Along with interviewing you instructor beforehand, I would also strongly encourage something other than a "Weekend Certification" mill. As you stated, the pace was too much.
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Your first indication of a 'you're just another number' dive center.On my 1st visit to the shop on the mainland I was completely ignored !
On my 2nd visit I found the sales people to be too pushy ! And they wanted to charge me for the boat trip to the island where the diving takes place.
When I got to the island despite my gut instinct of not using this dive shop, I went in and had a long chat with the manager of the dive shop, and she convinced me that it would be a safe and a nice experience. I did explain to her that I am very nervous about diving and I would need someone experienced.When I booked DSD, I was assigned an instructor with 15 years of experience and when I turned up the next morning I was given the instructor who has been teaching for only 1 year !. No explanation whatsoever I was just told that the instructor who was assigned originally had to do some other stuff !!!
For this kind of attitude, there is no excuse and a reasonable talk should have followed with the manager.****Warning*** It was not very reassuring when the instructor said that he dived 42 meters on a previous occasion when he knew he was out of air ! (apparently he thought it would be a good idea to buddy breath with his girlfriend)
Over-exhaustion is a common problem with beginners, but it should be caught early by an attentive instructor. How many others were learning with you?Towards the end of my first open water dive I panicked ! (later reading the book and watching the video I figured out that this was probably due to over exhaustion )
Sounds like a fairly common scenario for SE Asia unfortunately. The course is so short that you really have to hit the books hard. Strangely enough, IME many young backpackers have the energy (and probably the practise from last minute studying for exams) to scan for the answers and parrot them back in the Knowledge Reviews.I was too exhausted after the end of the first day (DSD pool session and open dive + 30 laps in the pool , for OW + floating 15 mins for OW + 3 chapters of the book + 3 sections of DVD + 3 knowledge review – Instructor was watching porn on his laptop while I was doing my self study vids, reviews and stuff, which I thought was nice)
Again, this is common in SE Asia and a real problem..... unless you can wait a couple of days more and then join in the next rotation.I turned up on the 2nd day still feeling very tired and asked the instructor maybe we could schedule it so that I will have time to recover. His response was if you take a day off today you will have to do 3 dives tomorrow !!!
Welcome to McDivers.3 dives in one day (when I just had 1 dive under my belt and panicked at the end of that single dive), so that the instructor can teach more students and dive shop can get more money. I was told in no uncertain terms that this was a business so you have to do 3 dives the next to complete my OW.
If you also made it clear that you were willing to pay more for private tuition. Then you would have seen a different reaction.I made it clear to the instructor and the manager that while money was their priority safety was my primary concern and that I will NOT do 3 dives in one day with my limited experience and that I will NOT dive when I am physically exhausted !
All PADI students are required to own their manuals. This shouldn't be a problem anymore. Shops often have old copies that ex-students leave behind.The PADI manual they used is an old 2008 book, I have the 2010 version ! Which i've read 5 times, so I had to use my own book for the knowledge reivew.
Welcome to the tropics. Humidity and salty air play havoc with electronics. A small scratch on a well-used DVD often makes them freeze during play. I hate modern technology living here!Malfunctioning DVDs (probably outdated) and DVD players
Thanks ! I agree with the 11 points etc
but all these shops do is SELL SELL SELL and cram OW in to 3 days, now my 2 Ph.Ds and the 16 years of academic experience says that this is not a good learning or teaching strategy !
Why the hell did you stick with this op if on your 1st visit they were even unable to treat you properly ?
- I tried this dive shop in Gili Trawangan for DSD, but dont want to continue with them for OW
- On my 1st visit to the shop on the mainland I was completely ignored !
- On my 2nd visit I found the sales people to be too pushy ! And they wanted to charge me for the boat trip to the island where the diving takes place.
I was too exhausted after the end of the first day (DSD pool session and open dive + 30 laps in the pool , for OW + floating 15 mins for OW + 3 chapters of the book + 3 sections of DVD + 3 knowledge review).
Is that how you read it? I read it like this:3. Funnily enough you mentioned DSD (Discover Scuba Diving) - its supposed to be a 45 minute briefing, maybe a pool tryout for a couple of skills and off you go for an experience in the sea (1 dive) limited to 10 metres or less with a pro hanging on to you at all times. Seems you signed up for Open Water Course instead. Is there some other information that forum readers here might be missing please?