To those considering an OW class...

[InsaneDaniel]

I am in the middle of my OW now, with PADI, and I am happy to say that I have a fantastic instructor. We spent around 9 hours in the classroom, but was given the padi book to study beforehand, I picked that all up quickly and have since read it another 3 - 4 times. we finished our second pool session today, of around 4 hours each. I felt that this was enough time for me to get a good grasp of pratical skills. we spent half an hour each morning doing skindiving skills first, so as to give those of us who hadn't done much skindiving before , a basic knowledge.

Combined with the self study from the book, I am now pretty confident that I can deal with the basic problems and skills needed underwater.

just my 2c.

but just on a side note, there were 2 females in my class who were not at all confident, and were having quite a lot of problems. The instructors simply kept them geared up, and asked them to observe anything that they did not feel confident doing. the instructors later booked them in for another pool session, to get them confident and up to speed. I believe that this is a good and efficient way of doing things.

 

[rhadamantus]

welcome to the amazing world of diving, daniel.

self-confidence (and i do not mean being cocky) does help make people learn new things easier. and efficient instructors make a difference, not so much on the certifying agencies.

but then, i said that already before. and others, who are more expert on this matter, had also said their piece.

good luck on the certification!

 

[Clancy]

At the end of my OW cert, my instructor asked me "Do you think you're a safe diver?", My reply was "I think I have an awful lot to learn". To which he replied "Of course you do, but if you stay within your limits and get more experience, you'll be just fine. I think you're a safe diver and I wouldn't have certified you if I thought otherwise."
In a nutshell, I think that may be PADI's strategy. Teach you enough to be safe, and comfortable, and to dive within your limits. Then you'll gain more knowlege through experience and hopefully through more dive training.

 

[Thalassamania]

...Teach you enough to be safe, and comfortable, and to dive within your limits. Then you'll gain more knowlege through experience and hopefully through more dive training.

That may be fine in theory, but divers are not taught enough to be able to accomplish that task. Additionally the real dangers are soft pedaled and the standards that require "mastery" of skills are ignored.

 

[CaptainBoog]

Being rather new to the sport (two years/60 dives) I respect the fact that learning to dive and becoming a proficient diver is journey rather than a destination. I do however, disagree that a course needs to be 'x' number of weeks long to teach the fundamentals.

I did the PADI OW course in three days, although it was scheduled for four. During the course I had one veteran instructor and one assitant instructor for myself and one other student. I have found this student to instructor ration common among resort courses that friends have taken or that I have witnessed while on vacation.

On the other hand, my girlfriend elected to enroll in a 6 wk course at the LDS prior to taking our first dive vacation. During this course there was one veteran instructor and one assistant for 2-6 students. Open water dives were accomplished in a quarry with 10-20 ft vis and an ambient air temp of 30+ degrees (snow was falling).

Unless, you actually increase the number of hours in the water or classroom, simply dragging out a course over weeks will not create a better diver.

I think each option has its' pros and cons and to simply eliminate resort courses would not necessarily make an already safe (relatively speaking, statistically safe) sport any more safe.

Dive education simply needs to address and instill the fact that dive knowledge and competence only comes with experience. Continuing education will facilitate that experience. Dive students and veteran divers need to recognize the fact that your c-card is just the beginning, your ticket to learn so to speak. Ditto for the AOW course, of course it doesn't make you an 'Advanced diver', but remains a great way to build on the basic OW course and allows continued skill development with the added safety benefit of the instructor's presence.

After completing just a couple of ocean dives my girlfriend began her advanced OW and I was trailing along on all of those dives. Her progress was remarkable and her comfort level increased greatly (largely due to the presence of the instructor).

In closing, I think everyone needs to realize the fact that what worked for you may or may not work for someone else. Unsafe diving practices will be exhibited by divers from all certifying bodies and experience levels.

Dive Safe!

 

[Thalassamania]

Being rather new to the sport (two years/60 dives) I respect the fact that learning to dive and becoming a proficient diver is journey rather than a destination. I do however, disagree that a course needs to be 'x' number of weeks long to teach the fundamentals.

With respect to the “alphabet suop” programs you are complete correct. But. over 50 years a series of experts with no "market share" considerations have determined that 100 hours and 12 open waters dives is the what it takes to master the fundamentals.

Unsafe diving practices will be exhibited by divers from all certifying bodies and experience levels.

I have never seen unsafe diving practices exhibited by either a GUE trained diver of someone who has complete a 100 hour Scripps model program.[/quote]

 

[CaptainBoog]

Thalassamania,
Have been reading over the GUE website for the past couple of hours. I'll have to admit that I am intrigued and have already emailed one of the instructors regarding a DIRF course that will be coming to my area. I really wasn't aware of this group when I stated that 'all certifying bodies'; I guess I am learning how much I don't know

 

[Thalassamania]

I guess I am learning how much I don't know

That's the key for us all. I'm not a GUE diver, I drink a different flavor of kool aid, but from what I've seen they are highly competent, as long as you can comfortabley buy into their program, an essential element of which is access to like minded divers.

 

[Texasdivechick]

I signed up for the longest class available to me in my area, 2 days class, 2 days pool, 2 days ow. I also paid x-tra for private classes. I still don't feel like I've gained enough knowledge to let me loose on protected reefs and 60-80 feet underwater. I would like to receive more pool time but that doesn't seem to be an economical option at this point. And since I've paid $800 +++, I would like something to show for it. A nice c card and some photos of fish would be good. Drowning? Not so good. So you see, I am in a bit of a conundrum.

 

[beach89]

With respect to the “alphabet suop” programs you are complete correct. But. over 50 years a series of experts with no "market share" considerations have determined that 100 hours and 12 open waters dives is the what it takes to master the fundamentals.

I have never seen unsafe diving practices exhibited by either a GUE trained diver of someone who has complete a 100 hour Scripps model program.

So no GUE trained diver has ever died while diving? I find that hard to believe.

Increasing the certification time to 100 hours is excessive and would probably kill the sport. I know that I would never be diving if I had to go through a 100 hour course. I would get bored to death, and I don't have 100 hours of free time. A pilot's license takes 35 hours. Are you saying that diving is three times as hard? Or that there is three times the amount of information to learn? I also find that hard to believe.

I got my certification in about 20 hours total. Am I going to die while diving at 60ft because I didn't practice drills 20+ times? Probably not. Will practicing 20 times do any better than practicing something 5 times, as long as I get it? To a small extent. The biggest thing(to me) about scuba diving is being comfortable underwater. At least while doing recreational diving. If you're comfortable underwater, then you'll be less panicky when something goes wrong. I grew up in and around water. I have no problem if I accidentally inhale water or get water in my mask (other than the obvious). It's great that going through a 100 hour DIR-F course makes you feel like a better diver. But I really don't need to be a DIR-F diver, or go through 100 hours of certification time, to do the kind of recreational diving that I like to do. So stop trying to force that **** on me (even though I'm already certified, so even if you did make 100hr classes mandatory; it wouldn't affect me. But I digress).

My dad and three of my uncles were all certified back in the 70s when 100 hour OW-AOW-Rescue-All-in-one classes were the norm, along with hard physical challenges (long swims/tread water) that some divers here are calling for. They all thought that 100 hour certification classes were way too long. 3/4 were instructors. None of them had any problem with me taking a two day class.

But, I will end this by saying that everybody is different. Some people need 20 hours to get down the basics; others need 50 hours. Some may need 100 hours to master the fundamentals; others may need 150 hours. Instructors need to spend more time with people who aren't ready. Take a private pool session or something. Don't send people out once they hit the magic x hour mark.