How is a new student supposed to make an informed decision as to what constitutes an appropriate site without placing their trust in what the instructor says?
It's really what the entire class is all about: knowing your limitations. This is like when I first suggested that students never needed to kneel during class. Many didn't believe me. It was just too far fetched. Unfortunately, you just can't "Get It" until you teach it. I was even called a liar then until people saw just how simple it was when they actually tried it. It's not "circuitous" if you're actually teaching them how to make those judgements and really including them in the dive planning.
Recently two students and I agreed to go to Royal Springs for their first OW dives. While I can normally see to the bottom, I don't think I could see past 6 inches and they had just driven 3+ hours to get there. Before we gear up for these first dives, we have a very detailed discussion about dive conditions, including currents, waves, visibility, other possible water hazards and their believed ability to handle them. We also discuss how to determine entrances, exits and contingencies. It's a 40-60 minute discussion where we cover a lot of their limits and how determine if they can do a dive safely. Whether the site is divable or not, I make the students decide if it's right for them. They make the call, not me and it's not an automatic decision. Of course we discuss their decision so they have something to ponder, but it's their decision. During the first two dives we also monitor air consumption and average depths so they can determine their initial SAC. Until recently, the next two dives were off a boat. On the boat, we discuss what issues would make them call that dive and yes, they have to make the final decision. Using their initial SACs, we determine whether they have enough air to do the dive they want to do. They come up with the basic three limits, time, depth & air, and barring them calling the dive, we splash. In this case, the discussion started at the top of the platform (about 12 feet above the spring), continued around the basin and out to the Suwanee river where currents and eddies are very apparent. I was talking to them about the dirty discharge caused by a rip current and showing them a video on my phone, when the smaller of the two buddies interrupted me and said something like "Wait. We're not still thinking about diving this are we?" My standard reply is "That's not up to me: it's up to you." 3 seconds later they decided that we weren't diving that day. Now, if they had said yes, I would have vetoed their decision and discussed with them the reasoning behind it. We then discussed options for the next day and decided on Blue Grotto. Was it a total loss? They didn't think so since they learned a lot about shore diving and how to decide if it's safe or not. The next day at Blue Grotto, they made their evaluations and decided we could make the dives.
Diving is all about limits and making decisions based on those limits. I feel that I would be derelict in my duties if I didn't enable my students to make those decisions. Oh sure, I have skills to impart. Trim, buoyancy, gear management, emergency procedures, etc. etc. That's only the mechanics of the class. This is why I hate the serial skills mindset. Oh great, you can flood and clear your mask. I want to see my students maintain a clear mask throughout the entire dive. What? You can hover for sixty seconds? Great, but I want to see them maintain trim and buoyancy during the entire dives as well as turn using only their fins. It's great to know how to do things, but you should also know when and why. I shouldn't have to tell my students when to do anything during our OW dives. Time for me to teach them how/why/when was in confined water. Now. it's time for them to show off that they can do the skills when required to. Using this approach, I've had at least a dozen dives called by students over the years. I don't think I've had to call a one.
To be clear: each student has to make that decision. They can discuss it amongst themselves, but the decision to dive is theirs and theirs alone. Sheep need not apply.
@Instructors: Don't make decisions for your students that they should be making. Sure, it might be convenient for YOU, but you're doing them quite a disservice. It's as bad as not teaching them how to not silt up the place. Does it take a bit more time? Sure, but it's the ethical thing to do. Your students should be able to ask the right questions, make the salient observations and evaluate if a dive is within or beyond their limitations. If they ca't do that, then I can't certify them as a safe diver. It's just that straightforward. It's just that important. Don't produce Sheep Divers.
