Bottom-line for me is that I feel that the PADI program for OW certification is too condensed and I don't feel confident that I'll be able take all of it onboard in the time given. Sure, maybe I'll satisfy the certification criteria, but I personally feel that I would want more dives (under instruction), including lots of repetition, before I dive to a depth that may, potentially, induce stress brought on by lack of confidence i.e. walk before you try to run.
You make a good point but I'd like to just touch on this a bit.
Diving is really very easy for most people to learn. Becoming *good* at diving, however, takes time. What you read on the internet is often the result of people behind a keyboard heavily over-thinking things and debating in splitting hairs. A very few really do believe that diving is difficult and somehow mysterious but 99 times out of a 100 the ones who try to convince you that diving is difficult and mysterious are motivated by their own need to project a certain internet "image" of themselves and it's usually not based on anything remotely like reality.
Step 1, therefore, is (this is going to sound like swearing in the church but oh well....) just simply forget everything you read online and go take an intro dive. Relax your mind, relax your body and experience for yourself that the basics of swimming around and breathing under water are really very natural.
After that, you'll be able to approach the course with a little less apprehension about what you read online and maybe a little more knowledge of how you *personally* respond to the experience. That's your best starting point.
Part 2 of this, is what you pointed out.... the course the way it's usually given is short. It really is intended to accomplish two main things: delivery of certain knowledge, delivery of certain skills, and a small amount of practice applying the skills. Most of the practice you get with skills, you will get after the course is over. The reasons for doing this are multiple and complex but suffice it to say that this is how it is. The course simply isn't designed to give you a lot of "experience" and that's what you've pointed out as a problem above.
Nevertheless, the system is also very flexible. *IF* you want a course that's longer and gives you more experience, then it's usually very easy to find an instructor who will do that for you. Yes, it will cost more, but if you approach a shop for "private" instruction then you can get the course tailored to your exact needs. For example, normally the course consists of 5 sessions in a swimming pool and 4 dives in open-water. Last year I did a course with someone who wanted intensive instruction (for reasons that are irrelevant to this discussion) and I did 20 pool sessions and 20 open water dives with her before she got certified. So what I'm saying here is that the "standard" offer from shops is *not* your only option. Most shops will add dives to the course if you ask for them. You'll pay extra for it, of course, but if you need/want it for your learning process and/or peace of mind, then it's always worth the money.
I've been reading these boards extensively and from what I understand, in the past, the course was quite a bit longer than it is now.
That was 40 years ago. In that time, some things have changed and the course has gotten shorter but a LOT of divers have been trained and have become good divers using the modern format.
When learning anything, IMHO, you have to allow time for students to absorb and assimilate the information that is being imparted...I just don't think it's something that can be rushed. Potentially, I could be diving to 60' within 4 days of first donning a mask and fins (I have snorkeled before, but that's not a PADI pre-requisite...if you get my drift) . I don't think that's long enough....I could be wrong, maybe I'm over-thinking it and I'll surprise myself
You have several options both during and after the course to make sure you get the experience you're looking for under supervision. For example, most places in the world offer "guided diving" which is a way for you to make dives under "light" supervision. I don't know if you already knew that, but there are armies of dive-guides who do nothing else but take people on tours under water.
Diver0001 I like your idea of more dives and follow up dives...that what I aiming for.
Ask about this before you sign up then. If you're looking for this kind of thing then you'll find that some shops are more flexible than others. As I said above, a flexible shop will offer you what you ask for.
I hope to become part of this special community one day soon.
you will
R..
