Private vs regular group lessons

[kaylee_ann]

In the past, this was recommended by several people in another scubaboard thread.

Hope it helps, and good luck getting certified! You got this.

Total Immersion: How I Learned to Swim Effortlessly in 10 Days and You Can Too - The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

Is it possible to get good at swimming late in life? Yes. (Photo: Shutterhack) Swimming has always scared the hell out of me. Despite national titles in other sports, I’ve always fought to keep afloat. This inability to swim well has always been one of my greatest insecurities and...

tim.blog

Awesome!! Thank you! I think this will help a lot.

 

[formernuke]

“The bends” right? I meant if I really really needed to haha. I’m excited to learn more about the different physiological aspects of diving though. Helps with safety.

Correct, the risk of rapid ascents is well covered in class.

 

[BlueTrin]

I read through the thread very quickly, but if that helps, most instructors will not charge you the full class if you fail and need another day to finish the cert.

You should ask before to book the class if you are concerned about it though.

 

[wnissen]

I’m wondering if you think the extra money for a private open water session would be worth it. I feel like I’d compare myself to others and feel stressed if I’m not learning as fast, plus I’ve heard in private sessions you can work more at your own pace. What do you think? Is it worth the extra money or should I just do the small group one?

Hi, congrats on getting into diving! You've gotten a lot of good advice. I'd like to make two plugs in favor of small-group instruction.

1. If you're in a group with three other students practicing a skill, you will get three chances to watch someone else struggle with it. PADI (I assume you're doing PADI) is mastery based, you get as many chances as you need to complete the skills. Some folks can do all of open water in two long days, it took me months to work out my various ear issues. It's not a race. It's recreational diving, it's supposed to be fun. Challenging, but fun.

2. Depends on how much local diving you plan to do, but it's helpful to get to know other divers and assess their diving skills. The unfortunate fact is that a newly certified diver is the least desirable buddy out there. Given the realities of the buddy system, finding and cultivating safe, reliable buddies is at least as important skill as many of the diving skills. (I have a lot of family up in Erie and Scranton, but I don't know anything about the diving there. So maybe you'll be only diving with divemasters (DMs).)

If you're one-on-one, you don't get the chance. A huge class is bad, to be sure. Good luck!

 

[TMHeimer]

The swim, as others have said, is not timed. Any stroke can be used and in any combination. I'm not what anyone would call a fast swimmer. It's not the Olympics and, while I can if need be go quick in an emergency, fast is not really required in diving.
The swims, treading water, and short underwater swim are more about gauging comfort in the water and the ability to be ok around water in general. Drowning is a large cause of death in kids. Because they are allowed around water and never taught to swim. Parents will spend money on dance, tee ball, cheerleading, jr hockey. etc. and while that's not a bad thing, they do that in lieu of swim lessons. Again, not a bad thing if the kids will never be around water deeper than a wading pool. If they are going to have access to water, in my mind, not teaching them how to swim is neglect bordering on endangerment.
Also, in rescue situations, the swim you would use is not the same as one you'd use in a race. In a rescue situation, you need to keep eyes on the victim and so the head underwater race swim doesn't work.
And you also need to have enough left in the tank to assist the victim back to shore or the boat. Arriving winded after a sprint isn't going to be very helpful.
If necessary, we can start each session with several laps just to get you more comfortable and raise your endurance level.
One of the best gifts I ever got was at the age of 56 when my GF got me an hour with a pro swim coach at a local fitness center. I learned to swim at the age of 4 or 5 from my grandfather. Been swimming over 50 years at the time and I learned a lot in that hour.

Yeah, agree on everything here. Years ago I got into interesting discussions about swim tests for OW and PADI DM, which is ancient SB stuff. But yeah, I also could swim well as a kid and actually made the HS swim team before quitting due a conflict with basketball team. Anyway, to score well on the DM 400, I got some very useful swim tips from my brother, who swam in amateur competitions for decades. I think if you have a long way to swim-- say your boat sinks-- you will be in some big trouble if you're flailing side to side with arms way out of water. Proper stroke isn't essential for scuba, but certainly for that situation.

 

[BlueTrin]

I am a terrible swimmer and did a very slow breaststroke for the swim test.

I did a variation of drownproofing for the “treading water test” if that helps … (because I am not very positively buoyant, but if you can float on your back without kicking do that instead)

 

[TMHeimer]

I am a terrible swimmer and did a very slow breaststroke for the swim test.

I did a variation of drownproofing for the “treading water test” if that helps … (because I am not very positively buoyant, but if you can float on your back without kicking do that instead)

Right. I needed to drown proof for the 15 min. DM "float" when last 2 minutes hands had to be out of water. No way I could do that without drown proofing-- with it I probably could have done it for, well, a long time if I had to. Some people are just "sinkers". Some, like my wife, are "floaters". Has nothing to do with strength or stamina.

 

[kaylee_ann]

Oh no that’s not what I’m concerned about. I’m concerned about not being able to learn period, like I’m just incapable

I read through the thread very quickly, but if that helps, most instructors will not charge you the full class if you fail and need another day to finish the cert.

You should ask before to book the class if you are concerned about it though.

 

[kaylee_ann]

Hi, congrats on getting into diving! You've gotten a lot of good advice. I'd like to make two plugs in favor of small-group instruction.

1. If you're in a group with three other students practicing a skill, you will get three chances to watch someone else struggle with it. PADI (I assume you're doing PADI) is mastery based, you get as many chances as you need to complete the skills. Some folks can do all of open water in two long days, it took me months to work out my various ear issues. It's not a race. It's recreational diving, it's supposed to be fun. Challenging, but fun.

2. Depends on how much local diving you plan to do, but it's helpful to get to know other divers and assess their diving skills. The unfortunate fact is that a newly certified diver is the least desirable buddy out there. Given the realities of the buddy system, finding and cultivating safe, reliable buddies is at least as important skill as many of the diving skills. (I have a lot of family up in Erie and Scranton, but I don't know anything about the diving there. So maybe you'll be only diving with divemasters (DMs).)

If you're one-on-one, you don't get the chance. A huge class is bad, to be sure. Good luck!

I totally get that! And agree with it. Overall though I feel like I’d learn better by myself. How would I find a DM to dive with?

 

[kaylee_ann]

I might try and hit the pool tommorow as well. Not expecting it to go well though.

We’re in the same boat then. At least for expectations lmao