Video from a Training Dive with John Chatterton

[Zack-Bloom]

Two buddies and myself recently completed John Chatterton's Advanced Wreck diving course in Florida. As the final dive of that trip we descended to 165' on the wreck of the Hydro Atlantic. We penetrated the wreck in a couple places and ultimately made an ascent with decompression stops. Why is this relevant to you? Because I took a video of the dive and added commentary explaining what was going on! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7KXv885A8w

Obviously we made mistakes, feel free to point them out to us and others here. Also happy to answer any questions about the experience or the dive.

 

[BoltSnap]

Did you and your buddy feel that the training and the skills/knowledge gained, if any, worth it and justify the "propaganda" for the course?

 

[chillyinCanada]

"Propaganda"?

 

[In2theabyss]

Great narration, how was the instruction with John? Worth the wait (i assume) and cost to learn under him?

 

[Wookie]

"Propaganda"?

John is a great diver, and a great instructor, and an awesome story-teller, as well as being an incredible self-promoter. With all that entails.

 

[seeker242]

Does he teach no buddy check when switching gas?

 

[BoltSnap]

"Propaganda"?

Not sure what you are questioning or objecting to here but I am referring to intense self marketing/promotion over the last few decades. Being a famous celebrity explorer doesn't always mean being a good instructor or being better than a less known instructor who is able to "teach" and deliver the knowledge and skill training at a better level than a celebrity instructor. I have taken seminars and courses with dive luminaries only to find out that they sucked as instructors/teachers. They were more interested in self promotion and very good in story telling than actually teaching. This doesn't mean that John is a bad instructor at all, I am merely asking somebody who has first hand experience with taking a course with John what he thought of the course and training they received. I don't think that I have met anyone who has taken a course with John before I read this post.

I hope that John lives up to his reputation and is as good of an instructor as he is an explorer and pioneer in diving.

 

[hammet]

Recently read Shadow Divers for the first time, so thanks OP.

 

[CT-Rich]

Did you and your buddy feel that the training and the skills/knowledge gained, if any, worth it and justify the "propaganda" for the course?

Wow, the kid got to take a wreck dive coarse with a legendary wreck diver. He
wants to share what he considered a once in a life time experience. Why do you feel the need to come [Mod edit] in and criticize? JYC was a shameless self promoter, SCUBA wouldn’t exist without him pounding the drum. Chatterton is certainly competent to tell others what to do when it comes to wreck diving. He has had a bunch accomplishments prior to and since Shadow Divers, and he has a right to trade on his reputation to earn a living.

Are there YMCA instructors that are better teachers? Who cares? I would pay to sit in an auditorium and listen to him tell stories. I would pay plenty more to sit on the transom of a dive boat and pick his brain and listen to his stories.

Mod: Editorial comment withdrawn

 

[In2theabyss]

John is a great diver, and a great instructor, and an awesome story-teller, as well as being an incredible self-promoter. With all that entails.

Totally agree..I want to take the adv wreck under him as well but he is always fully booked from what I see. Probably one of the greatest diving legands in my eye