To those considering an OW class...

[Dive-aholic]

Sherry, I'm sure there are some instructors here on the Board from your area. Go to the MI area forum and post a question asking the instructors for an itinerary of their class. You should take the class over. You got cheated. BTW, you should also report your instructor to the certifying agency. What he did is a violation and could get his instructor card pulled.

 

[plot]

Just a quick note to the people who are posting that they took an abbreviated class and are perfectly happy with it . . . I'm going to sound like somebody's grandmother here (and I guess that's okay, because I AM somebody's grandmother), but I would have said what you're saying when I finished my OW. I thought it was a great class. I really liked the instructors and thought everybody took lots of time with me. I didn't realize how bad my skills were, and I didn't appreciate the holes in my training (like the fact that I never successfully carried out a descent without hanging onto my instructor's BC). It was with subsequent diving, and eventual exposure to a much higher standard, that I was able to look back and say that I should not have been passed out of OW without further work.

I took the abreviated course and was perfectly happy with it. They taught me the basic skills I needed, everything after that is simply practice, and that I could, and did, and still do, with a buddy... going down to 20-30 feet or so in a safer area with almost no currents etc. and working on my bouyancy, getting more comfortable with my equipment and my skills, etc. while relaxing and enjoying myself on a safe dive made me a better diver. I don't think it's something I could've learned in a class. My first 10-15 dives after my OW were like this... and I've learned alot, and still have alot to learn. I don't think any more time in the classroom or any more time with an instructor could've given me those basic skills though. It's simply something you have to practice.

Now, if I was going straight from my OW class to some deep diving in the ocean, I would've been more than a little concerned with my abilities at that point in time...

 

[jbd]

I have dove 2 times this summer. I could only log one of them. I am scared, I am not comfortable and.....

Should you decide to continue diving I would recommend that you take some private lessons. IMO private lessons would best address these issues in a manner most appropriate to your ability to gain confidence and ability.

If they had a longer course I would take it. I almost feel I should just take the whole open water course again maybe with a different agency and see if that makes me a better diver. How can I take an AOW course without being confident of the basic skills I learned? Wouldn’t I be totally in over my head? (no pun intended)

Just switching agency's won't necessarily be the answer. Lousy instructors can be found in all agencies. You need to interview several instructors and pick one that seems most appropriate to what you need to accomplish. IMO, there is no point in you taking an AOW course at this point. You need training and time to complete and develope your basic skills until you are comfortable. To proceed "higher" up the training hierarchy would indeed put you in over your head totally. Best of luck to you. I hope you find the instructor that is right for you.

 

[jbd]

I don't think it's something I could've learned in a class.

I don't understand why you couldn't learn it in a class?

I don't think any more time in the classroom or any more time with an instructor could've given me those basic skills though. It's simply something you have to practice.

This seems to negate the concept of even taking the class to begin with.

 

[plot]

I don't understand why you couldn't learn it in a class?



This seems to negate the concept of even taking the class to begin with.

What I'm saying is that the class can only take you so far and give you the ground work you need. The rest is up to you... and unfortantly, some people choose to jump 2 steps ahead instead of taking their time and practicing in safer areas with safer dives...

 

[jbd]

Makes sense to me. Thanks.

 

[scubasherry]

Thanks for the advice everyone. My plan as of now is that I will be receiving some personal attention on this next dive trip to Cozumel in November. I am planning on doing a refresher and will work one on one with an instructor there to get myself comfortable in the water. I am looking forward to this trip because unlike my last trip to Cozumel this time I know I will not be pushed to dive a plan I am not comfortable with and I will not be wasting money paying for dives I could not do. Even though I absolutely love being on a boat out on those beautiful blue waters it was a hard pill to swallow knowing my husband and the rest of the group was ok diving and seeing all the cool stuff down there without me.

If I could take back one thing that started this ball of negatives rolling it would be to have stood up and had the courage to say… NO, I am not a certified diver. I have NOT done all I needed to do to become one, so lets keep working on these skills until I am ready.

If I could offer one small bit of advice to help others it would be that if you feel you are not ready then don’t be pushed and please tell your instructors that you need more assistance before you take that C-card.

 

[bundy]

What is the agency that he is talking about? If it is PADI, they have one of the quickest programs around. I can be an instructor in a week!!! NAUI, SSI, TDI, SDI, are agencies that can be trusted, plus they will take their time and you will earn your "wings" with those agencies, no matter who the instructor is!

 

[Dive-aholic]

What is the agency that he is talking about? If it is PADI, they have one of the quickest programs around. I can be an instructor in a week!!! NAUI, SSI, TDI, SDI, are agencies that can be trusted, plus they will take their time and you will earn your "wings" with those agencies, no matter who the instructor is!

Really? I went through my PADI Instructor Examination with a couple of SSI crossovers and they had quite a few problems during the exam. One of them even argued with the examiner. How long are the other programs? I spent 80+ hours in my PADI IDC plus about another 80+ preparing. I wouldn't call that quick! I take it since you can comment on PADI, NAUI, SSI, TDI, and SDI, that you have been through every one of their instructor courses.

 

[steve70638]

Sorry I am late posting here but I think loosebits has an internesting point with deeper ramifications for the sport and industry.

Scuba diving as an industry has far less problem attracting new divers than it does keeping divers diving. So many people take OW, go on a few dives and drop the sport. I maintain that the reason they drop the sport is twofold. Firstly, they find the process of diving as an OW diver uncomfortable. What I am trying to say here is that they don't have enough experience to feel comfortable on the dive boat getting their gear together, jumping in the water and dealing with all the risks and problem solving on their own. Secondly, the OW cert process is too easy with many rapid clases...in oher wrds there are too few "barriers to entry" to the sport and people who are only casually interested are taking the classes and their interest wanes. (BTW, I did a total of 12 hours of combined class and pool in two evenings before doing the 4 Padi dives).

The other point is that leaning skills is no substitute for experience. Longer classes leads to more experience, more problems to solve, etc. In general, I think it takes a diver 50 dives to get comfortable and there is no easy way to get them there.