Beginning to think I may be a bit "Off" as I enjoy mentoring...

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tstormdiver

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Scuba Instructor
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Location
Kentucky
# of dives
2500 - 4999
This past week, while down in FL, my instructor was also down there teaching some classes. I was asked to join in & help out with the class as an additional team member. I thoroughly enjoyed it! In fact I saw it as an honor to be asked. I was even asked to help mentor a newly minted cave diver for his first week of full cave diving,... as long as it didn't interfere with any vacation plans I had. I assured my instructor that I really didn't come down with any particular plans. I found I enjoyed those dives just as much as when I do the "bigger" dives (stages/ scooters). I even enjoyed just doing Intro level dives with some of the students. I found it made me work on improving my techniques, as I do not want to demonstrate any bad habits & that my overall awareness & cautiousness went to a whole new level. It even made me slow down & "smell the roses" a bit. I feel like I learned as much, if not more, than the students I was helping out. I kept getting asked all week if doing this was interfering with my vacation,.... In my opinion, I would say "no". Is giving up the "bigger dives" to help others a bit for the week, odd? I am finding out, in general I enjoy mentoring others as much as any other dives that I do. Everyone else in the group (both the more advanced divers & even the students) seemed perplexed by that.....:confused4:
 
Sounds like you've rediscovered the origins of your diving joy. :clapping:

It ain't about how deep, how long, how fast, blah, blah, blah. But then, you already knew that.
 
I would far rather mentor a keen learner than teach a class of students. The keen learners have a light that comes on when they get it, the students have the dumb cow look because they are overwhelmed with information.
 
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I am sort of looking at this as maybe the first baby steps towards eventually becoming a cave instructor. I am not in a hurry, but I am eying it right now. I enjoy mentoring & teaching, both. I enjoy passing on knowledge to those who want to learn. Of course, generally, in the technical levels, most students want to be there to learn. Though it should also be the case for OW training,... at times, it is not (I've seen it too many times).
 
Our insurance provider just told us we couldn't do this any longer. In the invent of an accident, the insurer says we won't be covered. No more tag-a-longs during class. This was announced at DEMA.

Be careful guys. It would suck to lose everything we own for he pursuit of our hobby/passion.
 
What have I done? I took intro level divers on Intro level dives & took a new full cave diver on simple full cave dives. I was not doing any formal instruction,... I am not of that level. As an OW instructor, I know where my boundaries are. If I do "tag along" with a class,... I am my own diver, not part of the group, other than I am there with them, I am typically just an observer. If I am asked to be in the class, it is as part of the team (not a tag- along) & within the ratios of the standards & under the direct supervision of the instructor. If your insurance provider is that restrictive, then how are newly certified divers to gain experience? Having a more experienced diver to be on the teams can help that experience expand.
 
According to our insurance provider (and as far as I know, there really are only 3 good ones) you either have to be part of the class, receiving instruction, or not with the class.

So, the example I'll use is this... because I've done this hundreds of times, and can no longer do it.
I have two Intro to Cave students and a buddy who is a very advanced Full Cave Diver, CCR Diver, DPV Diver and Trimix Diver with more than 5000 dives. I call him up and say, "Hey buddy, can you come to my class. I need an inside man to make mistakes like swimming the wrong way, being out of air, being a lost diver, etc. Can you come?" He says, "Sure, that'll be great".

So, without tipping the students off, I can run impromptu drills that they don't expect. I tell my buddy at 300' on the way out of the cave, have a light failure, or wing failure or out of air failure, or turn right instead of left at the jump. I'm looking to see how the students react, if they react and if they resolve the issue quickly and correctly.

With our new mandate, we are NOT allowed to have this. I can only take students with me on dives.
 
With our new mandate, we are NOT allowed to have this. I can only take students with me on dives.

I'm not a Cave Instructor, but I adhere to this rule in teaching all of my classes. Unless my assistant is a minimum of "Teaching Assistant" certified and carrying their own insurance I don't allow them to participate in my pool or open water sessions in any way. If they're training to advance to DM or Instructor
I limit their participation so that whatever they're doing is under my direct supervision, meaning I am actively observing them and not just in the pool or the dive area.

Please note that this has nothing to do with the ability of the individual in question. It's purely a matter of legal liability should something go wrong. I've had very good divers who would make great instructors ask if they can help me and I regretfully have to say no.

-Adrian
 
^^^
What he said.
 
According to our insurance provider (and as far as I know, there really are only 3 good ones) you either have to be part of the class, receiving instruction, or not with the class.

So, the example I'll use is this... because I've done this hundreds of times, and can no longer do it.
I have two Intro to Cave students and a buddy who is a very advanced Full Cave Diver, CCR Diver, DPV Diver and Trimix Diver with more than 5000 dives. I call him up and say, "Hey buddy, can you come to my class. I need an inside man to make mistakes like swimming the wrong way, being out of air, being a lost diver, etc. Can you come?" He says, "Sure, that'll be great".

So, without tipping the students off, I can run impromptu drills that they don't expect. I tell my buddy at 300' on the way out of the cave, have a light failure, or wing failure or out of air failure, or turn right instead of left at the jump. I'm looking to see how the students react, if they react and if they resolve the issue quickly and correctly.

With our new mandate, we are NOT allowed to have this. I can only take students with me on dives.




Ok, so new insurance rules and guidelines make the training LESS safe for students. Got it!
 
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