Poor OW Instruction...the Real "Danger"

[rgdiver1]

A long time ago, when I was 16, I learned to scuba dive. The course was several weeks long, and there was a lot of repetition of skills. My instructor was ex military, and his instruction was very similar to military style training. Also no certification was awarded until the instructor thought you had mastered all skills. People could and did wash out of the class. Later I had a hiatus from diving of several years. When I started diving again, I was surprised at how much things had changed, especially in training. To my amazement, I learned there were OW classes just a few days long. It wasn't until I was in a dive master program that we did things like I'd done in my original OW training.

Sadly, open water diver training has been increasingly watered down over the years to get as many people as possible into the sport. Also training agencies are pumping out way too many instructors, many of them with dubious skills. It's all about numbers and money, which is too bad.

 

[Ed Baker]

A long time ago, when I was 16, I learned to scuba dive. The course was several weeks long, and there was a lot of repetition of skills. My instructor was ex military, and his instruction was very similar to military style training. Also no certification was awarded until the instructor thought you had mastered all skills. People could and did wash out of the class. Later I had a hiatus from diving of several years. When I started diving again, I was surprised at how much things had changed, especially in training. To my amazement, I learned there were OW classes just a few days long. It wasn't until I was in a dive master program that we did things like I'd done in my original OW training.

Sadly, open water diver training has been increasingly watered down over the years to get as many people as possible into the sport. Also training agencies are pumping out way too many instructors, many of them with dubious skills. It's all about numbers and money, which is too bad.

You want to talk about bad. I got my cert from a guy here in the Philippines. I dove my first time, shore dive, before I was even cert. I didn't get any lessons other than the few skills needed like reg recovery, mask clearing and such. Basically all I did was pay for a card. I learned all the other skills when I got my Daughter cert at a PADI center here run by and American. There are the few out there that just want the bucks. You are right about that but there are a few that still stick to the course and make sure that the student learns the skills, and masters the skills before cert.

 

[Patoux01]

To my amazement, I learned there were OW classes just a few days long. It wasn't until I was in a dive master program that we did things like I'd done in my original OW training.

Blablabla.
Have a look at standards, not one "has been watered down".

 

[TMHeimer]

Blablabla.
Have a look at standards, not one "has been watered down".

Perhaps not. But I think the many "old timers" on the Board who go back to starting in even the 80s (but 70s and before for sure) point out the reduction in hours of training, thus in repetition of skills. Hard to disagree with that.

 

[Bob DBF]

Blablabla.
Have a look at standards, not one "has been watered down".

Yes, but the execution of those standards by the instructor can leave a lot to be desired. There is no Quality Control arm of the major agencies, that I've heard of, that insures the instructors they certify are training to the standards they specify.


Bob

 

[decompression]

Would love to see, if you have any links to write-ups or videos you have on this...

This is the ESM portion of our open water course, first pool session, comfort through breathing and bouyancy.

 

[jagfish]

This is the ESM portion of our open water course, first pool session, comfort through breathing and bouyancy.

Some nice ideas...thanks for posting!

 

[jagfish]

Perhaps not. But I think the many "old timers" on the Board who go back to starting in even the 80s (but 70s and before for sure) point out the reduction in hours of training, thus in repetition of skills. Hard to disagree with that.

There are random surveys sent to recently certified divers' email that do check on satisfaction and, in the past I was told, to insure some key skills have been conducted, like ESA/CESA. I'd have to check to see what that survey covers recently...