Becoming an instructor without any real dives

[mikemill]

I was thinking more like martial art instructors and scout snipers But OJT holds some truth also

 

[BuoyantC]

Back to the original question of whether one could do all training dives and become an instructor, I think the agencies vary on that one. I recall the YMCA, for example requiring a number of dives in various categories to make up the total. It would be hard to get all of those by doing just training dives.

Still, some folks get through it pretty darned fast.

 

[Steve50]

Well of course, I know that.
The reason all this came up is because we were discussing someone we know who became an instructor only a year after being open water certified. The only time this guy was in the water was with a class. Next thing you know he's an instructor.

Perhaps he was a minimalist

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Under the SEI system it could not be done. Real world experience, ie dives independent of training dives are required. I would not train with someone who has no experience outside of training dives. I also cannot obviously speak for anyone but myself but if all I could do were training dives with students, I'd be pretty miserable. Been there, done that as a PADI DM.

 

[sabbath999]

...Once I saw her walking on the sea floor with the tips of her fins, I quickly lost a lot of respect for the dive shop that trained her, and for the PADI system.

I took the PADI system of OW training, and they didn't teach me to walk on the tips of my fins.

In fact, my instructor would probably have (nicely) ripped me a new one if I had done that even in my very first OW checkout dive.

Just sayin.

 

[Doc]

Perhaps he was a minimalist

refer to post #2

 

[Steve50]

refer to post #2

Liked the brevity, but wasn't sure which answers with which questions.

 

[sunkmail]

I took the PADI system of OW training, and they didn't teach me to walk on the tips of my fins.

In fact, my instructor would probably have (nicely) ripped me a new one if I had done that even in my very first OW checkout dive.

Just sayin.

That is why I lost all respect for the shop that trained her. She was actually a danger in the water - totally oblivious to everyone and everything around her. I'm now scared of anyone that says she's a good diver, or more so of those that she has taught.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Well of course, I know that.
The reason all this came up is because we were discussing someone we know who became an instructor only a year after being open water certified. The only time this guy was in the water was with a class. Next thing you know he's an instructor.

I have known someone like that ... only in her case, it took about six months. She was very "book smart" ... knew the agency S&P's by heart and could tick off all the requirements for OW without even a thought. But she didn't really have an understanding of what it MEANT.

There's a serious difference between knowing something and understanding it ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I don't think 100 dives is many either especially considering that most divers get these dives in under extremely desirable conditions. 100 dives in the Carribean pales in significance to 100 dives off the Northeast coast of the US. I guess that is something to take up with our certifying agencies.

I was just making it clear that diving while teaching students is much more stressful, educational, and enlightening than REAL DIVES. If I had a choice between an instructor that did all 100 of his dives while in classes or teaching classes compared to an instructor with 100 REAL DIVES I would hands down pick the first instructor.

I wouldn't.

Class dives are under very controlled circumstances. You're usually teaching them in the same place (usually a very benign dive site), under the same conditions dive after dive, and with serious depth and time limitations. You really aren't learning anything, since you're simply repeating the same information and exercises over and over.

Doing the same dive 100 times isn't the same as doing 100 different dives. No matter that you're handling students, you really aren't learning much about diving ... leadership skills and diving skills are very different things.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)