Why do so many poorly skilled divers...

[RiverRat]

Of course but that will happen about the time pigs sprout wings and fly.

So true

 

[MikeFerrara]

Well, then, if it bothers you, belly up to the damn bar, get your professional certifications, and become part of the solution to the problem you see.

Been there, done that. IMO, paying that agency is just contributing to their delinquency. No thanks.

New DMs are people who are starting down the path of becoming a diver professional.

No sir/mam. They are already professionals!

We all agree that the most important aspect of any class is the instructor, but we don't want a large pool of people competing to fill the next instructor slot becuase some of them don't have the skill level we believe (usually incorrectly) is necessary for their current level?

No, we don't all believe that it's the instructor that's the important aspect.

Personally, I wish every diver would pursue the DM certification as soon as they feel they're ready. Doing so would raise the level of diving in general and would give an even bigger pool of people to pursue instructor ratings.

Supervising and teaching is an area in itself. There are many great divers who will never be well suited to supervise or teach. The only divers who should persue supervising or teaching roles are those who really want to do it. They should be required to demonstrate that they can, in fact, do it prior to being given the ticket.

IMO, the only thing that can raise the level of diving is to first raise the bar in the agencies training standards.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

No magic to fundies. I've watched a couple of classes and most divers seem to do poorly including those who are already instructors. The only magic is that they are provided some important information that they had not been given before. Many are, for the VERY FIRST TIME, seeing divers who can really control their position and movement in the water.

Many of them (I don't know how many) team up with other DIRF students and they practice together on a regular basis. In a matter of weeks, they improve by light-years.

Not quite that simplistic, but it pretty much describes my experience. I had about 900 dives, and had just finished my instructor's cert when I took Fundies (the first time). Furthermore, I'd been diving with DIR-trained divers for some time.

Unfortunately, DIR instructors will find creative ways to challenge you ... and mine was no exception. And quite frankly, I sucked ... I didn't at all live up to the expectation I set for myself. There's quite a difference between seeing divers who can really control their position and doing it in a DIR class ... where they task-load you to see if you can do it while you're concentrating on something else.

Took me about three months of steady practice till I felt like I could achieve the "bar" the instructor had set for me.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Stichus III]

MikeFerrara,

It seems we only disagree on the ego thing. But correct me if I'm wrong, but are you implying that a newly certified instructor by definition is no good?

 

[MikeFerrara]

Not quite that simplistic, but it pretty much describes my experience. I had about 900 dives, and had just finished my instructor's cert when I took Fundies (the first time). Furthermore, I'd been diving with DIR-trained divers for some time.

Unfortunately, DIR instructors will find creative ways to challenge you ... and mine was no exception. And quite frankly, I sucked ... I didn't at all live up to the expectation I set for myself. There's quite a difference between seeing divers who can really control their position and doing it in a DIR class ... where they task-load you to see if you can do it while you're concentrating on something else.

Took me about three months of steady practice till I felt like I could achieve the "bar" the instructor had set for me.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I stand corrected. Thanks.

 

[RiverRat]

Took me about three months of steady practice till I felt like I could achieve the "bar" the instructor had set for me.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Thanks Bob. Sounds like you got your money's worth out of that class. I hear many say one should take the class as soon as possible but your example says you can take it at anytime and if the instructor is good he'll raise the bar according to your level.

 

[RiverRat]

MikeFerrara,

It seems we only disagree on the ego thing. But correct me if I'm wrong, but are you implying that a newly certified instructor by definition is no good?

I think he's implying that MANY newly certified instructors are no good.

 

[Hank49]

I guess it's not important that I figure this one out but I don't get it. Why are so many poor divers so enchanted by the DM cert?

I remember playing my first guitar chords and immediately having visions of being a rock star.

I caught my first wave and that night envisioned myself getting barreled at 10 foot Pipeline.

I raced those go carts at a track once and could see myself at the 500...yeah man.

A DM or OWSI...to a new diver....he's Stevie Ray Vaughn of diving.....Go for it.

 

[RiverRat]

A DM or OWSI...to a new diver....he's Stevie Ray Vaughn of diving.....Go for it.

And this is EXACTLY WHY you need to start thinking like a role model at this level. In fact, my DM candidate paperwork preached all of this stuff but I never really saw it fully enforced once I got into the program. Don't get me wrong, I got a lot out of it. But it seemed to me there was little if ANY MENTORING going on. Rush, rush, rush....
Rock stars aren't created over night. Most of them play in crap clubs and bars for decades and live on Raman noodles before they get their big breaks. They hone their chops, work on their stage presence, fine tune their equipment for years until they get it all together. When they finally make it big they owe it to their fans to be good role models. Unfortunately there are MANY bad ones out there.

 

[MikeFerrara]

MikeFerrara,

It seems we only disagree on the ego thing. But correct me if I'm wrong, but are you implying that a newly certified instructor by definition is no good?

No. By definition a newly certified instructor is "good". They have met all the requirements and expectations of the agency they are teaching through.

The students they certify will be "good " by the same definition. The parodox is that they may not look so good in the water. LOL