Question for instructors out there...

[Ann Marie]

I would like to think that I would do everything possible for my student and to keep them safe. I haven't been there yet, so I don't know for sure. Knowing how I've reacted in other emergency scenarios, I'm confident that I would do what is necessary to keep my students safe. Part of keeping them safe is making the judgement as to if they are ready to do a certain dive or not.

I've had one student panic from 20-ish feet and went with her, slowing her down and keeping her regulator in. When we got to the surface, the first thing I did was inflate her BC and in a stern voice told her to stop. She did, then she thanked me and apologized.

 

[freediver]

Jeanne, you are NOT "putting your life in danger" IF (1) you had a great instructor, and (2) you do everything correctly that you were taught.

nereas, how about, "IF (1) you had a competent instructor, and (2) you were taught correctly.

 

[JustinW]

You strike me as a fairly novice instructor, if at all.

I have lots of tricks to "make" a student exhale.

But then, I am also a lot older than you, too.

Again with the empty rhetoric and insults, yet you have not contributed a single piece of information to this thread that anyone can use here other than puffing out your own chest. Please stop telling everyone how great you think you are and try to demonstrate what you might have actually done differently in this situation, how bout your secret "tricks." Talk is cheap.

 

[Prostar]

There aren't many more things that can be done in that situation. If the student is acting odd, you watch like a hawk for the eyes to go big as saucers and the legs fo flex for the start of a bolt. If not, then you are watching as usual and then it happens. You have the blink of an eye to lock up on the student for the ride up. Along the way you are trying your best to mess up their kicking, hang on with one hand and dump your own BC with the other hand, all the time wishing the stupid BC would dump faster.

There is no thought, there is no time. You just do it.

 

[Jim Ernst]

In NAUI terms, it's an ITC, not a IDC.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention as I did not know that!!

And I in No way want to bash anyone at all, Though a Certain arrogant Instructor on this thread needs to look at all scenarios and remember his basic rescue training.

Thank you again for Informing me of something I did not know!!

 

[Jim Ernst]

"IDC" ?

Ah ha! PADI, no doubt!

Thats right..... And DAMN proud of it!!

And ..... Apparently much more wise and Intelligent then you.

Hey I can help you with that problem... I have taught a lot of Ignorant people, Give me shout when you open your mind to the FACT that you don't know it all

Until then I will hope your arrogance doesn't kill you.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

There aren't many more things that can be done in that situation. If the student is acting odd, you watch like a hawk for the eyes to go big as saucers and the legs fo flex for the start of a bolt. If not, then you are watching as usual and then it happens. You have the blink of an eye to lock up on the student for the ride up. Along the way you are trying your best to mess up their kicking, hang on with one hand and dump your own BC with the other hand, all the time wishing the stupid BC would dump faster.

There is no thought, there is no time. You just do it.

Pretty much nails it ... the one thing I've learned is that if you can manage to hook your finger in a chest D-ring and arch yourself backward, you'll pull them with you into a more horizontal position. That'll slow you both down quite a bit.

I've done this a few times in more "passive" situations, where a new diver just lost buoyancy and headed surfaceward (I can think of a couple folks reading this who might remember when it happened to them as newbies).

Finding a way to neutralize their kicking is really important ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[jeanne001]

"Putting my life in danger" was probably not the best choice of words to use. What I meant was that I accept the responsiblity for myself while diving. I have to rely on my training to resolve any problems that may arise down there. If I don't resolve those problems it could be dangerous.

I do have a fantastic instructor. I knew he was going to be a great instructor from the first conversation I had with him prior to certification. His love for diving is contagious. Asking me what my fears were and explained how we would overcome them. Putting me at ease and having complete trust in him even before class started. Explaining how his classes and confined/open water classes run so that I knew what to expect. He always encourages me and gives me pointers on how to be a better diver (I do alot of tagalongs). He has taught me well. I see alot of other divers from other dive centers in Lake George and you can always tell which students has been instructed by which instructors. I chose the right instructor! In essence, he's a god! Oh boy, his head will never fit through the door if he sees this! I have total and complete trust in him.

 

[Sideband]

Truth is none of us were there, the threadstarter didn't give enough details for us to really make a judgement on what could have been differently. That would help us all give constructive criticism.

I think you are missing the point of the thread. I didn't see anyone asking what could have been done differently or asking for constructive criticism. The OP just wanted to know if other instructors were generally willing to place themselves at risk to aid a student in trouble.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

For me my students are my "kids" no matter how old they are. I take a lot of guff from a friend and fellow instructor when I say something like "Guess I better round up my kids and get started." because he insists they should be referred to as students. I've spent 10 weeks training them and learning how they cope with challenges and encouraging them to succeed...I can call them my kids if I want to. I tend to be a teensy bit overprotective; you mess with one of my students and you're messing with me .

Several times I've had students do something that looked like the start of trouble and my heart jumped to my throat as I moved in to intervene only to be waved off while they solved the problem. I've never had to deal with a runaway student but judging by my instinctive reaction to their smaller problems I'm guessing I'd be all over the student trying to slow them down and make sure they exhale.

I'm in the unusual position of being an instructor when I had an instructor/buddy hold onto me during an uncontrolled ascent caused by a drysuit dump valve problem. We had turned our dive and when we got up to 100 feet my suit started acting up so I signalled abort. Things went to pot there and he grabbed me and took the ride with me. Both of us were exhaling like crazy as we were passing our bubbles; it was scary as hell. When we got to the surface I asked him why he didn't just let me go and meet me at the safety stop since I would have returned to it if I hadn't gotten the ascent stopped by then. He said, "We went down together and we come back together, anything that happens to you happens to me."

Some students ask what they are supposed to do if their buddy completely freaks out underwater. I recommend a rescue class and I tell them that as divers they have to decide for themselves how much risk they are willing to take for someone else's life.

Personally I don't take students to the open water until I'm certain they are capable of helping me if I run into problems. Granted there are other staff members in the water who will probably be the ones assisting me in an actual emergency but I depend on the open water student's competence to bring us back safely from each dive as much as they depend on mine.

I hope your instructor friend has a full recovery.
Ber :lilbunny: