is professional, caring, attentive & pleasant. Accept nothing less.


Good future dives!

Regards,
DSD

I don't plan on taking any more courses until I get over 50 dives (or more). The only one that I'm interested in is Caverns, but I need to get my competence level up a lot before doing that.

I'll go back to my original shop for that or maybe to one of the specialty cave shops that we have here. No more Craigslist.

One last word on Tom, it did me good when his tank fell off after all his ranting on the subject during the last dive.

BK