New diver getting my certification, is my instructor doing it wrong?

[Baileywantstoscuba]

Bailey, It's all been said. Just curious--I assume you know how to swim from places other than the ocean. If not, this would be very advisable first.

Yes I know how to swim, I have beeen swimming for 20 years.

---------- Post added February 13th, 2013 at 01:01 PM ----------

First question to the OP: What agency (i.e. PADI?) is your training course certified through? That will allow us to determine the exact standards which may have been breached. Once identified, those standards breaches should be communicated to the relevant agency, as a complaint. Most agencies have a Quality Assurance (QA) program that helps remediate and/or prevent negligence, unprofessional conduct or sub-standard training.
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Your instructor should determine that, based upon your "mastery" of the skills taught in the pool/confined environment. If you cross-reference against your course manual, then you should identify each and every skill that should have been taught and mastered in that phase of training.

Instructors (depending upon agency) follow a pre-set order of skills and dives. For instance, dive #2 cannot happen until confined water modules #1 & #2 are completed. Completion is not dictated by demonstration of the skills by the instructor, nor the repetition of skills by the diver... but rather by the satisfactory performance of those skills by the student. PADI define this as "mastery". Other agencies have equivalent descriptions.

Check your course materials... they will help you identify exactly what you should have been taught.

As a rule of thumb, a student that achieves 'mastery' in all the requisite skills should not need to ask the question you have asked. Aside from some natural anxiety about transitioning to the open-water environment and experiencing greater depths... it should be self-evident that you were properly trained to make the progression.



You will feel some pressure. If a pressure differential didn't exist, then you wouldn't need to equalize. You should not feel pain though... not ever. As your ears equalize on descent, all feeling of pressure should ease. Your ears should feel no different to how they feel right now, reading this post....

Novice divers typically have more problems with ear equalization. Some interpret the feeling of pressure as one of 'discomfort', causing needless anxiety.

Equalize little and often, on your descent. Don't equalize too hard... that can cause as much pain/discomfort/injury as it seeks to prevent.



Instructors aren't taught how to speak and act. They are taught to teach.

There are bunches of bad instructors out there... same as there are bad, unprofessional individuals in any company or profession. There are also great instructors. The lesson to be learned is to be highly selective in your choice of instructor. The quality and safety of scuba training is largely determined by the merits of the individual instructor. Less so by the agency. However, the agencies themselves do vary in the quality and standards of who they accept, or how they train, their instructors. All agencies have some amazing instructors, some average instructors.... but some agencies have more useless dregs than others.



Of course. Lack of anxiety would be more alarming!



As an instructor, I'd much rather see a student exhibit some healthy anxiety. It helps to concentrate their minds upon improving their skills and help keep them diving conservatively...developing the challenge of their dives progressively over time as their confidence grows.

Over-confident divers can be a threat to themselves and others. They are the ones who tend to get hurt. Over-confidence is a disparity between confidence and ability... more often that not caused by an over-inflated opinion of your diving competency. It's easy to develop such an opinion when supervised and protected on a training course...and further post-course dives tend to reinforce that opinion because nothing goes wrong. However, a diver is only as good as they can perform when things go wrong. That's when over-confidence is exposed. Sometimes that exposure leads to a close-call and re-evaluation of mindset. Sometimes it leads to people getting hurt.

Healthy anxiety is good and natural.

Unhealthy anxiety isn't. If you feel like verging on panic, or have excessive apprehension, then you probably need to reinforce your core training. Again, this is a mis-balance between confidence and ability. In this case, too little confidence based upon an under-inflated opinion of your diving competency. Panic is dangerous for scuba divers. Train sufficiently to have a level of confidence that matches your ability. That level of confidence should include a realistic assessment of your capability to deal with the emergency circumstances you were (or should have been?) educated about.

This was with Naui, I dont like confrontation, but this guy left me scared, and now with 3 injuries. So I will report him. I just wanted to post here with experienced people to see if this was normal, or just my anxiety. Thanks for the support.

---------- Post added February 13th, 2013 at 01:06 PM ----------

I will pile on at this point. I think you have a clear consensus message from the responses. Yes, there are two sides to almost every situation, and we don't know the instructor's side. But, even if your comments are a bit embellished (which I don't believe they are), you participated in what was fundamentally an inappropriate, and unsafe, situation. Several people have commented on how to proceed at this point, and terminating the agreement and getting a refund should be your first action. (I would suggest that you DO NOT start out by telling the instructor that you posted your experience on ScubaBoard and got feedback indicating that he is a bozo.) See if a mature, objective approach works - you did not have what you felt was a good training experience with him, you did not feel safe, and you don't believe it is in your best interests to continue with him. Don't mention reporting him to the particular training agency. (Although, if he refuses to refund part / most of what you paid, you could consider mentioning that your cousin Vito, from Detroit, is in town and would like to come speak with him about his kneecaps. ) Seriously, the next step would be to approach the shop where he works (presuming he is not the owner), and request a refund. From your description, I doubt that requesting a copy of your training record would be of much value, but that should ordinarily be done as well.

Two final points: Regardless of whether you are successful in getting a refund, you should a) pursue training with another shop, even if the current one offers a different instructor; and b) REPORT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS INSTRUCTOR TO WHATEVER TRAINING AGENCY HE IS AFFILIATED WITH! i don't suggest that as a matter of being spiteful, or punitive. As many others have suggested, what you experienced was unsafe, and should not be allowed to continue. Any competent agency will take your information and complaint, and investigate. The instructor may have a different point of view, and the agency may conclude that no standards were violated (I seriously doubt that will be the outcome). But, at least you will have done the responsible thing.

He is the owner and only trainer at the shop. Going today to get my refund. Wish me luck.

