robz
Registered
Are there benefits to taking private lessons? If so, is it worth the extra cost?
Thanks
Thanks
private lessons vs. class
- Thread starter robz
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If you mean being alone with the instructor, this might be well the case if you take your course at home, and the price will be more or less the same you would pay should there be other students.
It also depends on your level, if you take OWD, you'll be more likely to have other students, but it is also true that you might have more than one choice of diveshops, have a look around, talk to the instructor, ask all the questions you have, even those you might consider to be dumb, there is no dumb question, jus stupid answers!
Being alone has its advantages such as total attention from the instructor and an accomodating timetable, but it can also be useful to learn from others.
It also depends on your level, if you take OWD, you'll be more likely to have other students, but it is also true that you might have more than one choice of diveshops, have a look around, talk to the instructor, ask all the questions you have, even those you might consider to be dumb, there is no dumb question, jus stupid answers!
Being alone has its advantages such as total attention from the instructor and an accomodating timetable, but it can also be useful to learn from others.
dkerr
Guest
There is a deffinate advantage to private instruction. Whether the cost is worth it to you may depend on a few things. If you are an astute student you may be able to pick up everything you need in a group. Make sure you ask ALL of your questions. It is better to sound ignorant for a minute, than to be ignorant for the rest of your life. Sometimes classes get to big and instructors may not pick up problems you may have. It also depends a lot upon the instructor and how well they can handle multiple students. Groups can be good for raising questions you did not think of. Learning from others mistakes is a valuable source. A group may also let you meet other divers, and one can never have too many dive buddy's.
Good luck with the class however you decide to pursue. Just pay attention and ask lots of questions.
Dkerr
Good luck with the class however you decide to pursue. Just pay attention and ask lots of questions.
Dkerr
ScubaBaby
Contributor
My O/W was on a one to one basis and it was brilliant - i loved every minute of it. The down side is you cant learn from others mistakes.
With my Advanced, I learnt with a german guy who was brilliant but he was shy. He was very very intelligent but because we were both shy characters it meant we didnt really benefit from each others company. We didn't really get to know one and another because of it.
As for my medic and first aid, I completed those with my dad. That was harder for me as my dad is really intelligent and I just felt I had to try and keep up....although he was really supportive and helped me tons.
I prefer one to one learning - but thats because I am naturally shy (honest) and I wouldn't have the confidence to say "I dont understand" infront of others. Especially being reasonably new and young for the diving industry.
I think theres up and downs for both sides and it all depends of your personality and the group and instructor you learn with as to the best way you'll find it.
With my Advanced, I learnt with a german guy who was brilliant but he was shy. He was very very intelligent but because we were both shy characters it meant we didnt really benefit from each others company. We didn't really get to know one and another because of it.
As for my medic and first aid, I completed those with my dad. That was harder for me as my dad is really intelligent and I just felt I had to try and keep up....although he was really supportive and helped me tons.
I prefer one to one learning - but thats because I am naturally shy (honest) and I wouldn't have the confidence to say "I dont understand" infront of others. Especially being reasonably new and young for the diving industry.
I think theres up and downs for both sides and it all depends of your personality and the group and instructor you learn with as to the best way you'll find it.
waterdogs
Guest
Robz,
Hey man, waterdogs here. We had the same choice, of course my circumstance maybe a little different, mainly do to my future wife. We went private here in charlotte. I had scheduled to do our entire OWC for our honeymoon in St.John, well, that didnt go over to well and she did not want to dive at all.
When I asked the board here for some recommendations, they highlighted the benefits of doing all our work here at home. I went one step further to make sure she was totally comfortable so we did Private Lessons.
Benefits:
Personal attention - no 14-16 students and if she or I had trouble then the instructor could give us the time to perfect skills on our time, not other students alloted time.
Scheduling - we wanted to take classes when WE wanted to and the time we wanted to. Now we had to work around the instructors schedule, but it fit ours most of the time.
Costs - Well, regular classes were $145 pp, privates were $250 pp so that becomes YOUR deciding factor. For me, yes indeed a little more expensive, BUT, my future wife has taken to diving and enjoying it where if we did the regular class or our OWC like I scheduled in St.John, she probably would have hung up the FINS.
