Question for instructors

[hphobbie@aol.com]

ASsistant Instructors can be a huge help. In PADI they can instruct classroom events; can do SCUBA Reviews; and always help the instructor. I intro and evaluate all skills in the pool. If someone is having a problem, it depends who is with me and the person with the difficulty. My AI is excellent with people one on one and the patience of a saint with skills difficulties. One of the DM's is excellent in dealing with equipment issues.

In Open Water, DM/AI follow me, and run the dock. A good assistant minimizes my down time between dives by having the stuidents ready when I come up with the first group. The ones in the water help with all the attendant BS that happens and watch students while I do what needs be done. The one on the dock does another BWRAF to catch the stuff that can make the start of a dive miserable: weights and belts; tanks loose; beaver tails undone; forgot to de-fog mask, etc.

I like the idea of having them write all down they see. I will do that next time. Wish I had it this past weekend as I had a new DM candidate. Would have been a good learning experience for him.

For us also, we team teach, so we can have a 3 ring circus each Wed night. O/W; Rescue;DM, and sometimes a specialty. This allows us to keep current in the classes but also gives the DM's/AI's a chance to work with different levels as well.

Case in point, August 11-12 we had 11 O/W students; 2 AOW; and 6 Rescue both days, with 2 nitrox Sunday, and the DM candidates doing there O/W work as well. We had staggered times as to when groups showed up, but it was done safely and the DM's and candidates got to help a few levels and got alot of diving in as well!

Without DM's, we could not have done 11 OW's as quickly, nor as fun and the candidates got to see all kinds of training and punched their tickets on a few dives as well. PLus 21 cerifications in a weekend makes us look organized

 

[neil]

All good comments.
Rick- a PADI AI can evaluate surface skills in OW. Strange but true, and quite useful at times.

I think hphobbies' comments abut how he uses assistants are excellent and closest to what I do. They are essential to keep things moving and minimize "down" time.

Neil

 

[The Chairman]

can introduce skills to an OW class UNDER the supervision of an instructor. This is great in the overall evolution of a dive instructor to be. Instructors STILL have to evaluate and they also HAVE to be in a position to lend immediate assistance (ie, in the water). AIs (as are DMs) are specifically prohibited from doing ESAs with students, though I have seen one instructor routinely break this rule.

Consequently, I usually let experience and my time invested in the individual dictate just how much they get to do. There have been some DMs that I would let teach entire segments, with me adding only a point or two. Both of them are now instructors... go figure. There are some who may never get past helping a student repeat certain skills... like mask clearing etc.

But the question remains... what do -I- expect from my AI?

An extra set of eyes in the water... They are to see trouble before it happens. Every now and then, they even beat me to it!

Gofer... need extra weight? Need a zip tie and clip? Need a student to be escorted to the bank?

Sounding board... I discuss the problems and successes of the class with them and them alone. I get great ideas from my AIs, and give them some as well.

Friend... It's the best way to teach. Sharing the fun with a good buddy always seems to make the toughest class easy. They should always learn something new from every experience. Hey, it's all I can afford to pay them and they have indeed earned it.

I have three divers that I can really count on to help. There are two more that I am going to use. I also use "safety divers" in my classes. These are more there to gain experience and learn how to assist.