In the midst of getting OW Certified...

[Igodeep]

The instructor screwed this one up! When we do our classes, we try to spend as much time in the pool as possible. This is what makes students comfortable, and makes the open water dives safe and fun. Ask for your money back, if they don't want to give it to you, threaten to make a standards complaint to NAUI, or PADI, or whomever the certifying organization is.

 

[ls1mtz]

As for the swimming laps and then treading water, I think it's pretty standard to get those things out of the way first and so the instructor can get a feel of how well everyone can swim. The only way I see your pool dive going that fast and being able to complete all skills is by having a very small class size. Don't be scared to speak up and ask the instructor to keep demoing the skills before or even a couple times if necessary. A good instructor will be more than happy. If you do not feel comfortable for the checkout dives yet perhaps you should talk to the owner of the shop and tell him or her how you feel. Instructors are representing the shop and most of dive shops business is from word of mouth or repeat customers from classes so i'm sure the owner would want every student to walk away happy and comfortable so they can come back and spend more money.

 

[jbichsel]

Igodeep has it nailed, from the description given here.

If this is fact the case, it sounds like there may be standards violations, then:


1. Write down immediately as much as you can remember regarding the academics and pool sessions.

2. Discuss the issue with the instructor and shop owner.

3. If they agree to take you back through the pool session and do it correctly and you feel comfortable that they are harboring no ill will, fine, repeat.

4. If they hesitate, balk, resist or give you grief, get the instructors name & cert #(which you should already have been provided), the shop owners name and store # and call the certifying agency's QA department.

I hate the weekend course and wish we could get it banned. There is not anywhere near enough time to teach everything much less be on the students end and absorb everything.

Do not go to your OW dives at this point!

From what you have described here, you have been shorted on your training and these people must be taken to task.

If you need further help in getting agency contact info, please let us know.

 

[noobascooba]

try and get more pool time, I had an extra session with my instructor before the OW dives and it made me a lot more confident.

If you want to know what to expect from the checkout dives, read the PADI OW manual. Schedules are given for all the confined and OW dives. Your instructor might do things in a different order, but at least you'll know what to expect.

Your instructor sounds like a dick, they shouldn't be getting mad at you. Especially not when they are confusing you by not giving clear instructions.

 

[fisherdvm]

I think too many divers spent too much on gears. I would say, the best investment is in your education. Hire private DM or instructors for private dives to work on your skills. Or take more classes.

 

[keyscapt]

I agree with what has been said above, especially by igodeep and jbichsel.

This is clearly a PADI course, as mentioned in the first post, and PADI requires mastery of skills in confined water (pool) - not just a one-time effort. It sounds to me like the instructor, for whatever reason, was rushed and as a result, the students in this class were short-changed. There is an apparent standards violation here, and no student should be required to do open water dives before they are properly prepared.

Make some noise ... from what you have said, you are on solid ground.

 

[paradicio]

This sounds like a horrible experience. I'm taking my PADI OW class now and, maybe I'm fortunate, my instructor makes damn sure that we are clear on what we'll be doing before we go down, and then makes sure we do it right. If we don't do it right we do it again, and again, and again until we can demonstrate that we've got the skill down.

We did our classroom work first, over a period of 3 days (4 days if you count orientation). We then did all of our pool work over another 3 days. We are now going to be moving into the Ocean (and I'm very excited).

I can honestly say I'm confident in not only my abilities to perform the skills we'll be asked to perform in the open water but my classmates as well.

I honestly can't believe some of the horror stories I see on this board about PADI certification. My experience has been totally different, I guess it just comes down to the instructor...

 

[SparticleBrane]

A post we see all too often...
Why do people think they can proficiently learn to go in a habitat where they can't live, in a weekend?

You can't learn to dive in a weekend and be safe.

 

[jim T.]

Absolutely. I completely agree with SparticleBrane.
Take a longer course. Some people are not natural/good teachers. Someone else at your shop may be much better but a longer course is in my opinion absolutely necessary. I'm on my 8Oth dive and still learning something every dive. No one is even a remotely proficient certified diver in one weekend.

Please don't give up diving due to this experience. There are lots and lots of more positive, confidence building learning experiences available.

Our S.S. I. LDS dedicates one whole weekend to the OW checkout dives alone.
If someone doesn't seem/feel ready after the checkout dives they give them more time. Even there, there are instructors that are more compatible with some student's learning styles than others. Not everyone is a natural teacher just because they hold instructor's certification and have been teaching for some time.
Patience and humor are very important.

I was initially certified by PADI in the '70s and had a good experience. I refreshed and have been diving primarily with an S.S.I. and T.D.I. shop (s) so it's not necessarily the agency but the short/express OW cert. programs that are not
a good thing in my opinion.

 

[jonesbf]

I agree w/ the majority here. You have a poor instructor at best. I don't think I would continue with this outfit even if they offered to do it again. There are too many little things that may or may not have been mentioned that every diver should know prior to being in OW. I'd fear for my safety with these guys.