On another thread there's a discussion about what gear is appropriate for beginner divers - what's best short term, what about long term? Function over comfort, etc.
As part of that thread I shared an experience I had yesterday running a Discover Scuba Program at the LDS where I DM.
It always seems to me that most people who get certified but don't become "active divers" seem to cite lack of comfort/wasn't that much fun/don't like having all that stuff on/etc as the reason they don't continue. Make sense. Why would you continue to do something that wasn't comfortable, right?
I think the main thing we as divers - especially DMs and Instructors - need to keep in mind when dealing with people just approaching the sport is that most people are drawn to diving because they love snorkeling, which is as close to "naked" as you can get. They've put a mask on their face at one point in time or another, floated peacfuly on the surface, and really liked what they saw. In reality, metaphorically speaking, all they really want to do next is "go snorkeling on the bottom." They like what they've seen, but more importantly - like any enjoyable human experience - they like how it made them feel. Now they simply wanna feel "like that" only "down there" .
And we know exactly what they mean. That's how we felt. We love the freedom, the weightlessness, the ability to simply be a part of the environment as much as any fish; we are peaceful and relaxed and we want to share that with others.
However, we then say "You're gonna love diving! Here, put on all this crap. Here's some heavy crap. Then we mount this uncomfortable looking crap onto the heavy crap. Here's some complicated crap that connects the heavy crap to the uncomfortabe crap by means of a crap load of hoses. Next, here's some more crap that goes in the pockets on that crap. Here's some more crap that wont fit in the pockets of that crap, so you'll need these clips and retractors to hang this crap off that crap. This is gonna be great!"
We're used to all the crap we have. Some of us have worked to pare down the amount and type of crap; others have added more crap. Most of weren't bothered much by the crap in the first place. Those of us that were, got used to it. We can argue over which is the best approach, but to someone who want's to "snorkle on the bottom" it's ALL too much crap. We're well down that road already, but thinking about the new diver... Well, a little empathy might be a good idea.
So yesterday I had the chance to conduct a Discover Scuba Diving program. The husband was on board; in fact the program was specifically scheduled for him to see if he liked diving before signing up for an OW class. The wife, on the other hand, had brought her bathing suit too, but really didn't want to do it. She was just going to watch.
"Why not?" I asked. It was all the reasons you typically hear. She loves snorkeling, but doesn't want to put the BCD and everything on; thinks it seems "claustrophobic" etc, so confusing. Doesn't look comfortable. It's so heavy and bulky. She was just going to watch. She was just going to watch.
"OK," I said. "Here's what we're gonna do..." and I pointed to the three sets of gear set up on the side of the pool.
Me: "This is mine, this is your husband's, and this one is yours."
She: "But I told you, I'm just gonna watch."
Me: "No, you told me you didn't want to wear the gear."
She: "Right, so why did you set up gear for me to wear."
Me: "I didn't set it up for you to wear."
She: "Who's going to wear it?"
Me: "No-one..."
At which point I threw her rig in the pool and let it sink to the bottom in the shallow end.
Me: "Ok, your husband and I will put our gear on and all three of us are going see what scuba diving is all about."
She was very nervous at first, but was pretty easily able to get her and her husband through regulator breathing, mask skills, reg removal and replacement while on the bottom of the shallow end...him wearing his rig, her laying NEXT TO hers.
At that point I asked her if she wanted to try it on, but she said she wanted to watch a little more. So she stayed underwater, laying next to her scuba unit, breathing off the reg, and watching her husband and I swim around a bit and just get used to being in the water for about 5-10min. Asked her again if she wanted to give it a try, but since she wasn't moving around she was cold and said she didn't want to slow the whole process down, but said that she was really surprised how much she enjoyed it. "It's so easy to breath with that thing. It's exactly like snorkeling, but on the bottom! It's just so peaceful and relaxing! Is that what diving is all about? I could do that all day long!"
YES! That IS what diving is all about!
Her husband and I finished the program. Everyone had a great time.
He's going to enroll in an OW class...and she's now going to join him.
So let's remember...
Diving is not about the gear. It's not about being uncomfortable and anxious in the water. It's about being peaceful and relaxed. So much so that you feel like you could do it all day long!
If I had told this woman she couldn't do it without the gear, she never would have gotten in the pool. Even if she had gotten in the pool and put the rig on, all she would have experienced would have been her expectations of the discomfort and clumsy aspect of wearing the gear. Yes, she would have "Discovered Scuba Gear" but it would not have been peaceful and relaxing.
By stripping away the artifice of the gear, I was able to let her experience nothing but the pure essence of this sport that we love. Now that was truly a Discover Scuba Diving program!
I am quite certain that woman will get certified. I've seen lots of people like her come through DSD programs, and it's often hard to tell whether they'll come back. I felt like a had a connection with this woman, like I've known her all my life. I just have good feeling about her.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention: the woman in yesterday's Discover Scuba Diving Program was my sister.
