Let's Hear about Your Bad Training Experiences

[AnonDiver]

I was certified many, many years ago by a shop that I'm learning was actually pretty good. It was once a week for 6 or 8 weeks. We had classwork and poolwork every session. We learned buoyancy control, buddy breathing, dive planning, etc. I understand that standards have changed in the last two decades, but the class my spouse just finished seemed rushed and incomplete (I watched the pool work and talked to my spouse about what they went over in the classroom sessions). To start with this was twice a week for 3 and half weeks, plus two Saturdays of OW diving. There was maybe two classroom sessions. No tables, and only very slight mention of computers. Basically, they were told that computers exist and to just follow the guidelines that the computer gives you. Only very basic physics. I've seen cruise ship how-not-to-die classes that cover more in the way of the why's of diving injuries (the book was somewhat better). The rest of the course was pool work. They hit the major skills, but only once or twice per skill. No buoyancy control work to speak of. No buddy breathing (which I understand may not be a thing these days). No buddy checks (BARWF) at all. The OW dives were short and shallow. The class was also certified having less dives than the certifying agency's standard calls for.

 

[gcarter]

I was certified many, many years ago by a shop that I'm learning was actually pretty good. It was once a week for 6 or 8 weeks. We had classwork and poolwork every session. We learned buoyancy control, buddy breathing, dive planning, etc. I understand that standards have changed in the last two decades, but the class my spouse just finished seemed rushed and incomplete (I watched the pool work and talked to my spouse about what they went over in the classroom sessions). To start with this was twice a week for 3 and half weeks, plus two Saturdays of OW diving. There was maybe two classroom sessions. No tables, and only very slight mention of computers. Basically, they were told that computers exist and to just follow the guidelines that the computer gives you. Only very basic physics. I've seen cruise ship how-not-to-die classes that cover more in the way of the why's of diving injuries (the book was somewhat better). The rest of the course was pool work. They hit the major skills, but only once or twice per skill. No buoyancy control work to speak of. No buddy breathing (which I understand may not be a thing these days). No buddy checks (BARWF) at all. The OW dives were short and shallow. The class was also certified having less dives than the certifying agency's standard calls for.

Then report the standards violations. If you do not, you are part of the problem.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yes, report the standards violations. From what I have read about OW courses decades ago, yes, most today seem rushed to me. I would not want to take the standard PADI "2 weekend" course, as I have assisted with, thus seen quite a few. The 2 sessions weekly for 3 weeks & weekend for checkouts that I took in '05 seemed OK. Of course I had no reference and knew nothing of how it could be better or worse.

 

[gcarter]

Yes, report the standards violations. From what I have read about OW courses decades ago, yes, most today seem rushed to me. I would not want to take the standard PADI "2 weekend" course, as I have assisted with, thus seen quite a few. The 2 sessions weekly for 3 weeks & weekend for checkouts that I took in '05 seemed OK. Of course I had no reference and knew nothing of how it could be better or worse.

What he described was 2 weekly for 3-1/2 weeks, not rushed, and not really any different from his fondly remembered once a week for 8 weeks. The number of classroom sessions may or may not be problematic, depending on expectations for self study and / or online. The only issue I give credence to is the instructor issue.

 

[Fossil_Diver]

I had excellent PADI OW and AOW training so no complaints there. What I will complain about is that I was given the brush off by three different shops in a row when I was looking to take Rescue a couple years after. They all asked me if I was working towards becoming an instructor. When I said no, I wanted to take the class to improve my skills, they had no interest in training me. One shop employee actually walked away from me in mid sentence to go help another customer. That was the end of my formal dive training.

 

[Bubblesong]

My daughter prefers larger class size to meet more divers, so that is another POV.

 

[VikingDives]

My OW was, in retrospect, an absolute joke in the water. The classroom portion was competent, but the pool sessions were minimal. The open water dives were conducted as quickly as possible, nothing longer than 20 minutes.

PSD was awesome at the time, though today, it's probably more the equivalent of AOW. Nothing like training in 0 viz. Every dive after that is an improvement.

My AOW was a total joke. The instructor didn't dive with us except for the deep dive because "these dives only require indirect supervision" and by indirect supervision, I mean he wasn't even at the dive site for our third dive of the day because he had packed up and was headed to the hotel.

I'm guessing that was probably a standards violation since it was a "deep dive" at 81', at altitude. Had I realized at the time that I could have had AOW waived based on my PSD course, I'd have done that, and saved myself the expense.

What kills me is all Albuquerque's LDS's seem to have the same kind of instructors. There's an independent PADI instructor locally that I haven't checked out, but I can't say I feel hopeful.

 

[Fossil_Diver]

My instructor was an independant that I knew from work. He taught because he liked teaching people to dive and didn't charge for anything but course materials. He made no money off my OW or AOW training and did it for the love of introducing people to scuba.
I have not experienced training in a dive shop class so I can't compare my training to group training but I believe you always get better instruction one on one.
Btw when I started the class there were six students and we all worked at the same place so we all knew each other and got along. But for various reasons everyone but myself dropped out of the class. My instructor was thinking about waiting until he had another group but decided to go ahead and train me anyways and even did my AOW one on one. I doubt many dive shop instructors would do that.

 

[bl6394]

My AOW was a total joke. The instructor didn't dive with us except for the deep dive because "these dives only require indirect supervision" and by indirect supervision, I mean he wasn't even at the dive site for our third dive of the day because he had packed up and was headed to the hotel.

I'm guessing that was probably a standards violation since it was a "deep dive" at 81', at altitude. Had I realized at the time that I could have had AOW waived based on my PSD course, I'd have done that, and saved myself the expense.

It sounds like it may have been a standards violation. Some parts of AOW can be through "indirect supervision", Adventure dives deeper than 60 feet require direct supervision unless all of the divers involved have completed the Deep Adventure Dive. It seems like he may have directly supervised your Deep Adventure Dive directly.

However, Indirect Supervision at a dive site is also defined as:

Be present and in control of the activities, but not necessarily directly supervising all activities. Approve dive activities, oversee the planning, preparation, equipment inspections, entries, exits and debriefings and be prepared to quickly enter the water.

It doesn't sound like he was present at the site for all dives or ready to quickly enter the water as required.

 

[shoredivr]

I've been happy with my training with various instructors and agencies from rec to tec, from 1998 when I started OW, up to technical diving courses over the last decade.