OP
Winterpeg
Contributor
Thanks to everyone who has responded so far. We are actually looking at SCC, which no one has mentioned. Any opinions on that one?
Certifcations in Cozumel
- Thread starter Winterpeg
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Hi Winterpeg,
Instead of trying to pick a good instructor from feedback from other peoples experiences why not tell the instructor your issues and ask the instructor what they will do to make sure you feel better about their instruction. In short ask them what they will do to make you spend your money with their shop. :14:
It's your money, why not make sure you get what you pay for. This is no different from buying fruit in a market. You pick up an orange, you look at it and if you like it you take it. If not you put it back and try again with another orange.
It's exactly the same choosing a SCUBA Instructor. In fact it should be easier as most SCUBA instructors can talk and an orange can not.
Here is what I suggest.
What ever dive shop you choose to go with, ask to talk to the instructor who will be on rotation the days you will be diving, and then ask that instructor what exercises they will ask you to do during the open water part of your AOW course.
You can do this in person at the dive shop the day before you are due to start your lesson. Or you can do this a week before you get to Cozumel on the phone or by email.
If the instructor can not describe what they will ask you to do during your course, ask for another instructor. If the shop refuses to provide another instructor who can tell you what you need to do, ask for your money back and find another dive shop.
Better yet don't pay for instruction till you meet with your instructor. If a shop insists on money up front then just put a deposit down.
If the instructor can not describe what they will ask you to do then they either can not verbalize their ideas properly, in which case how will you understand their directions, or they have not taught enough AOW students to have the student's tasks clearly defined for each module of the course.
For every module in the AOW course, as in every module of every PADI course, there are a series of tasks that are required to be completed. What tools a student uses to accomplish those tasks is up to the instructor but there are only a limited number of ways to complete those objectives.
For example, to demonstrate the effects of nitrogen narcosis at depth the student is supposed to complete a complex task on the surface and a similar complex task at depth. The delay in performance is supposed to show the student the effect of narcosis even if they feel no different. Many instructors will use math problems, reverse spelling problems, combination padlocks or some form of mechanical task as their student tasks.
If the instructor can not tell you what they will expect you to do, then they probably have never done it before with any other student and will not do anything different with you.
Only you, the diving public, can help weed out bad instructors. The way you do that is to make sure you get quality instruction. And when you do not get quality instruction call up PADI and complain. :mooner: PADI WILL investigate, and they WILL take action. If an instructor has enough QA issues then PADI will remove them from active instructor status.
I hope this helps and the best of luck in your AOW course and have fun diving in Cozumel.
Instead of trying to pick a good instructor from feedback from other peoples experiences why not tell the instructor your issues and ask the instructor what they will do to make sure you feel better about their instruction. In short ask them what they will do to make you spend your money with their shop. :14:
It's your money, why not make sure you get what you pay for. This is no different from buying fruit in a market. You pick up an orange, you look at it and if you like it you take it. If not you put it back and try again with another orange.
It's exactly the same choosing a SCUBA Instructor. In fact it should be easier as most SCUBA instructors can talk and an orange can not.
Here is what I suggest.
What ever dive shop you choose to go with, ask to talk to the instructor who will be on rotation the days you will be diving, and then ask that instructor what exercises they will ask you to do during the open water part of your AOW course.
You can do this in person at the dive shop the day before you are due to start your lesson. Or you can do this a week before you get to Cozumel on the phone or by email.
If the instructor can not describe what they will ask you to do during your course, ask for another instructor. If the shop refuses to provide another instructor who can tell you what you need to do, ask for your money back and find another dive shop.
Better yet don't pay for instruction till you meet with your instructor. If a shop insists on money up front then just put a deposit down.
If the instructor can not describe what they will ask you to do then they either can not verbalize their ideas properly, in which case how will you understand their directions, or they have not taught enough AOW students to have the student's tasks clearly defined for each module of the course.
For every module in the AOW course, as in every module of every PADI course, there are a series of tasks that are required to be completed. What tools a student uses to accomplish those tasks is up to the instructor but there are only a limited number of ways to complete those objectives.
For example, to demonstrate the effects of nitrogen narcosis at depth the student is supposed to complete a complex task on the surface and a similar complex task at depth. The delay in performance is supposed to show the student the effect of narcosis even if they feel no different. Many instructors will use math problems, reverse spelling problems, combination padlocks or some form of mechanical task as their student tasks.
If the instructor can not tell you what they will expect you to do, then they probably have never done it before with any other student and will not do anything different with you.
Only you, the diving public, can help weed out bad instructors. The way you do that is to make sure you get quality instruction. And when you do not get quality instruction call up PADI and complain. :mooner: PADI WILL investigate, and they WILL take action. If an instructor has enough QA issues then PADI will remove them from active instructor status.
I hope this helps and the best of luck in your AOW course and have fun diving in Cozumel.
Last edited:
deborahdelamar
Contributor
Following up on some of the previous posts:
There's one that speaks to cost of dive packages -- the cost of the course usually includes the cost of your dives taken for coursework. You should clarify this with whomever you choose.
Also, writing down a list of questions or things you want to work on will be very helpful. Besides informing the instructor about your wishes, you can check and re-check as you go along to make sure all your points are covered.
I started my course with a long list of things I wanted to learn and the instructor tailored the course for me -- we ended up doing many more modules than required because he was able to combine new skills and review previously-taught ones on each dive. For example, before the deep dive, he taught me to use The Wheel & had me plan a safe, deep, multi-level profile with contingencies (we stay at X depth for Y minutes or until the first one of us uses N psi.) Then he taught me how to use a computer and made me lead the deep dive (requiring navigation practice as well), execute the plan, and monitor both his and my air and depth. It was a realistic situation with much task-loading, a great test for narcosis (I went to the contingency plan at depth as he hoped I would), and a fantastic way to build & practice skills. A few other modules were equally broadened.
But I didn't only get lucky in finding a good instructor -- which I did -- he told me that I arrived prepared and made him work very hard to cover all of my questions and desires in only a few days. My man is Ricardo Gutierrez at Aqua Safari. (While I didn't cover it, he's also an UW photography teacher.)
There's one that speaks to cost of dive packages -- the cost of the course usually includes the cost of your dives taken for coursework. You should clarify this with whomever you choose.
Also, writing down a list of questions or things you want to work on will be very helpful. Besides informing the instructor about your wishes, you can check and re-check as you go along to make sure all your points are covered.
I started my course with a long list of things I wanted to learn and the instructor tailored the course for me -- we ended up doing many more modules than required because he was able to combine new skills and review previously-taught ones on each dive. For example, before the deep dive, he taught me to use The Wheel & had me plan a safe, deep, multi-level profile with contingencies (we stay at X depth for Y minutes or until the first one of us uses N psi.) Then he taught me how to use a computer and made me lead the deep dive (requiring navigation practice as well), execute the plan, and monitor both his and my air and depth. It was a realistic situation with much task-loading, a great test for narcosis (I went to the contingency plan at depth as he hoped I would), and a fantastic way to build & practice skills. A few other modules were equally broadened.
But I didn't only get lucky in finding a good instructor -- which I did -- he told me that I arrived prepared and made him work very hard to cover all of my questions and desires in only a few days. My man is Ricardo Gutierrez at Aqua Safari. (While I didn't cover it, he's also an UW photography teacher.)
Last edited:
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