Observed an OW class yesterday

[Marie13]

I was at a local quarry yesterday where I've not been before. Observed a shop conducting OW dives.

Maybe 15 students. Looked like they were split into two groups. I was just shaking my head at the folks going into the water. Primary, octo, and console just dragging and dangling all over the place. Every single student walked into the water like that. I saw a number of tanks that looked like they were going to slip out of the cam strap. I have no clue how the instructors let them get in the water like that. How do you walk into the water without your primary right where you can get at it, your octo secured (however it's done), and console tucked in somewhere (there were no retractors)?

This was the first OW class I'd paid close attention to other than those of my own shop (when out at the quarry at the same time).

 

[HantsDiver]

What's it got to do with you?

I'm presuming if you felt it was unsafe you pointed it out to the other divers and the instuctor?

 

[Caveeagle]

I saw a "class" yesterday that bugged me a little too. This was at a local spring where entrance fee is ~45 clams and nearly all of the bottom is very silty. I did not bother to look too closely at all the gear rigging, but there were many disturbing things happening in the water. (Maybe not all by students). There were moments where one might have thought an individual was actually trying to churn up the bottom. I.e.: divers fins just above the silt bottom, bicycle kicking like there was no tomorrow, making nearly zero fwd or virticle movement.

I also observed large class sizes where the instructor stayed in the water as "group 1" and "group 2" waves of students were escorted into the water. I simply don't see how quality teaching can take place like this.

I felt a bit annoyed to have paid 45$ for the pleasure of diving this silted out scuba kinder garden!

 

[kris@bulldogg.ca]

Just another perspective......a dragging guage or a loose cylinder band, and most certainly stirring up the bottom are all part of open water classes.

It doesn't matter how good you are today, we all were that person at some point. If you see something that you think will harm someone, I would suggest bringing it up to them before something bad happens.....But if it is something that doesn't effect safety, don't be too quick to pass judgement. Maybe it was addressed later, after a bigger priority for the instructor.

Keep looking and noticing though. Recognizing good practices, or challenges in others is a great way to improve your own diving if you do it kindly.

 

[Marie13]

What's it got to do with you?

I'm presuming if you felt it was unsafe you pointed it out to the other divers and the instuctor?

It's very sloppy. I was fortunate to have instructors who made sure we entered the water squared away. You set up your own gear for pool/OW sessions, and did buddy checks, but instructors checked everyone over before getting in the water.

There was definitely a lot of fumbling around once these students got in the water. Much easier to make any adjustments before you get in the water, not after.

People watching is a habit of mine. And, boy, was this good people watching. This was most definitely a WTF are these people doing? moment.

If you don't ever watch other people and wonder what the hell they are doing, you're missing out. Quite the entertainment.

Then yesterday, there was also the rebreather guy (with multiple buddies) who came to the surface spluttering and seeming to have some issues, but since his buddies weren't dragging him out of the water or screaming for help, it must not have been too serious.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

As an instructor, I let my students enter the water with their gear looking like the train wreck their experience will become.

 

[The Chairman]

On my final dives with my students we play a game: who would you dive with and who should you avoid? I want them to ID divers on the boat they would want to emulate and those who they should avoid. It's not to make them feel superior, but to make them start to make conscious choices about who they will dive with as well as how to attract good divers. After all, the best accident is the one you prevent from happening or at least avoid. The only way to learn how to choose your dive partner wisely, is start being critical of the divers around you. Not to be mean, but in order to preserve yourself and your fun. They look for danglies, nervousness, fear, over confidence, FIGJAMs, new equip, abused equipment and so on. It adds a bit of self applied peer pressure as they realize that divers are doing the same thing to them.

So critique other divers. Learn their good habits and avoid their bad ones. Be careful about voicing your opinion to them. Many don't care what you think and will actually resent you pointing out their deficiencies. Keep your observations to yourself for the most part. You'll know when you can share them.

 

[FinnMom]

You don't want to interfere with an instructors class, but you are quite right. The danglies are one thing, probably something the instructor tolerated in the name of picking his battles. Tanks that might slip on students or inexperienced divers is a significant mistake, a problem that can scare them into doing seriously unfortunate, or that is likely to leave them a little less happy and confident after the dive than they could have been - should have been.

Scared students/newbies are not happy customers and any business should be interested in not having uphappy customers. The business gurus say one ne happy customer tells 2 or 3 people but one unhappy customer tells 10 or 12.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Divers discuss a poorly routed regulator hose.

 

[The Chairman]

The danglies are one thing, probably something the instructor tolerated in the name of picking his battles.

Danglies are a sign of a clueless, lazy or careless instructor. Sculling, poor trim and scared students all go along with that. Students imitate their role model and you'll find that the students look a lot like their instructors and will have a similar philosophy as them as well.