stevead:I strongly disagree with this thought. I have seen many students who had no problems in the pool, yet turned into complete basket cases upon hitting the ocean.
You honestly believe that an instructor who makes dive #4 and only dive #4 with a student will have a better idea of that student's abilities than one who had them in the classroom for the entire class, had them in the pool for all pool work and took them on all their check out dives? Why?