As part of that thread I shared an experience I had yesterday running a Discover Scuba Program at the LDS where I DM.
It always seems to me that most people who get certified but don't become "active divers" seem to cite lack of comfort/wasn't that much fun/don't like having all that stuff on/etc as the reason they don't continue. Make sense. Why would you continue to do something that wasn't comfortable, right?
I think the main thing we as divers - especially DMs and Instructors - need to keep in mind when dealing with people just approaching the sport is that most people are drawn to diving because they love snorkeling, which is as close to "naked" as you can get. They've put a mask on their face at one point in time or another, floated peacfuly on the surface, and really liked what they saw. In reality, metaphorically speaking, all they really want to do next is "go snorkeling on the bottom." They like what they've seen, but more importantly - like any enjoyable human experience - they like how it made them feel. Now they simply wanna feel "like that" only "down there" .
And we know exactly what they mean. That's how we felt. We love the freedom, the weightlessness, the ability to simply be a part of the environment as much as any fish; we are peaceful and relaxed and we want to share that with others.
However, we then say "You're gonna love diving! Here, put on all this crap. Here's some heavy crap. Then we mount this uncomfortable looking crap onto the heavy crap. Here's some complicated crap that connects the heavy crap to the uncomfortabe crap by means of a crap load of hoses. Next, here's some more crap that goes in the pockets on that crap. Here's some more crap that wont fit in the pockets of that crap, so you'll need these clips and retractors to hang this crap off that crap. This is gonna be great!"
We're used to all the crap we have. Some of us have worked to pare down the amount and type of crap; others have added more crap. Most of weren't bothered much by the crap in the first place. Those of us that were, got used to it. We can argue over which is the best approach, but to someone who want's to "snorkle on the bottom" it's ALL too much crap. We're well down that road already, but thinking about the new diver... Well, a little empathy might be a good idea.
So yesterday I had the chance to conduct a Discover Scuba Diving program. The husband was on board; in fact the program was specifically scheduled for him to see if he liked diving before signing up for an OW class. The wife, on the other hand, had brought her bathing suit too, but really didn't want to do it. She was just going to watch.
"Why not?" I asked. It was all the reasons you typically hear. She loves snorkeling, but doesn't want to put the BCD and everything on; thinks it seems "claustrophobic" etc, so confusing. Doesn't look comfortable. It's so heavy and bulky. She was just going to watch. She was just going to watch.
"OK," I said. "Here's what we're gonna do..." and I pointed to the three sets of gear set up on the side of the pool.
Me: "This is mine, this is your husband's, and this one is yours."
She: "But I told you, I'm just gonna watch."
Me: "No, you told me you didn't want to wear the gear."
She: "Right, so why did you set up gear for me to wear."
Me: "I didn't set it up for you to wear."
She: "Who's going to wear it?"
Me: "No-one..."
At which point I threw her rig in the pool and let it sink to the bottom in the shallow end.
Me: "Ok, your husband and I will put our gear on and all three of us are going see what scuba diving is all about."
She was very nervous at first, but was pretty easily able to get her and her husband through regulator breathing, mask skills, reg removal and replacement while on the bottom of the shallow end...him wearing his rig, her laying NEXT TO hers.
At that point I asked her if she wanted to try it on, but she said she wanted to watch a little more. So she stayed underwater, laying next to her scuba unit, breathing off the reg, and watching her husband and I swim around a bit and just get used to being in the water for about 5-10min. Asked her again if she wanted to give it a try, but since she wasn't moving around she was cold and said she didn't want to slow the whole process down, but said that she was really surprised how much she enjoyed it. "It's so easy to breath with that thing. It's exactly like snorkeling, but on the bottom! It's just so peaceful and relaxing! Is that what diving is all about? I could do that all day long!"
YES! That IS what diving is all about!
Her husband and I finished the program. Everyone had a great time.
He's going to enroll in an OW class...and she's now going to join him.
So let's remember...
Diving is not about the gear. It's not about being uncomfortable and anxious in the water. It's about being peaceful and relaxed. So much so that you feel like you could do it all day long!
If I had told this woman she couldn't do it without the gear, she never would have gotten in the pool. Even if she had gotten in the pool and put the rig on, all she would have experienced would have been her expectations of the discomfort and clumsy aspect of wearing the gear. Yes, she would have "Discovered Scuba Gear" but it would not have been peaceful and relaxing.
By stripping away the artifice of the gear, I was able to let her experience nothing but the pure essence of this sport that we love. Now that was truly a Discover Scuba Diving program!
I am quite certain that woman will get certified. I've seen lots of people like her come through DSD programs, and it's often hard to tell whether they'll come back. I felt like a had a connection with this woman, like I've known her all my life. I just have good feeling about her.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention: the woman in yesterday's Discover Scuba Diving Program was my sister.