 

[261311]

He is the owner and only trainer at the shop. Going today to get my refund. Wish me luck.

Owns and trains? That sucks, I do wish you luck. No matter the outcome, he doesn't deserve a training cert. so please report him. Let him try and influence people to buy expensive gear all he wants- you can't take that from him and anyone with a jelly in their skull will want to compare customer experiences and reviews with expensive gear they're looking into anyways and be able to run from him.

Thanks for your share!

 

[danvolker]

Yes I know how to swim, I have beeen swimming for 20 years.

---------- Post added February 13th, 2013 at 01:01 PM ----------


This was with Naui, I dont like confrontation, but this guy left me scared, and now with 3 injuries. So I will report him. I just wanted to post here with experienced people to see if this was normal, or just my anxiety. Thanks for the support.

---------- Post added February 13th, 2013 at 01:06 PM ----------


He is the owner and only trainer at the shop. Going today to get my refund. Wish me luck.

What city or Town are you in.....Someone here on SB with good teaching skills, may well feel bad enough about this to help you. Someone that others would have seen instructing, and be able to recommend.

 

[Colliam7]

Yes I know how to swim, I have beeen swimming for 20 years. Good. So, I don't think you are so unfamiliar with the water environment to be a 'Chicken Little'
This was with Naui, I dont like confrontation, but this guy left me scared, and now with 3 injuries. So I will report him. I can see how you would be scared. As it is NAUI, I do not know the standards for progression, and for multi-level training. Hopefully, some knowledgeable NAUI folks will chime in. But, NAUI is a good organization and I seriously doubt they would condone what went on as described, so reporting is the best course of action.
He is the owner and only trainer at the shop. Going today to get my refund. Wish me luck.Good luck. The owner / trainer identity may be an issue. But, even if you don't get a refund, just write it off to 'experience' and go on with your training, SOMEWHERE ELSE.

It troubles many instructors to read of these kinds of experiences. And, the suggestion to 'REPORT HIM' is neither vindictive nor agency-biased. Rather, it is a matter of genuine concern. You were not irreparably harmed. You were lucky. The next person might not be so lucky.

 

[Quero]

This was with Naui, I dont like confrontation, but this guy left me scared, and now with 3 injuries. So I will report him.

Good for you. It does take some fortitude to go through with a report, but be advised that it's a confidential process. The NAUI headquarters staff will do the confronting on your behalf. You may not get any feedback about the process, however, since the confidentiality goes both ways.

Going today to get my refund. Wish me luck.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes! Small claims court is always an option if he refuses to refund your fees. You can support your claim in court with your report to NAUI, so keep all your paperwork.

 

[Baileywantstoscuba]

Yes I know how to swim, I have beeen swimming for 20 years.

---------- Post added February 13th, 2013 at 01:01 PM ----------


This was with Naui, I dont like confrontation, but this guy left me scared, and now with 3 injuries. So I will report him. I just wanted to post here with experienced people to see if this was normal, or just my anxiety. Thanks for the support.

---------- Post added February 13th, 2013 at 01:06 PM ----------


He is the owner and only trainer at the shop. Going today to get my refund. Wish me luck.

I returned the rental gear back today. He wouldn't sign off that I returned it in good condition, which I did. I had to hire a master diver to help show me how to properly clean the gear. My major question is does any body know exact violations from naui he broke? Specifically, having me be in a pool for only 30-45 minutes. Asking me to stay alone in the open water without an instructor. Not covering my dive injury. Not showing me entry and exit for open water. Not knowing how to use my gear. BC with a leak in it. Keeping me in the water when I complained of ear pain (now have water in my ear and 3 ear infections). I need these regulations to get back my 3000 dollars. Please help!

 

[redacted]

Blackmail is a very bad idea.

 

[TSandM]

THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS? Did that include an entire gear package purchase?

You need a NAUI instructor to go over the whole thing with you and detail all the standards violations.

 

[Baileywantstoscuba]

Blackmail is a very bad idea.

What do you mean?

---------- Post added February 16th, 2013 at 09:13 PM ----------

THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS? Did that include an entire gear package purchase?

You need a NAUI instructor to go over the whole thing with you and detail all the standards violations.

No it included the mask, fins, booties, hoodie, snorkel, and gloves. The class& book, the educational part, and my ocean dives.

---------- Post added February 16th, 2013 at 09:14 PM ----------

THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS? Did that include an entire gear package purchase?

You need a NAUI instructor to go over the whole thing with you and detail all the standards violations.

No it included the mask, fins, booties, hoodie, snorkel, and gloves. The class& book, the educational part, and my ocean dives.

 

[Quero]

I returned the rental gear back today. He wouldn't sign off that I returned it in good condition, which I did. I had to hire a master diver to help show me how to properly clean the gear. My major question is does any body know exact violations from naui he broke? Specifically, having me be in a pool for only 30-45 minutes. Asking me to stay alone in the open water without an instructor. Not covering my dive injury. Not showing me entry and exit for open water. Not knowing how to use my gear. BC with a leak in it. Keeping me in the water when I complained of ear pain (now have water in my ear and 3 ear infections). I need these regulations to get back my 3000 dollars. Please help!

$3000? Three thousand? How could it possibly cost all that? For that kind of cost, surely you used a credit card? Call the cc company and have the amount charged back.

Anyway, you don't need to know the specific NAUI violations. Just phone NAUI's Quality Assurance office, explain everything, fill out any forms they ask you to, and let them decide which standards were violated:
NAUI Worldwide
Attn: Ethics & Quality Assurance
PO Box 89789
Tampa, FL 33689-0413
USA
Click here for email form
813-628-8253 Fax
813-628-6284 Voice
800-553-6284 Voice