Instructor Search - Nashville & surrounding

[GoBlue!]

Hello, all-

As the weather warms up & I'm looking forward to local diving, I'm going to be searching for a good instructor in the Nashville area for Nitrox & Rescue courses. Agency doesn't matter. I'm willing to drive about a 100 mile radius from Nashville if it's for the right person. I look for instructors who go above & beyond the agency standards, dive frequently on their own time, and have a wealth of experience to bring to the course. And they shouldn't look at me cross-eyed when they see the long hose .

Any recommendations?

Jim

 

[vodolaz]

PM sent.

 

[SVDiveMaster]

I recoment Mike Nunley and Jerri Burch in Murfreesboro, TN. My dad got certified through them and I have been diving with them down in central Florida. They teach at MTSU and are excellent divers and instructors. If you are looking for someone who will go "above and beond" standards they are teh ones to see. They work with YMCA and NAUI. And also teach cave diving. Jerri's contact info is:
Jerri Burch
157 Valley Glen Drive
McMinnville, TN 37110
(615) 904-4060
(615) 904-4060
(931) 668-0725
jerrib@aol.com

You can also get some contact info from Adventure Technologies in Murfreesboro.

 

[Ydiverdown]

David Cain here, I'm a YMCA SCUBA instructor as well. In fact, years ago, when Mike was still a young fellow, he certified me. I can't thank him enough for the quality training I recieved. Now, today I'd like to think I am one of the better instructors in Nashville. I current teach classes at the Green Hills Family YMCA and Maryland Farms YMCA and soon I hope to add Brentwood and a few others that have been talking to me. But Mike has by far more expirence than me and will always. He kind of had a head start. So if you can, go with Mike and Jerri. They are just great.

David Cain
Tropical Breeze Diving LLC
htp://www.nashvillescuba.com

 

[divepix]

We would love to help you with any of your scuba needs. Middle Tennessee Scuba and Swim is a premier PADI 5 star IDC center in Franklin, TN. We have a large team of excellent staff and independant instructors and teach almost 20 courses including Nitrox monthly and Rescue 4 times per year.
Check out our web site at www.mtss.net and better yet, come by and visit.

 

[vodolaz]

Okay, I'd originally replied by PM, but since this thread has gone commercial, I'll put my $0.02 in for....

Scuba Supply, the NAUI shop near the airport. I haven't found any other shop in Nashville that's more tech-friendly, and since you mention the long hose, I'm assuming that's what you're looking for.

PM me if you need further details.

For the record, I'm a satisfied customer only and have no financial interest in any dive shop.

 

[Wendigo]

I look for instructors who go above & beyond the agency standards

If you are really looking for an instructor and cerification agency around Nashville that goes above and beyond typical standards, I have to recommend either a NAUI or YMCA instructor such as David Cain, Jerri Burch, or Mike Nunley.

I don't want to start a flaming thread here, but from first hand experience I can tell you that local PADI and SSI instruction is somewhat lacking in either overall fundamentals or general time invested in classes.

It is uneccessary to post here to defend their certification agenyout of loyalty. I have known several competent divers from local PADI and SSI shops. This typically was several years after they were certified though. However, I also know some that will tell you straight-up that they didn't feel like they were 100% ready after 2 days of classes and a day of check-out dives. If you really need proof of this, I can be PM'd and they will be happy to speak with you and tell you as such.

Personally, I dont think you should have to teach yourself (or via watching your buddy) how to really dive because you werent properly prepared in your open water class.

If anyone is feeling defensive, dont be. I dont mean to offend anyone, this is just my general experience in the short 10 years of diving I have done while living in the Nashvile area.

Oh yeah, I personally take all my Tech classes with only one shop in town. C&D Diving in Spring Hill is the only place I go for my DIR gear and classes. Denny and Claudia are super-nice and very knowledgable of all aspects of diving. They are a TDI and SDI certifying shop. I drive from west Nashville all the way to Spring Hill because the instruction and personal attention is worth it. I highly recommend C&D Diving for anyone, regardless of who you recieved your open water certification through or if you are thinking of getting open water in the future.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Blue Water Scuba
Diver Training Facility
103 White Bridge Rd. #4
Nashville
steve@bluewaterscuba.com
http://www.bluewaterscuba.com
Phone 615-356-9340
Fax 615-352-0152
Rick

 

[tndiveinstruct1]

Jim,

Without getting into agency bashing, just let me say that it's like selecting a car and truck. You want specific models ( Rescue and Nitrox ), and there are any number of people and dealers available that sell those. Go talk to the shops AND the specific instructor that will teach the course. If they can't tell you, ask for personal interviews with the instructor staff. Get some questions together that are important to you.

But just because you are happy with the car dealer, does that mean that you should buy the truck from them? Maybe and maybe not.

I would suggest to you that the Rescue course is the more important of the two that you have mentioned. Diving Nitrox is a simple matter of learning more physics and physiology. Rescue on the other hand requires free thought under stressful conditions.

If you have selected your instructors already, congratulations to you for CONTINUING your education in scuba.

If you are still looking for an instructor for your Rescue class, I would consider it an honor if you considered me. I take teaching Rescue Diver very seriously, as I have had to use those skills more than once in my diving career.

Either way, again let me express my congratulations to you for continuing your education.

Randy Cain

 

[Ydiverdown]

I'd like to add in here as well. First, Randy Cain is not related to me.. But I do agree with him, on all of his points. The instructor makes the difference. That need to be able to think under stress is critical. Unless you have been stressed and challenged with a rescue, there is just no way to predict what you will do. But a good course can go a long way here and the rescue course is in my option the most important course you will ever take. Not because you "might be called upon to rescue a diver in distress someday", but you might save someone and never know you did it.

Let me explain. One of the first lessons in a good rescue course is learning to recognize the dangers. I'm not talking about swift current or black water. Rather, someone that forgot to plug in the power inflator hose, is nervous about getting in the water, or is pushing their wife to dive when she just doesn't want to. All of these can lead to an accident.

If all you do is notice the husband trying to get his wife to dive and offer to be his buddy instead, you might have just saved that wife's life. But the fact is, you will never know you did it. Yet you did!

A lot of very excellent instructor can teach you to be the hero and rescue a struggling diver. Experience will teach you to stop the accident before it happens.

I pull dead bodies out of the water here in Nashville. On average we pull 10 - 15 bodies a year. From fishermen with out a life jacket to children. Non-swimmers to certified lifeguards. Anyone can be a victim. Even the rescuer can become a victim. I've been one of the instructors that worked to train the first LaVergne Police, Fire and Rescue dive teams. So I have some experience here, enough to know that I'd rather prevent the accident.

I hope the skills Randy is referring to using are these prevention skills. I too use them all the time. In fact I used them this weekend. One of my students was starting to panic on his first ocean dive. I stopped him and just talked to him. I helped him calm down and relax. Maybe I saved his life. Thank God I'll never have to know. But, he went on with the dive and had a wonderful time. The second dive he said was "Just excellent!"

Well, to finish off here. I will also commend you in furthering your training.


David Cain
Tropical Breeze Diving LLC
http://www.nashvillescuba.com