How did you choose your con ed instructors?

A question my husband raised made me think about this. A lot of the time, I think we choose our original OW instructors from a position of profound ignorance . . . we go with the shop that's close, or has a convenient schedule, and allow the original instructor to be assigned by the shop. But once you have taken a class, you have a better idea of what goes on, and when you do more classes, you are using SOME kind of database to decide with whom you want to train. And I wonder if people have thought about WHAT criteria they used, and have done the intellectual exercise to compare those choosing criteria with how the class turned out to meet their needs and expectations.

For me, OW was the shop near the house, and the instructor was assigned.

AOW was with the same instructor, because I liked him (for a long time) and I was afraid to dive by myself. I did a couple of specialties with him, too.

Nitrox was with NW Grateful Diver, because by that time, I had discovered that instruction could be quite different, depending on who taught the class and what their vision was.

Fundies was done blind. I had never met the instructor before the class. I took the class on the class's reputation, not his. He was new at teaching it, and did the best he could. It could have been better, but it was still good.

Rec Triox was with the same instructor as Fundies. He was better than anything else I had found. The class didn't go well -- there were issues I needed to fix he couldn't help me with.

Next, I took "diving lessons" which weren't a class and had no clear goal. I picked this instructor on HIS reputation; he was extremely good, but actually not ideal for me.

I took Cavern and Intro from an instructor based on a report from a former student. It was a good choice for the limited objectives I had for the class.

I took Cave by agency, and got instructor by lot. I could not have done better.

I took Tech 1 by instructor and agency, and got the excellent results I expected from both.

I took Cave 2 by agency and instructor reputation, and ended up with someone who didn't match my learning style at all.

So, looking back at the list, it appears to me that for ME, there's no clear guideline on how to be successful in instructor choice. Working with an instructor I knew personally worked very well. So did working with an instructor thrown at me at random through an agency. So did working with an instructor I knew personally, and whose agency (and therefore approach) I knew. Picking an instructor by agency has also NOT worked for me. Picking one by reputation has not worked for me.

So I come away without a clear idea of how one ought to go about choosing advanced instructors, although knowing them ahead of time seems to help. Anybody have a more intelligble track record?

TSandM:

.....//.....So I come away without a clear idea of how one ought to go about choosing advanced instructors, although knowing them ahead of time seems to help. Anybody have a more intelligble track record?

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OMG, Lynne. What a fundamental post.


Started with pure raw luck. I started with OW in a local tech shop. Renegade fundamental sort of guy that didn't teach. Hooked us up with a great instructor, weather got cold, looking to finish a referral dive in Sout Padre Island with American Diving. Immediately realized that American Diving was something else again, so I hijacked the vacation to run OW front to finish so we could get OW with Tim O'leary. Came back certified but no referral dive. Re-did PADI when things warmed up. Same great instructor, learned a second dose of what keeps me alive. Took another course with a 'good' instructor. Saw the difference. From here on I won't put down a dime unless I have a "feeling" that this is a freaking fabulous instructor. Stanton, Lapenta, Lewis, proved out. Blew Doppler's course because I wouldn't compromise and try to "fake it". Solo. It is all about what you know, not what you look like. I shall return when I'm ready, no rush. Knock the ice off the pool, video me, improve, gettin' there slowly...

My OW Instructor here in NS was fine (thought so at the time and still do with hindsight). I took Nitrox & Rescue from a Master Instructor here-again quite good. Did AOW & MSD with an instructor in Destin, FL--he was the one available and again, quite good. Then DM back home, again with a different instructor. Though there were choices of shops in Florida when we were donw there, there basically is one major (PADI) LDS in NS. When the courses are offered, you take from whichever of a dozen instructors will be teaching it. Though I have been pretty lucky, it would be nice to have a choice of which instructor. There aren't courses going on every day as in some tropical LDSs, and cancelled courses are also a pain at times.

Choosing a con-ed instructor actually is as simple as choosing any other. If you know how to choose one in the first place. I chose my con -ed instructors based on what I knew at the time. My instructor for nearly all of my classes thru DM was my OW instructor. He was good at the time. But then I had not yet found this forum, did not know there were agencies other than PADI, and as such took a much different route than the one I would have had I had some guidelines.

But at the time I did not and none were available that I knew of until I found Walter's post in the New Diver's forum. By that time I had also developed my own criteria that was more extensive and used that for my agency crossover as well as intro to tech and helitrox. But that would have been different had I dug a little deeper and asked a few more questions.

As a result I came up with a new set of guidlines and use them for any training I do now. Instructor reputation is a factor but I would never take a class from anyone I did not personally talk to and get a feel for. My SDI solo instructor was chosen based on reputation, recommendations, and diving with him.

I expect to do some more tech this year if the cards fall right. Adv Nitrox and Deco Proc is next on my list. I have a couple of instructors in mind for that.

Choosing an instructor was one of those items I found important enough that I put an entire chapter with 20 questions in my book. It can be used with any instructor, not just basic ones. You need to perhaps augment some of the questions and insert advanced dives for fun dives but the basics are still the same. I'm at work now and do not have access to the file, but later today I'll post a few of the questions and the answers one should look for I feel are important.

