Resort Discover Scuba Debate

[ti325v]

I could not have said it better myself. If it had been my post, it would have been full of curses about 'try dives" and even PADI`S DSD program. Yes my first diving experience was a "try dive"in Cancun......looking back, way back...was it safe NO WAY. Did it turn me on to diving and change my life ? Yes...Now, thousands of dives later, working daily as an instructor I still cringe when I see the smiling faces piling on to the boats having NO IDEA what they are getting themselves into.

 

[sabbath999]

My boss several years ago (before I went to work for him) was on vacation with his family. He wanted to do the Resort course at his hotel. They took them in the pool for 30 minutes then out into the ocean for a dive. Well, my boss didn't quite get the ear thing, didn't equalize right, and blew his eardrum within a few minutes of the dive.

My boss had a very similar experience. He didn't blow out his eardrum, but he had some pretty darned good barotrauma going and is now convinced he will never be able to clear his ears while diving... simply because the instructor didn't make sure he understood EXACTLY what was needed and why.

At the same time, his son went OOA and ended up having to breath off the DM's octo from 60 feet down... and this was with a PADI shop in Playa del Carmen.

I had problems clearing my ears in my first pool dive in class, and my instructors jumped all over that and helped me out right away... in the pool, where it SHOULD be done.

I admit that I am rather a training fanatic, and that I chose an instructor for our OW because he's a guy that has been cave diving for 30 years and does NOT train to standards... he trains far ABOVE standards... and offers free continual basic skills training for as long as you like.

Showing a person where the inflator is and the BCD dump is and jumping them in the ocean (my boss's resort "class" lecture time lasted less than 10 minutes) on the way out to the dive site.

I am sure there are good outfits out there that do safe resort training... but there are also the other kinds as well.

 

[dwhthediver]

The difference being day 1 of of the OW course doesn't place you in open water (just the pool). But you're probably right otherwise, with close supervision and some basic instruction I guess as long as they know not to hold their breath there isn't a whole lot danger wise that can happen that the DM can't help them out of.

But PADI standards are after doing knowledge review one, confined water one, you can do open water one...basically this is the resort course I did, which has led me to fall in love with diving, become an instructor and share my passion with anyone who will listen. safety still boils down to the instructor, following standards for maximums, class and pool and caring for the safety and knowledge of his students, whether they are o/w, or dsd

 

[boulderjohn]

To help the non-diver recognize a bad outfit, in the standards, what's the required and what's the recommended instructor to discoverer ratio while in open water? How about DMs or other certified assistants? Max depth? Allowable surface and weather conditions?

Here is the information for PADI:

Depth, Supervision and Ratios
Open water dive — Maximum depth: 12 metres/40 feet.
Only Teaching status PADI Instructors may conduct the PADI Discover
Scuba Diving program in an open water environment—including all
portions of the program leading to and including the open water dive.
The instructor must also maintain direct supervision during the
dive and not engage in any other activities, such as video or photography.
An accompanying certified diver or certified assistant may take video or
photos.

Open water environment — Ratios
Participant-to-instructor – 4:1
Participant-to-instructor with certified assistant(s) – 6:1

NOTE:
Ratios relevant to children 10-11 years old are found in the Children segment of this guide.
The ratios listed are maximums. Reduce them as appropriate based on being able to
maintain adequate control in the prevailing conditions, perform required evaluations, meet
required standards and provide a positive experience for new divers. Although additional
assistants may be used, you cannot increase ratios more than the maximums listed.​

Subsequent Open Water Dives
After new divers complete a PADI Discover Scuba Diving open water dive with a
PADI Instructor, they may participate in additional dives supervised by certified
assistants. For subsequent Discover Scuba Diving open water dives, the
maximum ratio is two participants to one certified assistant (2:1). A
Teaching status PADI Instructor must indirectly supervise all subsequent
dives.

Note: Use your judgment to determine if a participant needs a skill review before participating in
subsequent dives. For example, a participant diving with you on a single holiday need not redo
the program or the releases. A participant who returns after several months should repeat the
entire program including new releases.​

Skills for Open Water Dive
When Discover Scuba Diving divers will go on an open water dive, a
PADI Instructor must introduce and have them practice the following
skills in shallow water:
• BCD inflation and deflation at the surface
• Breathing underwater
• Regulator clearing
• Regulator recovery
• Mask clearing
• Equalization techniques

 

[NoVaScuba]

The problems pointed out aren't with the program as designed, it's with shops and instructors that cut corners or go beyond the limits. When the program is carried out described above, it is safe and has introduced a large number of people to the sport.

These shops and instructors need to be reported to the certifying agencies and those agencies need to take appropriate action. There is no excuse for a student going OOA on one of these dives unless there was an equipment malfunction (that student was also below the maximum depth).

 

[Sharkbully]

OP checking back in:
I went to an out of town meeting today (driving) with the person who did the discover scuba dives.
During the drive, I told him that this topic had generated quite a discussion without a clear cut definite answer. So I then asked him for more details about his dives.
He said that on his first dive, that they received very thorough detailed verbal training, followed up with a couple hours in the pool practicing. He said he felt very comfortable by the time they headed out for the dive.
However, on his second dive, a year later, all they did was give them a brief verbal session, and then they headed for the dive. He said, this was probably because they had done it before. But, I don’t think this was a proper DS session. I did not learn everything on my first dive and my second dive was 25 minutes after the first dive. After a full year, I believe a proper refresher training session should have been conducted prior to dropping them in the ocean. We even advise certified divers to get refresher training after a prolonged absence from the “pool.”
I am still not sure which way to decide on this question. The jury is still out.