"Good Buddy" or "Dive Natzi" ??????

[DandyDon]

Yes, request the refund and give the reasons. The proprietor needs to know why and may well be more cooperative with the reasons given. I would keep the demand polite in the beginning, but you have the letter half written already in post #1.

If that fails, I'd be tempted to push the issues...!

 

[Diver0001]

I do have to tell you.. letting go of the $$$$ was pretty hard to do at first. Then I asked myself what the kids lives or safety was worth.

The decision was simple after that! It just means It will take a LOT longer before we can take more classes.. But, well worth the wait!

No matter how this works out and despite your online friends' becoming enraged about the money, you did the right thing. Money means nothing. Your son's life means everything. You're right.

It's up to you to decide if you have the engery to try getting the money back. It depends on how important it is to you. Personally, I could understand letting it go. Nobody needs to age themselves by years with stress for the sake of a couple of hundred dollars....

Regardless of your decision, I'd like to encourage you to name the shop here on Scubaboard. You have your karma. They have (and deserve) theirs, if not for their policies, then for their choice of instructors.

R..

 

[Jim Ernst]

Well, I have decided NOT to continue with the shop.. no suprise there.

I have a shop some distance away.. that has good training. Although I think it's in part too late for hubby to get it though regular classes.

I sure wish Jim Lap taught classes in my state. I'm even toying taking a family trip to FL next summer for continuing ed. Of course the kids think it's a great idea.

I'm going to look for a local instructor [hi Jim Ernst, up to the task] to give a family "Buddy Workshop" concentrating on buddy skills and drills. I don't care it's not a "regular class" but I think it is paramount if I'm going to let my kids venture out to dive with others. I really like the way Jim Lap structures his classes from the get go as a buddy team and as a real diver. I really wish more instructors did the same.

Robin.

Consider it done, I am their for you and family, And I sure can put together some Buddy skills to practice on, And we can work on that Hubby of yours as well, I like the idea another person had in their post, About turning the table and give him A challenge!! Lets set it up, We can talk Thursday???

 

[Jax]

Robin.

Consider it done, I am their for you and family, And I sure can put together some Buddy skills to practice on, And we can work on that Hubby of yours as well, I like the idea another person had in their post, About turning the table and give him A challenge!! Lets set it up, We can talk Thursday???

So, how many kids are there? How much does a cert class cost?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yes, request the refund and give the reasons. The proprietor needs to know why and may well be more cooperative with the reasons given. I would keep the demand polite in the beginning, but you have the letter half written already in post #1.

I definitely agree with Don on this one. You are not comfortable ... nor SHOULD you be ... with the response from this Dive Con, and feel that your child's safety is the paramount concern. By taking the approach they did, these folks are not teaching to the standards of their own agency. Therefore they are in violation of their contractual obligation to provide the service you paid for.

Regardless of your decision, I'd like to encourage you to name the shop here on Scubaboard. You have your karma. They have (and deserve) theirs, if not for their policies, then for their choice of instructors.

I would hold off on naming the shop until you get a response to your notice that you chose not to take the training with them ... and a refund. Going public could be perceived as an attack on their business, and that takes negotiations to a whole different level. I would be hesitant to do so unless they demonstrate that they deserve such a response. Give the shop owner an opportunity to respond to your concerns first.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Teamcasa]

Robin.

Consider it done, I am their for you and family, And I sure can put together some Buddy skills to practice on, And we can work on that Hubby of yours as well, I like the idea another person had in their post, About turning the table and give him A challenge!! Lets set it up, We can talk Thursday???

Your kids will be in good hands with Jim.

 

[lowviz]

To be fair.. I really kinda pushed him to dive. Before we married I was an active avid diver.. Saturday was our 10th Aniversary.. so I had waited a while so he wasn't left behind. As the kids [his and mine] got older they looked forward to diving. He only really got hooked once the kids began getting certified.

He took his OW course in Fiji 2003 but never dove again until this past summer. I have to tell you his OW class left a LOT to be desired. My youngest daughter was also certified at the same time but had been exposed to diving her whole life so she had the knowledge they didn't teach.

It was his 3rd post certification dive [this summer] he bolted from the bottom [part of his AOW] He is redoing that AOW later this month. It was a panic reaction and he justifies it as he knows better now.

I just want to make sure he is as safe as possible for himself and learns a lot more about safety before he takes out one of the kids.

I know a really AWESOME instructor that hubby actually respects down in the Monterey area. I will talk to him privately. I would use this guy for everything but standard classes don't work due to distance. Having my hubby respect him is half the battle won from the get go. At least I hope.

-Thanks for the clarification, 'real life' and all the little complications usually puts one closer to the middle...

As for the dive con, this is what happens when you don't hold the line and maintain control. [Again, just guessing.]

 

[DiveMom1]

I will talk to the shop owner in person and discuss their style VS that of the agency. No idea what will happen .. but at least I'm on track with priorities.

We have 5 kids [3/2] ranging from 13 [oops 14] to 29. Right now the one not certified is my biggest concern since he's a chip off the old block in every respect and already "poo-pooed" me and the other kids talking safety with him. He and hubby talk endlessly about their upcoming dive adventures together. [very scary for me]

I'll talk to Jim Ernst Thursday and see if we can brainstorm something for a "Family Training Day" but in addition I think it would be great to have all of us on the "same page" making planning, communication, diving, etc safer and more enjoyable.

 

[JMcD]

Hi DiveMom1,

First, let me thank you for starting this discussion. And, while I'm at it, thank the ScubaBoard community for posting, in general, positive and helpful posts to work this through with you.

I continually find it alarming when a diver takes being in the underwrater environment too casually. Yes, there are a lot of approaches that you can take to facilitate your husband having a more responsible view of the sport and it sounds like you and Jim are well on the way to working through ideas.

Your reference to driving is interesting... As I see people driving and shaving, or doing makeup, or reading reports, or texting, or... you get the idea - it seems that it is a similar problem of taking the environment they are in (whizzing down the road at 100 KM/Hour) too casually. It isn't that one needs to have a hyper sense of paranoia - this can and should be a fun and safe sport, but everyone should have a healthy respect for the environment they are in. Perhaps it may be helpful to frame a portion of your buddy skills workshop in this light - not that buddy skills need to be done because any given expert said so, but because the environment we are putting ourselves into is not one that should be taken casually.

Kudos on working with your kids and keeping them practicing skills as they dive. Sounds like you are being a good buddy and good mom and keeping them aware of the challenges that can occur in this underwater world.

Also, do write your letter to the shop - it can't hurt, but let me add to the voices that say it is a good call to avoid a shop that doesn't have an appropriate perspective on the sport they are teaching. Their students are likely unaware of the risks that they are being exposed to.

Safe diving!

 

[DandyDon]

There is a chance that the shop is not aware of the DiveCon's attitude. Yes, he is representing the shop, and the shop should have clear standards on such, but it happens.