If you want all of them ya gotta buy the book. Interviewing an instructor and matching needs as well as styles and personalities is critical. As is teaching style. A good instructor will welcome questions and not be offended if you feel the two of you do not mesh. And finally before I'd let a shop pick my instructor I'd take one off to the side I wanted to train with and hire him/her privately.

Allowing the shop to pick them is bull caca. They do not work for the shop. They work for you. Anyone who tells you different run away from. Shops do not own you or make your choices unless you allow them to. I will not stand for that.

My local OW was for the class and pool only. He was assigned and I had no clue anyway. I did the OW dives off the south shore of Maui on referral with a very experienced instructor recommended here on SB. AOW was with assigned instructor at Jack's Dive Locker in the Big Island. He was fine. Nitrox was class only. Whatever. Rescue was with a well known and highly recommended SoCal instructor. Very good. I'm probably done with formal training and all in all the instruction has been good from the start.

Good question!

I pick instructors that I personally like and also that I want to emulate. Someone that has a legacy that I want to follow, someone that motivates me to better and challenges me. I think you do have to get to know your instructors and have a bond with them, otherwise you won't respect what they say or trust their authority. I've picked my triathlon coach and personal trainers the same way...And they have to make me laugh!

It's kind of like picking the one. You don't settle on the first one that comes along and when you know, you know.

I have to confess, I don't think I have ever chosen an instructor in my life (for continuing education or otherwise). I have chosen courses, and then decided where to do them based on availability. But I don't think I have ever researched and chosen an instructor.

I tried to choose an instructor for my son's OW course, but was told that the girl I wanted (who seemed to me to be extremely good with children, as well as being very experienced and great fun) wasn't available, so they foisted him with some newbie.

OW - I walked into Sports Chalet one day and was acquainted with PADI (although I have heard of them before). However, to be sure, I googled PADI and came across different agencies and called the few LDS in my area and spoke to them over the phone. I went with an instructor with NAUI in the end because the CD's explanation about academic freedom agreed with my personal philosophy and an instructor was assigned to me.

AOW through Rescue - The same instructor who taught me openwater.

Nitrox - The NAUI CD I originally interviewed because that was all I knew.

UTD Essentials - While googling for a NAUI instructor in Singapore for my brother, found a NAUI CD there who is also a UTD instructor. Got curious about UTD and after some research on UTD vs GUE, and after talking and meeting with the 2 owners of UTD and a GUE instructor, decided to go with UTD.

DM - Decided to go with PADI because I liked the vibe of another LDS and the owner. Unfortunately his vibe changed when he found out I was a proponent of the HOG configuration and a DIR practitioner. He seems to have gotten better recently when he invited me to talk about DIR out of the blue during a club meeting.

NAUI ITC - Went with the original CD as I have now built a relationship with him. I have promised to work for him for free for an agreed duration in exchange for a huge break in the course fees.

UTD Tech 1 - working on it.

After deciding I wanted to learn to dive, I posted something on Facebook asking my friends for recommendations. I think about 4 people responded. Three of them recommended a local shop chain. One recommended a personal friend who was a local instructor. I ended up going with the shop because the location was convenient, dates for courses were posted, price was cheap, etc. At the time I knew absolutely nothing about diving let alone what would constitute good diving instruction.

About a month after completing OW, I took AOW with the same instructor as OW.

Not too long after completing AOW, I was hooked on local diving and decided I really needed to get a drysuit. After shopping around, I bought a suit from a different shop than the one I'd been certified at. They threw in a free "orientation" which was basically just a standard drysuit class without materials or a card. The instructor was a NAUI Tec instructor too, which definitely tended towards a different style than what I'd experienced before.

After a few more months, I started investigating taking UTD Essentials or GUE Primer to help deal with the trim and propulsion issues I'd been struggling with. I'd found great testimonials online of both courses with the corresponding instructors, but mainly went with UTD because there was an immediately local instructor. I was not interested in the hassles of traveling or bringing an instructor in from out of town. As it turned out, I had to reschedule for a month later when I came down with a nasty cold the week of the class. Then during the class, my buddy and I both had equipment problems that necessitated completing the final dive separately (which due to schedules turned out to be 5 months later).

The Essentials materials assumed knowledge of nitrox, even though this was not actually supposed to be a requirement. The instructor was happy to fill in the gaps for me where necessary, but I'd already learned a lot just from reading ScubaBoard and other info online. When I wanted to start diving nitrox, I felt like I already knew way more about the subject than I was going to get in a dedicated course. Consequently, I just took the PADI course from my old OW instructor. It was cheap, only took a couple hours, and was at the shop where I get fills. Plus, when traveling I figured everybody would recognize a PADI Enriched Air card.

I'd say how I choose an instructor has evolved over time. I'm already starting to think about how I want to go about finding an instructor to take Rescue from sometime this year. But sometimes quick, simple and cheap is still appropriate.

OW/AOW/RQ/MSD I took at my university, so my instructors were sort of decided. However, had I not liked my OW instructors I wouldn't have continued the other classes.

My Nitrox and Drysuit classes were from friends who were instructors and I sort of just wanted cards with them. I was careful to take the drysuit class from someone who exclusively dives drysuits and the nitrox class from someone with a good understanding of physiology and mathematics.

Fundies instructors came with the region, but I felt that their teaching styles matched my learning styles in different ways. I intend to continue with other GUE classes from the same instructors.