is my instucter fobbing me off?

[jenaddyman23]

:depressed: ive been doing my divemaster for a couple of months now and all i seem to be doing is observing! surley i should be doing more hands on stuff to get the experince?

when i first started my instucter said i would be finshed not long after xmas but i feel im not even a quater of the way in to the course!!

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TSandM]

Are you PADI? If so, have you done the first three knowledge reviews and gone over them with your instructor? I believe that's required before you can work with students.

 

[joolz]

This is a conversation you should really be having with your instructor, not with strangers on SB. Your instructor is supposed to be a mentor, and if you don't feel like you're getting anything out of your DM course, you need to discuss it with him/her and figure out where the disconnect is coming from.

Before having this conversation, be aware that there can be several reasons why you're not as involved as you think you should be. For example:

1. instructors, like everybody else, can get sidetracked by other things and don't have the time they originally thought they'd have to get you through your course. It's the nature of the business.

2. if your instructor hasn't personally verified that your skills are up to demo quality, she/he may not want you actively demonstrating in front of their students. I made that mistake a couple times with DMCs, who are perfectly competent divers but didn't quite recognize the difference between performing a skill adequately and demonstrating it perfectly.

3. as a DMC, your instructor's insurance doesn't cover you for very much. It's actually a logistical challenge to incorporate DMCs into real courses...in some cases it's just one extra body to watch out for in the ocean. While you want more "hands on" experience (and I'm not sure exactly what that means), there are limits to what your instructor can actually allow you to do with uncertified students.

4. observing instructors demo skills and teach classes is an important part of DM training, and you need to see the whole course multiple times to appreciate what's involved (even though the minimum PADI standards don't require this, unfortunately). I'd be surprised if you've seen everything there is to see in just a couple of months, e.g. missing gear, faulty gear, panicky students, overconfident students, cranky students, underweighted students, blown o-rings, failed exams, low visibility, buoyancy problems, etc etc. The more real world experience you have -- even if just as an observer -- the better you'll be equipped to deal with real world problems as a DM.

5. while the absolute minimum standard requires 60 logged dives to be a DM, your instructor may be raising the bar to ensure that you have sufficient experience to function as a DM in local conditions. The minimum logged dive requirement is somewhat controversial, but ultimately the goal is to produce competent DMs.

All this being said, it's possible your instructor really *is* fobbing you off, and isn't really interested in training you as a DM. If that's the case, it's time to look for a new mentor who is prepared to offer you the kind of hands-on training you want.

 

[RU4SKUBA]

Are you involved in an internship-style program or taking the course over several weeks?

I'm also curious if you've spoken with your instructor, yet, and what their response was.

 

[Slonda828]

Be careful man, some places will use the DM course as a way to con you into filling tanks and helping out while giving you very little in return. Remember, you are still a customer of that shop, as you are paying to get your DM. I would be up front and tell them that you are tired of playing around and you want to finish your course. If they give you a legitimate reason for why you are not ready to finish, then drive on. If it sounds like they are using you as cheap volunteer labor, then they probably are. I "internet" at an LDS for 5 months before I realized that I was being screwed.

 

[Joe-Diver]

I "internet" at an LDS for 5 months before I realized that I was being screwed.

You did what?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

My DM course was much the same. 6 months of alot of observing and seeing all kinds of crap new divers can pull. I also wondered why I was not allowed to demo skills, tutor new divers, etc. Some of it was that PADI does not allow DM's to do much. I got all 5's on my basic skills and still was held back. It turned put that no one (in his opinion) could properly demo skills that was not an instructor (read him). In other words EGO.

When I crossed over to the Y program the first thing the instructor had me do was demo skills in the pool for him. Next session for students. In the classroom I had to prepare a 1/2 hour lecture on equipment and one on physics. These I did with him and a week later(after some critiquing and pointers) to students. By the 2nd month I was conducting a class, academic and pool, under supervision of course but the idea was you learn to teach and supervise by doing it. I interned as a DM/AI for 6 months and then began my Instructor internship. By the time I did my Instructor Institute (exam) I had taught 2 classes(under supervision where required) with another candidate and 1 on my own totaling 14 students from age 13 to 63. This was in addition to the 4 or 5 classes I did not teach but assisted with at some point. Immediately following passing the exam and getting my paperwork and insurance squared away I was given 3 students to teach all by myself. Having actually taught instead of sitting and listening to some one tell me how to teach or just "observing" gave me a much better foundation. And it was less than half the price of a 10 day IDC and IE. My DM crossover and A/I courses were done in exchange for assisting with classes, helping out around the shop, etc. My Instructor Institute/Exam and fees were 650 dollars. plus 120 for books.

If you plan on becoming an instructor tell your instructor. Ask him why you are not allowed to demo skills, do a small poolside lecture, etc. The impetus is on you. If he puts you off head on down the road and find one who will actually allow you to use your skills.