Right On or Rude?

[DiveMaven]

Since this was Cozumel, could the phrasing have more to do with a language barrier than the DM not caring about being rude? Personally, I may have been taken aback at first by a DM being so blunt, but after about 3 seconds would have jumped at the opportunity to have some free, private instruction about weighting and air consumption. People just need to have thicker skins sometimes, especially when not only is he offering criticism, but help and instruction.

When we make it to Cozumel one day, it sounds like I need to book with Aldora.

 

[TheRedHead]

There are certainly more discreet ways of offering advice. The surface intervals are 2 hours and they are taken on a beach. I've dived with other DMs who will sit down with you during the SI and talk. One of them told me he didn't like my (former) BC in front of several divers, but it didn't bother me because I knew he was right about the fact that it is too bulky.

The DMs get a briefing on all the divers. You don't just show up at a boat and dive. When you arrive, you go to the office and deliver your gear so it will be on the boat the next morning. They set it up for you, but I always check mine. After dropping off your gear, you have a chat with Memo and he asks you about your diving during the last year. You'll end up telling him your life's story because he will charm the socks off of you. They also keep files on their divers so they know about any particular preferences or accomodations you need. Last time I dived with them I had to sit out a couple of dives because of an ear problem and he asked me about that.

This particular DM is just blunt and you'll either like him or not. He's highly qualified, intelligent and an awesome diver. We dive as a small team. We all know what to expect on every dive, we don't lose anybody, and we get the maxiumum amount of bottom time. Other DMs have different styles, but all of them try and help divers improve. It's the main reason why I dive with them.

 

[ItsBruce]

I concur RadRob. My grievance to the whole thing is that there was even an issue of whether the DM did the right thing. Why are we so sensitive to hurting peoples' feelings by doing the right thing? If it happened to me, sure my ego would have been bruised. But, so what? Does everyone need to be mollycoddled (sp?) so their precious feelings don't get hurt? I'd rather have someone doing something productive, like helping me than have them spend time figuring out how to tell me they want to help me in a way that won't hurt my feelings.

Now that I'm going ... why do people have to be "policically correct"? Why call someone "physically challenged" rather than "handicapped"? Is there really a difference between the two? And, doesn't the person *know* he or she is handicapped and that he or she is being patronized by being called "physically challenged"? Isn't that more hurtful?

 

[H2Andy]

Does everyone need to be mollycoddled (sp?) so their precious feelings don't get hurt?

i can tell you that 90% of the time, a student whose feelings you've hurt is a
defensive student, and defensive students don't learn too well

if your pedagogical strategy is to humiliate and belittle students, you will be
able to teach a few... maybe 10%... but you'll lose 90%

it's just a lot easier for all parties involved to teach/learn based on possitive reinforcement
and mutual respect. the research is out there, and it's overwhelming.

 

[miketsp]

i can tell you that 90% of the time, a student whose feelings you've hurt is a
defensive student, and defensive students don't learn too well

if your pedagogical strategy is to humiliate and belittle students, you will be
able to teach a few... maybe 10%... but you'll lose 90%

it's just a lot easier for all parties involved to teach/learn based on possitive reinforcement
and mutual respect. the research is out there, and it's overwhelming.

Following on this theme there is a nice page here
http://www.crabbsac.org.uk/articles/A023.htm

"Why students don't do as they are told"

 

[dherbman]

I'd say he had an obligation to the other divers to do what he did. His technique also seemed to get the job done, so I can't fault him there. Some people don't take well to subtle hints and need to be slapped for effect. Perhaps he handled it in the only effective way possible. Perhaps these hoovers were among the 10%.

 

[Diver Dennis]

i can tell you that 90% of the time, a student whose feelings you've hurt is a
defensive student, and defensive students don't learn too well

if your pedagogical strategy is to humiliate and belittle students, you will be
able to teach a few... maybe 10%... but you'll lose 90%

it's just a lot easier for all parties involved to teach/learn based on possitive reinforcement
and mutual respect. the research is out there, and it's overwhelming.

I agree Andy. Why embarass them? All it takes is a little tact and he would have them hanging on his every word. There is no excuse for embarassing them and if it is "just his way" I think it is wrong. I'll bet if anyone here was on the receiving end they would react as Andy said, defensively. I would.

 

[ghostdiver1957]

New diver or old diver... you shouldn't be able to pass OW class without knowing how to adjust your weighting. This is just another example of poor training that drives me nuts. Ask your training shop for a refund... then go get real training.

 

[TheRedHead]

I'm remiss in forgetting to state that this was the "experienced" boat. We were scheduled to do dives like Devil's Throat and Maricabo. We couldn't get to Maricabo because of the weather and the DM came close to genuflecting.

They don't treat newbies the same way. But everyone does come back as a better diver. I have learned MUCH more than I did in AOW class.

 

[H2Andy]

I'm remiss in forgetting to state that this was the "experienced" boat.

actually, that does change things a lot.

if i have the brass ***** to call myself an "experienced" diver and can't even
weight myself properly, then i deserve whatever i got coming to me.

but just to be on a boat and have a DM jump on me like that out of the blue,
it's like, "what the h...."??