Why you want to interview instructors

[NothingClever]

How to Choose Your Dive Training

How should you pick a diving instructor? Taking a scuba class is NOT the same as buying a loaf of bread! Though both items involve bubbles. British instructor and wreck and cave diver Rich Walker outlines some of the things you may want to think about when deciding what’s next on your training...

indepthmag.com

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

At the very least quiz a potential instructor about the diving they are doing, are they doing the type of diving you want to do, are they doing the diving at the level they are teaching at regularly outside of courses.
An example a rebreather instructor teaching MOD3, do they undertake MOD 3 level dives and beyond regularly outside of courses? If they don't I would probably move on and find one who does.

 

[steinbil]

I think this comes back to certifying agencies maintaining and enforcing standards for instruction and best practices. So many students are set down the wrong path by lackluster instructors wielding untenable and unchallenged ideas.

He's an "IANTD Technical Instructor Trainer Trainer"...

On another note:
"You would need to consider if a) you have enough bottom mix to complete this dive and b) can you complete this dive from a physiological perspective (thermal, urination, etc)?"

This guy would rather get bent then pee in his wetsuit

 

[DogDiver]

That's really the key question here. How does one go about "losing" a bottle of deco gas, in an open water dive. I suppose there are scenarios I haven't thought of but they seem remote.

The Rouses’ became separated from their deco bottles on the U-869 and both died. Father on the surface. Son a few hours later in a chamber.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

^ The Rouses’ were diving at 70+m on air penetrating a submarine, I would suggest the extreme narcosis they experienced was the cause of them losing their deco gas and subsequent death.

 

[rx7diver]

If I'm remembering correctly, Bernie Chowdhury described making an ascent from a very deep dive when he couldn't return to the place he had stowed his deco bottle(s). Tri-mix dive. He suffered a very serious case of the bends.

When I began doing extended range diving in the Great Lakes (in the mid-1990's), I was more than a little paranoid about not being able to complete deco!

rx7diver