Resort Class policies

[boulderjohn]

As an experienced instructor, I know that if I have 1-2 very able students, I can do the pool work in one session of maybe 4 hours. If I have a full sized class, I will need 7-8 hours.

When I was certified, I had one pool session for a total of 2 hours. It was a long time before I realized how many standards were skipped to make that work.

 

[Diverlady13]

When I was certified, I had one pool session for a total of 2 hours. It was a long time before I realized how many standards were skipped to make that work.

Wow...that's not much instruction in the pool. The pool session we did was about 5 hours. Three students total. With two dives that afternoon, it was a pretty exhausting day.

 

[ggunn]

Wow...that's not much instruction in the pool. The pool session we did was about 5 hours. Three students total. With two dives that afternoon, it was a pretty exhausting day.

Personally, I don't think that training for handling potentially deadly situations should be rushed, and, again speaking strictly for myself, I am not a fan of resort courses.

 

[Diverlady13]

Personally, I don't think that training for handling potentially deadly situations should be rushed, and, again speaking strictly for myself, I am not a fan of resort courses.

I agree with the not rushing. I should have clarified that I didn't do the course through a resort. We chose a dive op at our destination. We're not really resort people anyway.

 

[Christi]

Could even be faster than that depending on where they go. My OW course was a total of 2 days. One morning in the pool, diving that afternoon, and diving the next morning.

THAT is actually a serious standards violation. Students cannot conduct more than 3 dives per day. For a full OW course, there are 5 confined water dives and 4 open water dives required - which dictates a 3 day minimum.

 

[Christi]

Has anyone heard of a shop limiting Discover Diving students to dives on that day only? And requiring the class to be repeated for each day they dive? It has been my experience that resort class divers can dive all that week, but I suspect we're being corralled into having our friends go full Open Water or the new "certified diver" class. Funny thing is, this shop had always allowed resort class divers to dive all week, but they have new owners.

I am wondering if seeking clarification may help. Are they actually requiring the Discover course each day, or are they simply calling it a Discover Dive each day and charging the same amount? That would actually make sense. Taking the Discover course one day doesn't really warrant a discount on subsequent days. I would clarify what is included each day and what they are defining as a "course" and as a "Discover dive." Regardless, they are required to be with an Instructor on the first day, and then they must have a dedicated divemaster or instructor with them and are limited to 40 feet on subsequent dives. They also may not do night dives. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Diverlady13]

THAT is actually a serious standards violation. Students cannot conduct more than 3 dives per day. For a full OW course, there are 5 confined water dives and 4 open water dives required - which dictates a 3 day minimum.

OK...we didn't know that at the time and that information doesn't exist in the student materials. If there are standards like that, PADI really ought to make it clear to students so that they can compare the standards against what the dive ops/instructors are offering. I've heard of quite a few 2-day OW courses. We did have the option to spread the course out over more time, but it did work out OK for us because we did our OW and AOW back-to-back.

What I will say is that we were very lucky that we chose the op that we chose because our instructor was excellent. As a student, I didn't have anything to compare against, but reading stories here on ScubaBoard keeps reconfirming how good she was.

 

[Christi]

OK...we didn't know that at the time and that information doesn't exist in the student materials. If there are standards like that, PADI really ought to make it clear to students so that they can compare the standards against what the dive ops/instructors are offering. I've heard of quite a few 2-day OW courses. We did have the option to spread the course out over more time, but it did work out OK for us because we did our OW and AOW back-to-back.

What I will say is that we were very lucky that we chose the op that we chose because our instructor was excellent. As a student, I didn't have anything to compare against, but reading stories here on ScubaBoard keeps reconfirming how good she was.

That's somewhat of an Oxymoron - she cut corners, but she was very good don't go hand in hand. I am also a bit old fashioned with regards to skills and training - I think even 3 days is rushing it. Ultimately, the only way to become a proficient diver is to dive regularly and in a variety of environments. Know your limits, use a local guide at least for an orientation of the area anywhere you go, regardless of how many dives you have under your belt, and never take the ocean for granted.

As far as PADI not making course standards clear to students, I agree with you 100% there. I was a PADI instructor for over 20 years and there are many areas they can improve on. I've retired as an instructor as of December 2020.

 

[ChuckP]

I'm a newbie and have heard the "my instructor was fantastic" comment many times while working with someone refreshing their skills. When they struggle with a skill and you remind them of how they did it in an OW class and they say they never did that...... you try to give instructors benifit of doubt but when the student says they never had a snorkle at all in class, you really wonder how much they are saying is true.....

A 2 day OW class with superstar student would be very intense, long days but absolutely against standards

 

[DandyDon]

Ultimately, the only way to become a proficient diver is to dive regularly and in a variety of environments. Know your limits, use a local guide at least for an orientation of the area anywhere you go, regardless of how many dives you have under your belt, and never take the ocean for granted.

Not getting old and soft would probably help, but then not everyone gets to do that.