senseiern
Contributor
I will not mention names, in case the instructors post here.
The event was at noon time at a local pool. $40.
So, I arrive at 11am. I notice the instructors unloading gear. I thought about helping, but they looked like they had it under control, plus, i needed to get out of street clothes and into my swimming trunks and tshirt, and I was anxious to try out my new mask snorkel and fins.
I spent the previous two nights scrubbing Colgate toothpaste into my new mask's lens. I scrubbed it so much the whites of my eyes are now minty fresh. But, they did not fog up when i went under Saturday.
People started arriving for the event. be aware, this was not billed as a class, else i would have opted for a regular pool class for $25. I would have had as much time under water, plus I could review stuff I might have missed. So, I figured when I signed up, that most of the people signing up would be at least as skilled as me.
Expectations be damned! For more than half, this was their first time with a regulator in their mouth.
I mentioned to the lead instructor that I was going to need weight...30 lbs.
"30 lbs?!...Even without a wetsuit?"
"OK, give me 20 pounds."
He chuckled and assured me they would have a belt for me. He instructed the group to grab fins snorkel and mask. Since I had my own, I was set.
When we finally got in the pool, we were instructed to put the BCD on, but they did not instruct HOW to put it on, so there were15 people who had no idea how to put one on, and me, who put one on once. I helped one person with theirs, but they forgot to reciprocate for me, so I spent my time untangling hoses. I showed a couple people how to secure the octo and their other hoses.
I reminded the instructor to get me a belt. The one instructor who remained poolside begrudgingly went and got the weights that they left in the car because someone decided that they didn't need weights today. I was finally given an 8 lb belt, turned to one of the assistants and made a comment about that I didn't know what I was talking about. part of me wanted to slap him up side the head with the 8 pounds for being so cavalier. But, I wasn't there to fight. I was there to play puttputt golf under water.
So, I put the eight pounds on, and the only thing it accomplished was to keep my ass from floating, but it did nothing to keep my fat body under. My BCD was completely empty...the stuff I was taught in the pool class a few weeks ago, and read in the book they gave me.
Poolside lady finally arrived with more weights. She loaded the belt with 12 pounds. I said I wanted more. 16 pounds. I put it on. OK, at least now I don't need to work to keep from floating. If they had just given me the 20 I first requested, I could have worked down from there.
So, by the time I got the belt on, I turned around and everyone was under...no waiting for the guy who knew he needed more weight...****ers.
I caught up with the group. It wasn't a game. It was just the instructors hitting on the hot women while guys goofed off. I swore someone was going to be hauled out on a stretcher for lack of attention from the instructors.
Since the whole thing was a major fluster cluck, I decided to try the clubs out a couple times then I swam around practicing the stuff I learned in the PADI pool class.
Overall, it was fun to be under water, but the stress caused by crappy instructors made it less fun than I expected. At least now I know that some times, a dive isn't going to be all fun and relaxing.
I cannot wait until I get open water cert so I can find a good dive buddy that loves diving as much as I do, and wants to go just about every weekend. I won't have to put up with crappy instructors.
The event was at noon time at a local pool. $40.
So, I arrive at 11am. I notice the instructors unloading gear. I thought about helping, but they looked like they had it under control, plus, i needed to get out of street clothes and into my swimming trunks and tshirt, and I was anxious to try out my new mask snorkel and fins.
I spent the previous two nights scrubbing Colgate toothpaste into my new mask's lens. I scrubbed it so much the whites of my eyes are now minty fresh. But, they did not fog up when i went under Saturday.
People started arriving for the event. be aware, this was not billed as a class, else i would have opted for a regular pool class for $25. I would have had as much time under water, plus I could review stuff I might have missed. So, I figured when I signed up, that most of the people signing up would be at least as skilled as me.
Expectations be damned! For more than half, this was their first time with a regulator in their mouth.
I mentioned to the lead instructor that I was going to need weight...30 lbs.
"30 lbs?!...Even without a wetsuit?"
"OK, give me 20 pounds."
He chuckled and assured me they would have a belt for me. He instructed the group to grab fins snorkel and mask. Since I had my own, I was set.
When we finally got in the pool, we were instructed to put the BCD on, but they did not instruct HOW to put it on, so there were15 people who had no idea how to put one on, and me, who put one on once. I helped one person with theirs, but they forgot to reciprocate for me, so I spent my time untangling hoses. I showed a couple people how to secure the octo and their other hoses.
I reminded the instructor to get me a belt. The one instructor who remained poolside begrudgingly went and got the weights that they left in the car because someone decided that they didn't need weights today. I was finally given an 8 lb belt, turned to one of the assistants and made a comment about that I didn't know what I was talking about. part of me wanted to slap him up side the head with the 8 pounds for being so cavalier. But, I wasn't there to fight. I was there to play puttputt golf under water.
So, I put the eight pounds on, and the only thing it accomplished was to keep my ass from floating, but it did nothing to keep my fat body under. My BCD was completely empty...the stuff I was taught in the pool class a few weeks ago, and read in the book they gave me.
Poolside lady finally arrived with more weights. She loaded the belt with 12 pounds. I said I wanted more. 16 pounds. I put it on. OK, at least now I don't need to work to keep from floating. If they had just given me the 20 I first requested, I could have worked down from there.
So, by the time I got the belt on, I turned around and everyone was under...no waiting for the guy who knew he needed more weight...****ers.
I caught up with the group. It wasn't a game. It was just the instructors hitting on the hot women while guys goofed off. I swore someone was going to be hauled out on a stretcher for lack of attention from the instructors.
Since the whole thing was a major fluster cluck, I decided to try the clubs out a couple times then I swam around practicing the stuff I learned in the PADI pool class.
Overall, it was fun to be under water, but the stress caused by crappy instructors made it less fun than I expected. At least now I know that some times, a dive isn't going to be all fun and relaxing.
I cannot wait until I get open water cert so I can find a good dive buddy that loves diving as much as I do, and wants to go just about every weekend. I won't have to put up with crappy instructors.
