Observed an OW class yesterday

[Marie13]

I’m one of those that got the rushed OW course at a resort in HI. I’m sure starting out even after I received my cert, I looked not unlike what you witnessed. The interesting thing is watching other divers I recognized pretty quickly on my own that I had some work to do. The two absolute best things I did was take the PADI Refresher and Peak Performance Buoyancy certs. I am now AOW and Notrix cert. But these two courses are the ones that really made the difference. In Refresh, we worked on skills that I was able to pass in OW but not comfortable with (clearing a mask at depth). PPB made the largest difference. That is where I learned about ‘dangles’, learned that my inflator is not an elevator, etc. After that course, my diving is immeasurably more enjoyable. After that course, I properly weight myself, once at depth never even touch my inflator, and essentially glide around the bottom. In OW, I never learned the concept of using my lungs to control my depth. I was too busy worried about drowning. I personally strongly recommend PPB for new divers. For me it was like the continuation or fine tuning of what I learned in OW.

Morgan

I just did my SDI Advanced Buoyancy class (3 dives) today. Eye opening experience. Learned a bunch, but also a lot of hard work.

 

[Marie13]

I dunno, what I've gathered from this thread is that one should dive with more gear. Knives to be specific.

Hell, I'd dive with my pistol if I could! The fugly catfish need to be taken care of.

 

[Marie13]

Care to identify them so that someone might benefit from this otherwise dreary thread?

My good instructors are from DRIS. Bad shop, I'll not identify. Sorry I took it otherwise.

 

[BoltSnap]

Right... Can I ask what makes you think you can determine what is and isn't sloppy? And what is squared away? I usually jump off a boat with one fin on and no mask on. You won't usually find me with a reg in my mouth on the surface. You could call that sloppy. But there are good reasons for all of those things.



How much fumbling around does it take to stick a gauge/spg into a cumberband? I take my gauge out and look at it all the time when I'm diving. I then clip it back onto my harness.



I have better things to do. When I'm diving if I see something that concerns me I say so and try and help people out. I get more enjoyment out of helping people and chilling with my friends, than feeling superior to others.



Perhaps his friends were inexperienced. Do you really not think it would be advisable to offer help in that situation? Or at least asked if they were okay?

All this might sound harsh. But diving isn't about standing around and feeling superior. It's about enjoying something with your friends. I'm pretty sure that if we were to dive together I'd be able to pick holes and ridicule you. But I wouldn't I'd smile and enjoy myself and try and help you. I've dived with total newbies up to very very senior technical instructor trainers. There is no way the best would ever stand around and do nothing, and then come onto a website and talk about it.

This was harsh and totally unnecessary even with my standards.

 

[divad]

My good instructors are from DRIS. Bad shop, I'll not identify. Sorry I took it otherwise.

Thanks.

 

[AlexL]

Hell, I'd dive with my pistol if I could! The fugly catfish need to be taken care of.

That kind of attitude in regards to firearms is sickening.

 

[CT-Rich]

When I splash at the local training cove, I don't take a second look at the classes. To me, after 30 years, I see a group totally overwhelmed by technology, hoses, gauges, computers, inflators weights and BCDs. I don't look at my gear like they do, I know it, its all familiar turf to me. When I went through my daughter's open water material, I had forgotten some of the stuff because it is second nature. What looks like a mess to you is someone else's learning curve.

When I see a second season diver head into the water like he is planning on hitting the China closet on the 'Doria, carrying everything from a bat-arang to bat-shark repellent, no matter how well squared away (or not) it is, I don't say anything. He/she will figure it out eventually.

I am sure the OP has gone into the water as a hot mess on occasion. Scuba is not ballet. The gear weighs a ton, can be hot and restrictive and requires a learning curve. Dangling hoses seldom result in instant death (not good for reef life, though).

 

[Neilwood]

@Marie13 - keep watching other folks and mentally noting problems and issues.

I made a point of trying to be very aware of what was happening as a new diver and try to come out of every dive with a learning experience (was I kicking too hard, was my buoyancy ok, was my gear stowed away OK? etc). I also try to pay attention to my buddies to make sure I can learn from them if I can. If I see someone with their gear all over the place, I make a note not to be that guy.

My buddy on my first OW dives had decent buoyancy most of the time but whenever he got task loaded such as compass work he lost his control and his depth varied by metres. I made the note at that point to try to nail my buoyancy and pay attention to it even while doing compass work/DSMB etc. I'm no where near perfect but I don't move the same metres he did.

I had issues with my DSMB on the last big trip with the spool unravelling so made a point of speaking to more experienced divers to see if they had any tips. Ended up learning an entirely new way to rig it which makes it very difficult for it to "escape".

Some people only learn by personal experience, others learn by watching or asking questions.

 

[EastEndDiver]

When I have less than 24 dives I hope I can critique and have all the answers about others divers as well as the OP. (Sarcasm)

 

[Caveeagle]

My earlier points were not about "judging" new / OW divers.. It was about the practice of herding 12+ students at a time through a closed off highly silty environment. People like me paid almost $100 to dive there and had the experience shot to hell by people who should know better.

I'm sorry... but the "we've all been there" argument does not hold a lot of weight for me. If you are an instructor in today's world, grab a clue, and don't take on more students than you can handle! And don't lead them into a silty (or otherwise dangerous) environment until than have at least basic control of their buoyancy.

I keep hearing things that make it sound like decent trim and propulsion techniques require years to master. My 18yr old has less than 25 dives and is doing great! ..But I was very strategic with the choice of instructors. believe it or not.. I don't play scuba Nazi with him either. He set up his own gear and other than a quick s-drill, I did not touch his gear at all. I did not notice him touch the bottom even once!! He was frog kicking around and doing great.

If your taking peoples money for SCUBA instruction... please grab a clue and give your students more than a plastic card.