My openwater qualifying dives, I was not good enough.

[dbulmer]

Good instructors have a knack of taking a student to a particular limit where the student learns something without the student risking injury.

The OW course the OP participated in was taught by a seemingly uncaring and unprofessional individual. Every student is entitled to a duty of care by a professional and I feel that the course described by the OP in another thread fell far short of that.

 

[diver 85]

sorry to hear of your experience(s)---sounds like you almost pased your AOW tests, lol, --- I'd go somewhere where it's a bit 'calmer' for round 2.......

 

[on_two_wheels]

Three sides to every story.

 

[Thalassamania]

I would contact the NAUI HQ that is in charge in SA. If nothing else, certifying without making the required number of dives is normally a standards violation. I say normally because of the situation here in which it appears that a shop card was being issued and then a NAUI card was being written based (possibly) on the mossback clause in the standards.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'm having issues pulling up my NAUI standards except for the updates. But with those the minimum number of dives is 5. Either 5 scuba or 4 scuba and one skin dive. So the three dives right there is against standards.
Found em!
To be short
Dive 1 skills;Entry, buoyancy check,controlled descent, weightbelt and strap adjust, reg clear- blast and purge,reg recovery-sweep and over the shoulder reach, mask clear, spg check,controlled ascent, diver tow 50 yds

Dive 2:Entry, buoyancy check,controlled descent, weightbelt and strap adjust, mask remove and replace, oral inflation of the bc, use of bc power inflator, alternate air share stationary, spg check, controlled ascent, rescue unconscious diver from 10 ft

Dive 3:Entry, buoyancy check, Alternate air share ascent, remove and replace equipment on surface in turn- mask, fins, bc, weights, Controlled descent,weightbelt and strap adjust, stationary buddy breathing, spg check, controlled ascent

Dive 4: Entry, buoyancy check, ESA ascent,Controlled descent,weightbelt and strap adjust, spg check,Nav exercise 1 using natural features 2 using compass on reciprocal course, Note that the students should have planned this dive with guidance from staff. they should be given every freedom and opportunity to execute the dive as independent dive teams while monitored by an instructor or assistant.


Sounds like lots and lots of violations to me.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Wow. I can't imagine dives like that for my first OW dives. I understand that you have to train for your local conditions, but it still seems a bit nuts. Just the dehydration from all the throwing up would have been enough to make me worry, and the complications of the actual dives on your first day seem like way too much. Especially when you consider the whole group was struggling with these problems (how could the instructor keep track of it all?).

Good on you for deciding to continue on with a different training situation.

PS - I equalize as I jump in even if I'll enter positive. The slight amount I dip under the surface before floating back up can be enough to hinder equalizing later on.

Oh that is a great tip, thank you! Just learning about pressurizing on the surface before descending helped me a lot; this idea sounds like another really good one to try.

 

[DaMaDo]

Considering the calm easy waters in my neighborhood where I got certed, I'd definitely say you're a much higher cut above for even having survived that experience.

You have more right to the cert than anyone who took my class...

You'd have no problem diving in Miami tomorrow (well literally you would b/c of the tropical storm, but not figuratively )....in contrast, I'm not sure I could handle your conditions at all.

 

[cutty]

They certainly train 'em tough down there... It will get much easier. What do they do for your AOW?

 

[kasdeva]

I'm having issues pulling up my NAUI standards except for the updates. But with those the minimum number of dives is 5. Either 5 scuba or 4 scuba and one skin dive. So the three dives right there is against standards.

Found em!
To be short
Dive 1 skills;Entry, buoyancy check,controlled descent, weightbelt and strap adjust, reg clear- blast and purge,reg recovery-sweep and over the shoulder reach, mask clear, spg check,controlled ascent, diver tow 50 yds

Dive 2:Entry, buoyancy check,controlled descent, weightbelt and strap adjust, mask remove and replace, oral inflation of the bc, use of bc power inflator, alternate air share stationary, spg check, controlled ascent, rescue unconscious diver from 10 ft

Dive 3:Entry, buoyancy check, Alternate air share ascent, remove and replace equipment on surface in turn- mask, fins, bc, weights, Controlled descent,weightbelt and strap adjust, stationary buddy breathing, spg check, controlled ascent

Dive 4: Entry, buoyancy check, ESA ascent,Controlled descent,weightbelt and strap adjust, spg check,Nav exercise 1 using natural features 2 using compass on reciprocal course, Note that the students should have planned this dive with guidance from staff. they should be given every freedom and opportunity to execute the dive as independent dive teams while monitored by an instructor or assistant.


Sounds like lots and lots of violations to me.

I have done four dives so far. One in a quarry inland and 3 in the sea. I have also done a skin dive.


The dives covered most of the skills mentioned with the added benefit of having to deal with local conditions on a bad day.

 

[Garth]

Find a quarry. Then go back to ruff seas.