So, to me, it was worth it. We have our final class wednesday and do our OWC in FLA next weekend.
Our first boat dive is scheduled for May 20 in Islamorada.
Hope this helps.
waterdogs
Hey man, waterdogs here. We had the same choice, of course my circumstance maybe a little different, mainly do to my future wife. We went private here in charlotte. I had scheduled to do our entire OWC for our honeymoon in St.John, well, that didnt go over to well and she did not want to dive at all.
When I asked the board here for some recommendations, they highlighted the benefits of doing all our work here at home. I went one step further to make sure she was totally comfortable so we did Private Lessons.
Benefits:
Personal attention - no 14-16 students and if she or I had trouble then the instructor could give us the time to perfect skills on our time, not other students alloted time.
Scheduling - we wanted to take classes when WE wanted to and the time we wanted to. Now we had to work around the instructors schedule, but it fit ours most of the time.
Costs - Well, regular classes were $145 pp, privates were $250 pp so that becomes YOUR deciding factor. For me, yes indeed a little more expensive, BUT, my future wife has taken to diving and enjoying it where if we did the regular class or our OWC like I scheduled in St.John, she probably would have hung up the FINS.
So, to me, it was worth it. We have our final class wednesday and do our OWC in FLA next weekend.
Our first boat dive is scheduled for May 20 in Islamorada.
Hope this helps.
waterdogs
giants56lt
New
Dont do the private lessons, its great to have a one on one class but not only do you pay more but you dont get to see what other people do wrong so you can correct it, you dont get and new buddies who you can call up to go diving with, other people in your class will ask questions that you have never thought of but should have. I am a Divemaster and I do classes all the time, I think divers who take private one on one classes never become as good as or as competent as divers who are in a class with others, Im not saying to hop into a class with 25 students, look for a class with a small number of students ( maximum of 8 to 10 ) and you will still get the attention from the instructor and the divemasters working with you.
CuriousMe
Guest
I took OW with 4 friends. We had a great time and continue to dive together. We learned from each other's mistakes and worked on things as buddy teams while the instructor was working with other folks in the group.
I think I would have learned in either situation...but enjoyed doing it with friends.
I think I would have learned in either situation...but enjoyed doing it with friends.
kelpmermaid
Contributor
While you would get more one on one attention and flexibility in scheduling private lessons, I am glad I had other people around for my OW class. I think I felt less clumsy watching the others struggle, too. Now it seems ridiculous, but there were times when I wanted to give up. In the group setting, though, I was able to see others perform the skills I didn't like and was able to use this to convince myself that if they could do these things, so could I. I did my advanced class on a privata basis, though, and I greatly enjoyed the flexibility. For the basics, though, I enjoyed having the company of others sharing the struggle.
Green_Manelishi
Contributor
private lessons if the instructor is worth the $$$
my wife and I paid for her private lessons. as a result she
is AOK in the water and did not have to sit and wait while
others tried and tried again to perform simple manuevers
like clearing a flooded mask.
my wife and I paid for her private lessons. as a result she
is AOK in the water and did not have to sit and wait while
others tried and tried again to perform simple manuevers
like clearing a flooded mask.
Welshman
senior member
I think a small group is best for your initial OW certification but it is a personal preference. I enjoyed having someone at the same level to encourage me and vice versa. When I did AOW I was the only student at the time so it was one to one. Most important requirement is the quality of the Instructor. I was well served for both OW and AOW.
My wife by comparison was very nervous and ducked out of her first try last year - she had a problem with mask clearance. This year I got her one to one instruction and she was able to take it at her own pace. This made all the difference and despite some initial difficulties on the open water dives - again mask removal, replacement and clearance - it suddenly clicked and she quickly went on and did her AOW.
You should do what you feel comfortable with.
My wife by comparison was very nervous and ducked out of her first try last year - she had a problem with mask clearance. This year I got her one to one instruction and she was able to take it at her own pace. This made all the difference and despite some initial difficulties on the open water dives - again mask removal, replacement and clearance - it suddenly clicked and she quickly went on and did her AOW.
You should do what you feel comfortable with.
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