I am certified open water. Due to various things I have not dove for 5 yrs. last dive was the day of certification. I am now ready to start again. Some dive shops say we just hook you up with an instructor and start diving and working on things. One shop said they always use a refresher course book. You take it home, read it, answer questions . Next day instructor will go over everything, answer questions and then start diving. What is your take on this? Any info appreciated
Refresher course
- Thread starter snorris
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floridanewbe
Contributor
welcome aboard
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It's always a good idea to take a refresher after a long absence, specially since you didn't really dive after certification. No big deal!
Be safe.
Wys
Be safe.
Wys
don Francisco
Contributor
Hi and welcome to the board. The length of time you can interupt any activity and pick it up where you left off is proportional to how well ingrained the skills were before the interruption.
Given your limited dive experience and the very long gap - some folks suggest a refresher after 1 year regardless of skill level - I strongly suggest a refresher course of some kind.
If you still have your open water manual, review it before your course, so that the instructor can focus on in-water skills rather than rehashing the classroom work. Be realistic, and if after working with you the instructor suggests that you start fresh, consider taking his advice.
Given your limited dive experience and the very long gap - some folks suggest a refresher after 1 year regardless of skill level - I strongly suggest a refresher course of some kind.
If you still have your open water manual, review it before your course, so that the instructor can focus on in-water skills rather than rehashing the classroom work. Be realistic, and if after working with you the instructor suggests that you start fresh, consider taking his advice.
Definitely take a course. Get back in the pool and do some of the skills again in confined water, unless of course you feel you still remember everything. I had a guy in my class who didnt dive in over 5 yrs and the way he was in class was like he was doing this for the first time. Seemed he forgot everything he once knew. Im certainly not insulting your memory but I guess use your best judgement and if you feel you need to take the course over again then do so.
My refresher for you would be at least two classroom sessions, two pool sessions depending on where you are skills wise and knowledge wise, maybe more, and a weekend of diving(min 5-6 dives). Cost would be around 175 plus gear rental if you need it. And it would be with another class. I'd pick which classroom and pool sessions you'd need based on first interview and swim evaluation with and without gear. Private would be a bit more.
Welcome to the board and back to diving.
Great question and I congratulate you on your decision to seek out refresher training. That is a prudent choice given your long absence. If you own your own gear, don't forget to send it off for maintenance before you get it wet again as age, and potentially moisture will take their toll on seals, o-rings and metal parts (rust inside a first stage is a killer).
Given that your total lifetime dives (4) have been the Basic Open Water Certification Course 5 years ago, you should take something with classroom and pool sessions, open water work. In short your refresher course should look remarkably like a Basic Open Water course. I would imagine that without the immediate reinforcement of say 40-50 dives after certification that you have retained very little of what was taught, and some things have changed in 5 years. My guess is you are a little ahead of a person who has never been trained, but not much.
Even if you remember everything like it was yesterday, there is a difference between remembering and doing. I know from experience that in an emergency, you will do what you have been well trained to do and practiced, practiced, practiced until it became second nature. Then when the s*&t hits the fan you react without thinking about it with the skills you have been trained to use. With only your BOW and no other dives to reinforce and refine those skills (the typical newly minted diver usually really has a license to learn SCUBA) you should review under supervision and practice all the skills again.
The shops that say "we just hook you up with an instructor and start diving and working on things" is just a little too laid back and loose for me. too easy to miss something and not cover a skill because it does not come up on a particular dive, but might in an emergency. A well organized review and practice session in a pool to ensure you cover every skill taught in the BOW is what I would want.
Again welcome to Scubaboard and back to SCUBA diving.
Great question and I congratulate you on your decision to seek out refresher training. That is a prudent choice given your long absence. If you own your own gear, don't forget to send it off for maintenance before you get it wet again as age, and potentially moisture will take their toll on seals, o-rings and metal parts (rust inside a first stage is a killer).
Given that your total lifetime dives (4) have been the Basic Open Water Certification Course 5 years ago, you should take something with classroom and pool sessions, open water work. In short your refresher course should look remarkably like a Basic Open Water course. I would imagine that without the immediate reinforcement of say 40-50 dives after certification that you have retained very little of what was taught, and some things have changed in 5 years. My guess is you are a little ahead of a person who has never been trained, but not much.
Even if you remember everything like it was yesterday, there is a difference between remembering and doing. I know from experience that in an emergency, you will do what you have been well trained to do and practiced, practiced, practiced until it became second nature. Then when the s*&t hits the fan you react without thinking about it with the skills you have been trained to use. With only your BOW and no other dives to reinforce and refine those skills (the typical newly minted diver usually really has a license to learn SCUBA) you should review under supervision and practice all the skills again.
The shops that say "we just hook you up with an instructor and start diving and working on things" is just a little too laid back and loose for me. too easy to miss something and not cover a skill because it does not come up on a particular dive, but might in an emergency. A well organized review and practice session in a pool to ensure you cover every skill taught in the BOW is what I would want.
Again welcome to Scubaboard and back to SCUBA diving.
drummerboy
Registered
Hey there and welcome back to diving!
I'm somewhat in the same situation as you. I haven't dove since my last open-water dive when I was certified(twelve years ago). Next week I'm getting back into it. What was suggested to me was a couple days of a refresher and then we go from there. Fortunately for me, I still have my manual from before and I'm re-reading it now. While I do remember some of the stuff, I have to admit, there's a fair amount I don't remember. I'm sure you'll be fine. Just make sure you're comfortable with everything being presented, and ask questions. Surely much of it will come back to you. Have fun and be safe. Let us know how it goes!! Take care and Happy Diving!!
Kennan
I'm somewhat in the same situation as you. I haven't dove since my last open-water dive when I was certified(twelve years ago). Next week I'm getting back into it. What was suggested to me was a couple days of a refresher and then we go from there. Fortunately for me, I still have my manual from before and I'm re-reading it now. While I do remember some of the stuff, I have to admit, there's a fair amount I don't remember. I'm sure you'll be fine. Just make sure you're comfortable with everything being presented, and ask questions. Surely much of it will come back to you. Have fun and be safe. Let us know how it goes!! Take care and Happy Diving!!
Kennan
Thanks for all the good info. Out of 5 dive shops i contacted not one said pool work was necessary. Some said 1-4 hours pre-work then dive. Only one (where i was certified) said read the books answer questions and next day work with instructor and then dive. I am about to the point where I am going to say i will read the books (i still have all my open water books) then i want a session in the pool and then we will dive. If it cost me extra so be it. Any opinions?
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You can't put a price in having piece of mind! I think you're on the right path.
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