How far would you take a loved one who wants to become a diver?

[Gone for diving]

I had never cleared a mask in my life before I took a scuba course. I learned it easily after that--too easily, in fact. Because it came so easily to me, I did not have to pay a lot of attention to what I was doing.

When I was training to be an instructor, I was taught how to teach clearing a mask. What I was taught to do worked for most of the students, but some students struggled, and with those who were struggling, it usually took me a lot of work to get them to do it well.

After a few years, though, I had it all figured out. I learned exactly what I needed to say about it before demonstrating, and I learned exactly how to demonstrate it. I understood why students were struggling. After that, I don't believe I had a single student have any real trouble learning to do it.

So that is why you pay for a course.

You my be right,

But I have seen a bunch of people take the course, and can't continue, because they can't clear their ears, etc,
And give up, or fumble through and then give up...

I agree alot of people can be taught,
But some people just shouldn't/ can't dive.

 

[SlugLife]

If you had a spouse, child, etc who wanted to become a diver, how far down that learning path would you be comfortable taking them before handing them over to an instructor?

I'm not an instructor, so it would probably be VERY limited, and depend heavily on who the person was, how well they listen, and how responsible they are.

 

[Bubblesong]

If they knew better, they would not let a non-insured, non-instructor teach them to shave a few bucks. Kids don’t know better, adults fret about money at precisely the wrong times.

 

[Gone for diving]

If they knew better, they would not let a non-insured, non-instructor teach them to shave a few bucks. Kids don’t know better, adults fret about money at precisely the wrong times.

There are many examples. But who taught you how to waterski/wake board etc. Did you pay and expert to teach you, or did someone you knew very well, teach you,....

How about driving?
Or tying your shoes?


I know I read it somewhere.
In an old scuba book.
The training he received was from an old guy on a dock. That wouldn't even come in the water.
Tank reg, and he stops what he is doing and says... make sure you don't hold your breath... and that was the course....

I can teach anyone better than that.

 

[TMHeimer]

Course given to his wife by a friend--
"See this thing-- put it in your mouth and breathe".

 

[David Haas]

I laughed a lot reading some of these replies......

With the grandson turning 10 in February and them having a 5.5' deep pool out back I'm sure I'll get asked to let him "try" a tank. He's a whiz snorkeling already and I'm a retired instructor 1978 - 1990) still diving 55 years this year.

So would I take him in the pool? Yes, as long as he knows "do what I say or it's over."

Anything past that (certification) I'll find an instructor I trust......And there's the rub......

Since retiring my Instructor "card" I go diving and host a few trips. The "instructors" I see many times I wouldn't trust my grandson to but also wouldn't dive with many of them!

Too little real world experience, water skills and cranked their way up the cert ladder too fast, etc. Gear flopping around and don't even get me started on physical condition. Some can barely swim.....I wonder how they ever got their instructor's cert unless they rallied back in the day

If the grandson gets the bug I'll find someone I trust. Then as many have said step back and let them be the authority he'll follow.

He's a good kid and I think hoping to maybe go dive with Grandpa will toe the line taking it seriously.

I would only take him on typical shallow warm water diving like Bonaire, etc. and it would be great fun before hanging up my fins (we'll all be there someday.)

Just one old guy's opinion

DH

 

[David Haas]

Oh yeah, I tried to teach my wife to drive a stick shift car maybe 33 years ago. I had a compact Honda Civic Si that had the smoothest little clutch pedal and all........

Below is how she saw what I was trying to teach her, LOL........ I gave up and we all bought automatics forever now

So there's good premise getting someone else teach your loved one certain skills

 

[Bubblesong]

How about driving?

This is comparable as someone could get killed: my brother went once around the block trying to teach me to drive and nearly died of Purple-Faced Dashboard-clutching Apoplexy before jumping screaming from the car. My Mom refused. Finally my Dad gave me a driving lesson on Skyline Drive in California Hills. But then Dad climbed in the backseat to lie down as he felt car sick. Then the brakes failed just as I was heading down hill into a hairpin curve carved out of rock. By the Grace of God, (and highway dept.) there was a runaway truck ramp to the left that i instinctively swerved up, waking dear old Dad in the back seat. We had insurance for this foolishness, so you have insurance to teach someone to dive?

 

[Gone for diving]

Oh yeah, I tried to teach my wife to drive a stick shift car maybe 33 years ago. I had a compact Honda Civic Si that had the smoothest little clutch pedal and all........

Below is how she saw what I was trying to teach her, LOL........ I gave up and we all bought automatics forever now

So there is good premise to getting

Taught my gf at the time, now my wife, how to drive stick. The trick is to have her buy a car that's stick, and make it her daily drive so there is no options, and say if you burn out the clutch your paying for it.
Funny thing is, she has never burnt out a clutch...
And she drives that vw with a touchy perfomance throddle, better than I do,

This is comparable as someone could get killed: my brother went once around the block trying to teach me to drive and nearly died of Purple-Faced Dashboard-clutching Apoplexy before jumping screaming from the car. My Mom refused. Finally my Dad gave me a driving lesson on Skyline Drive in California Hills. But then Dad climbed in the backseat to lie down as he felt car sick. Then the brakes failed just as I was heading down hill into a hairpin curve carved out of rock. By the Grace of God, (and highway dept.) there was a runaway truck ramp to the left that i instinctively swerved up, waking dear old Dad in the back seat. We had insurance for this foolishness, so you have insurance to teach someone to dive?

I highly suggest you don't teach someone diving or driving....

Some people just shouldn't....

 

[boulderjohn]

The training he received was from an old guy on a dock. That wouldn't even come in the water.
Tank reg, and he stops what he is doing and says... make sure you don't hold your breath... and that was the course....

I can teach anyone better than that.

My cousin told me that when he learned in the 60s, the salesman who sold him the gear at the sporting goods store took about 5 minutes to tell him what to do with it.

It reminds me of memes I sometimes see on FaceBook that show a vintage, flimsy child car seat, and they say something like, "This is what we used, and we all survived." Well, the truth is that everyone from that era who is now seeing that meme survived. The ones who didn't didn't survive aren't able to read it. Similarly, the ScubaBoard participants who learned with poor instruction decades ago can laugh about it, too. The ones who didn't survive have nothing to say on the matter.