Should I help or disappear??

[GratefulDiver]

I had a very similar situation. Only I was the one who asked her if she'd like to try a resort course. She had taken part of the open water course, but never completed it due to bad hayfever.
We had a friend who took a resort course and had a wonderful time and she saw how much pleasure diving gave me so she was quite keen on the idea.

I told her, I'll be in the water too, but not to look to me for any instruction, since she'd be with an instructor, to look to him 100%.

I spoke with the instructor and he was fine with me diving with them as I wanted to share in the experience of her first dive and snap a few pictures of it. I told him that I told her to look to him for everything. He appreciated that.

She had a wonderful dive and I spent the dive about 20 to 30 feet away from them so as not to interfere. It worked out really well.

All that being said, I agree with some of the others. Ask her what she wants. In addition as you yourself are newly certified, there, not much you could do to help anyway.

 

[Scott M]

Thanks for all the replys and assistance.


Agreed that me being there or not will have to be her decision on which way to go. Because I do not want to push or pursued her one way or the other it will have to be her to bring up the subject in the first place so I may address it.

As I have said her interest always peaks shorlty after getting together with friends that dive, I am sure that this is because several of them are experinced divers and they promote the sport well and she can see how confident I am in their diving abilities. These are the same dive buddies that will going with us on the dive vacation that is why I feel the resort course may be best. We will be eating , sleeping, dreaming diving for the week as a group, this may be enough for her to give it a try with people she knows and trusts.

Scott

 

[GQMedic]

Scott,

I recently had a woman in one of my classes who's husband was already a diver. He didn't interfere, he spent alot of time watching, and taking pictures of her going through it, he said it was for his scrap book of all the adventures they have, which I thought was cool, he even brought a uw camera with him and essentially made a huge photographic story book of her whole class experience. She did great, they both had huge smiling faces, he wasn't "phased out" int he least, she came away with her cert and some good times, which with no doubt, will lead to more to come. Just food for thought. I know I wish my now ex was more involved in my levels of training. She is quite a diver and I had spend many moments wishing she was there so I could do the "Hey! Look at me! I'm diving"!, Oh well. *chortle* A little late now..

 

[Scott M]

GQMedic,

In my mind (the little of it I have) I can see this playing out exactly like you described the couple in class. With any luck she will get excited by the whole diving scene in PDC and want to try it. I've got my fingers crossed.

Scott

 

[wapyaly]

My boyfriend and I did our OW course together. we purposefully buddied up with another buddy for the course so that we would not come to rely on each other if we couldnt do something. That way we were totally independent and knew exactly what we were doing. Now when we dive together we have 100% trust as we know exaclty what we're doing. He helps me kit up and I am very particular and thorough about the buddy checks, we kinda make sure each other is OK. It worked for us!!

 

[Sue-ba]

What are the other wives, girlfriends doing? Maybe one of them would like to learn too. Having a friend that is as new to it as she is may be helpful.

I would suggest she do it locally. The long-term support could be a great benefit if it ends up taking a little longer for her to get comfortable with it.

 

[Scott M]

Sue-ba Lips once bubbled...
What are the other wives, girlfriends doing? Maybe one of them would like to learn too. Having a friend that is as new to it as she is may be helpful.

I would suggest she do it locally. The long-term support could be a great benefit if it ends up taking a little longer for her to get comfortable with it.

The other wives are not interested in diving at all.

I would prefer for her to do this locally especially since I really liked my instructor but the he is out of the area until next summer.

Scott

 

[Welsh_Dive_Pro]

Agreed that me being there or not will have to be her decision on which way to go

I would actually say it is the instructors decision first and foremost. I'll put it from an instructors view point. I have had a number of o/w students who have learned so that they can join their s/o in the water and no matter where the training is (classroom, pool, open water) I will always keep the s/o away. this is for a number of reasons:

1. As mentioned previously, the student will ALWAYS look for their s/o. This is natural, they know and trust that person, they dont usually know the instructor.

2. From the Instructors viewpoint (and i think this may be applicable), if the qualified diver is not a DM on the course, as soon as the instructor gives permission for that person to sit in on the course, then that diver is also another 'student' for the instructor to be responsible for, and to take into consideration for Instructional team / Student ratio's.

You have all come up with differing student viewpoints which are obviously important, however, the final decision rests with the instructor. If you explain your views to the instructor then they should talk everything through with you.

Good Luck and enjoy the diving.