What is Avanced Buoyancy Class?

[all4scuba05]

Apparently I haven't done my research. Is The Buoyancy Class just classroom? What do they cover? How many days in class, pool, and ocean if any?

 

[PerroneFord]

If you want a buoyancy class, I HIGHLY recommend Fundies or Essentials class. You'll get more buoyancy work than you can dream about (or is that nightmares). And you'll be taught how to improve on your buoyancy outside of class.

Just my opinion haven taken the class.

 

[loosebits]

I'll reiterate... we can't expect the uneducated pre-OW customer to know what (s)he should expect from an OW class and to know how long it generally takes people to learn the skills that every OW diver should have. Of course these pre-OW customers place pressures on the LDS's to offer shorter and cheaper classes by often going to the competitor that has the short and cheap class but where does it stop? Teaching of proper buoyancy control has gone out the window; enough time in the pool to really be comfortable has also been axed. From accounts I've read on this message board of newly certified divers, the time needed for many to get over the fear of having their reg out of their mouths long enough to do a OOA drill has also bee killed. Do we continue to place the blame on the uneducated consumers as this trend continues or at some point do the LDS's (and training agencies) need to say enough is enough, we won't bend to further price pressures at the expense of training standards?

I'm sure everyone will agree that safety has already been sacrificed so that an LDS can undercut their competitor or a training agency can sell more crew packs. Yes, this is a response to consumer demand but when the consumers don't know any better, how much further should the industry let them go? I think the industry has already gone too far and it's evident by the tighter and tighter restrictions placed on the OW card.

If this trend continues, how much longer will it be before you can get your card by simply watching a DVD?

 

[Skinsfan1311]

IME, part of the problem is in "what" is taught and "how" it's taught. Most entry level courses don't teach divers the tools they need to improve on and that's why it takes divers so many dives to show improvement if they ever do at all...and many don't.

In theory many classes are designed to be performance based, meaning that the student stays until they meet the opbjectives. However, in order to keep the class short they address the time issue by having low objectives.

I arguie that much more can be accomplished in the same amount of time and with a little extra time MUCH more can be accomplished. My classes were about 9 hours in the classroom, 15 hours in the pool and 4 open water dives and I was comfortable diving with the students I certified...or having them dive with eachother. The class was a little longer than most but it was also a lot different. Just adding more time to practice isn't enough. They need to be taught what to practice.

I set the bar at what I though the minimum skill level chould be and all very basic. Of course there are people who disagree with where I set it.

I've done all of the above.

Great post! I firmly believe it's the Instructor and how the classes are taught. After reading all these stories, and lurking for so long on SB, I get more of an appreciation each day for my OW Instructor. Though I was tempted, I resisted the urge to take one of those "quickie" courses throught one of the LDS's I took the class at a local community college, over the course of 5 weeks. It was Saturday mornings, and the classroom sessions were a couple of hours long....followed by pool sessions that were around 3 hrs long.

This guy didn't teach to make a buck....he teaches diving because he loves the sport. His enthusiasm and patience were contagious. He almost single-handedly keeps the diving program alive, at the college. He empahsized safety, and worked over and over on skills. He spent quite a bit of time, on buoyancy skills, and proper weighting. He gave us plenty of time, and help, to practice our skills. He gave all of his students his phone #, and e-mail address, and told us to call, or e-mail anytime. A few of us students contacted him a few times, and he's always been helpful.


He has a few of his life-long dive buddies,(who are also instructors), help out in the Pool. Early on, one of 'em pulled a few of us aside, and said, "You will be hard-pressed to find a better instructor, this guy is one of the best. Pay close attention to him, as you have a good opportunity here" and, "You can always tell the divers that Mark has taught" He didn't push anyone through, and a few people did fail.

I heard what his buddy was saying, but, having no dive experienc, I didn't really appreciate it until after my first couple of dives. I felt very comfortable in, (and above), the water and the DM, and my fellow more experienced divers could not believe that I had just started diving. After my first dive trip, in St. Lucia, I called the guy up and thanked him.....

 

[all4scuba05]

its all about the Benjamins

speaking of post #63

 

[limeyx]

we all suck in the water, to different degrees

basically, if you can do it safely and have fun, that's good enough for me

Yeah, buoyancy is always relative.

You get it figured out at one level
- say a single tank where you can see the bottom
- then take the bottom away and realize you suck
- then add a stage and realize you still suck
- then 2 stages etc.

There's quite an interesting section in JJ's DIR book that outlines the expectations for
different levels of skill (forgot the exact names maybe Basic, Intermediate and advanced)

expressed in how many feet +/- you can hover while swimming, doing something (valve drill, swapping stages, shooting bag etc.) all while maintaining the ever elusive trim etc