well that didn't go as planned.

[DivemasterDennis]

I do a lot of Discover Scuba classes, and in each every diver has the opportunity to receive all appropriate instruction and get to the point of being able to "play in the pool." However, there are some who have more difficulty than others. With those I will stay late if they want. Equiopment issues like a leaky mask should not be a problem if the dive center has quality training and rental gear. Let your wife know that, and , when she does start her classes, be sure she buys a properly fitted mask before the first pool session.
DivemasterDennis

 

[TSandM]

When our LDS does Discover Scuba, there is a divemaster assigned to each diver or pair of divers, and they have the full hour and a half that we have the pool. The only time we've run groups through in shifts, the way you describe, was a time when we were asked to do this for a birthday part of 20 some-odd people, and there was no way to provide enough staff or equipment to do all of them at once.

It sounds like this shop allots 15 minutes or so for each group, and that seems quite stingy unless the experience is virtually free (and even then, it seems as though it's unlikely to produce a lot of good experiences for folks).

 

[avenger79]

we arrived early at the shop in order to purchase a mask for her. theoretically this would avoid a poor fit. gal at the counter said the DM would help her get it fit at the pool.

this was a very large group. 25-28 students and 2 instr.

I wouldn't consider it "inexpensive" at $46 per person for a few minutes.

 

[boulderjohn]

we arrived early at the shop in order to purchase a mask for her. theoretically this would avoid a poor fit. gal at the counter said the DM would help her get it fit at the pool.

this was a very large group. 25-28 students and 2 instr.

I wouldn't consider it "inexpensive" at $46 per person for a few minutes.

I think $46 per person for the class is very expensive for Discover Scuba. Some shops do it for free on the theory that enough people will go on to get certified to make it worth while.

If you purchased the mask ahead of time, it should have fit perfectly. I have seen shop personnel take a half hour or more to get the right fit for people whose face shapes make fitting difficult. The only fitting that needs to be done after that is the length of the strap, which takes only a couple of minutes at the most. If she was having trouble with the seal, then the mask probably does not fit. You can have a leaky mask even if it fits because of things you are doing to make it leak, but a good instructor should be able to take care of that pretty quickly, too.

 

[LowVizWiz]

this was a very large group. 25-28 students and 2 instr.

I wouldn't consider it "inexpensive" at $46 per person for a few minutes.

I hope I'm not reading this right - 2 instructors for 25-28 people? And the second group had only 4?
Those rations don't seem to add up even at 10 to 1.

As and independent instructor I do the pool part of a DSD at 1:1, 2:1 or 4:1 anything above 4 it feels like I'm herding cats so I will ask a certified cat herder to assist
At a busy dive shop it's often hard to find personalized attention.

Finally, please tell me you didn't pay $46 for the class!!! Clarification, I find $46 for even just a pool DSD class to be a ridiculous low price to pay. Although it doesn't seem like your experience was worth that much.

 

[avenger79]

I hope I'm not reading this right - 2 instructors for 25-28 people? And the second group had only 4?
Those rations don't seem to add up even at 10 to 1.

As and independent instructor I do the pool part of a DSD at 1:1, 2:1 or 4:1 anything above 4 it feels like I'm herding cats so I will ask a certified cat herder to assist
At a busy dive shop it's often hard to find personalized attention.

Finally, please tell me you didn't pay $46 for the class!!! Clarification, I find $46 for even just a pool DSD class to be a ridiculous low price to pay. Although it doesn't seem like your experience was worth that much.

they ran two groups of 10-12 and than a final group of 4

yep $46. You think that was low?

 

[LowVizWiz]

they ran two groups of 10-12 and than a final group of 4

yep $46. You think that was low?

I don't know which agency they teach for or their standards, but the max for a pool session per instructor for PADI is 8:1 did they have anyone else assisting them besides the two instructors?

Do I think that was low? From what you're telling us I don't think you got your money's worth no matter how much you paid.
I guess that for a shop with that many people walking in to do a pool only DSD $50 * 25 people in a short period of time is easy money.
I can't price my DSD that low.

 

[gfaith]

Is this considered a Discovery Dive or just a pool intro to scuba? I had a great experience on my Discovery Dive in the Philippines (Boracay), but is was one whole day with video, 3-4 hours pool prep and one boat ocean dive to about 40 feet as I remember. It was 1:1 instructor to diver ratio and the instructor did a very good job. Oh yeah, that was in 2007 and cost me $150 (worth ever penny).

 

[avenger79]

just a 1 1/2 hr (supposedly) pool intro to scuba. the "itinerary" was supposed to include them suiting you up, showing you how to basically use the equip, swim around the pool, then some basic skills. (mask clearing and regulator loss). probably because they had so many people there it became get in the water swim to the deep end and back (for those without issues) and get out. next group. repeat.


this is a PADI shop and just the two instr with this "class"

 

[jbark]

So, it seems you were unhappy with the class. I have no problem with that I would have been as well given the description.

But I have to wonder as you post on here and talk about trying the next LDS if you even bothered talking to the owner of the LDS about this situation?

Seems like you would probably prefer that your boss talk to you about a performance problem rather than just fire you mysteriously, maybe you should do the same with the shop? Just my thoughts this AM.

I hope she will give it another try, I hope you will give the shop a chance to talk it over with you.
Jerry