New diver getting my certification, is my instructor doing it wrong?

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LaPenta gets to the point and I agree with him on everything he had said. However, we keep our indoor onsite salt water pool at 88 to 90 degrees, so we will have pool sessions of close to but never over 4 hours. We do not do open water dives at all until all confined water dives are done and skill mastery is demonstrated. That is different from some places, but that is what we have found works best in our locale..
DivemasterDennis
 
Like it has been said, tell him, "Refund Now or I report you"

I don't think that's a fair ultimatum for people learning under him in the future. It sounds like he's a poor instructor and needs to be reported so he doesn't hurt someone else or turn others away from diving. Lying to him just to get your cash back doesn't make you much better of a person- two wrongs won't make a right here.
 
First question to the OP: What agency (i.e. PADI?) is your training course certified through? That will allow us to determine the exact standards which may have been breached. Once identified, those standards breaches should be communicated to the relevant agency, as a complaint. Most agencies have a Quality Assurance (QA) program that helps remediate and/or prevent negligence, unprofessional conduct or sub-standard training.

Question #1. Was this too soon and too little pool experience?

Your instructor should determine that, based upon your "mastery" of the skills taught in the pool/confined environment. If you cross-reference against your course manual, then you should identify each and every skill that should have been taught and mastered in that phase of training.

Instructors (depending upon agency) follow a pre-set order of skills and dives. For instance, dive #2 cannot happen until confined water modules #1 & #2 are completed. Completion is not dictated by demonstration of the skills by the instructor, nor the repetition of skills by the diver... but rather by the satisfactory performance of those skills by the student. PADI define this as "mastery". Other agencies have equivalent descriptions.

Check your course materials... they will help you identify exactly what you should have been taught.

As a rule of thumb, a student that achieves 'mastery' in all the requisite skills should not need to ask the question you have asked. Aside from some natural anxiety about transitioning to the open-water environment and experiencing greater depths... it should be self-evident that you were properly trained to make the progression.

Question #2. What is normal in terms of pressure on your ears? It was uncomfortable the whole time and I was trying to equalize pressure but never got there. Any tips?

You will feel some pressure. If a pressure differential didn't exist, then you wouldn't need to equalize. You should not feel pain though... not ever. As your ears equalize on descent, all feeling of pressure should ease. Your ears should feel no different to how they feel right now, reading this post....

Novice divers typically have more problems with ear equalization. Some interpret the feeling of pressure as one of 'discomfort', causing needless anxiety.

Equalize little and often, on your descent. Don't equalize too hard... that can cause as much pain/discomfort/injury as it seeks to prevent.

Question #3 did the instructor act like this because this is how they are taught to speak and act?

Instructors aren't taught how to speak and act. They are taught to teach.

There are bunches of bad instructors out there... same as there are bad, unprofessional individuals in any company or profession. There are also great instructors. The lesson to be learned is to be highly selective in your choice of instructor. The quality and safety of scuba training is largely determined by the merits of the individual instructor. Less so by the agency. However, the agencies themselves do vary in the quality and standards of who they accept, or how they train, their instructors. All agencies have some amazing instructors, some average instructors.... but some agencies have more useless dregs than others.

Question #4. Is it normal to have a little anxiety at first underwater?

Of course. Lack of anxiety would be more alarming!

Question #5. Is this good and I'm just anxious?

As an instructor, I'd much rather see a student exhibit some healthy anxiety. It helps to concentrate their minds upon improving their skills and help keep them diving conservatively...developing the challenge of their dives progressively over time as their confidence grows.

Over-confident divers can be a threat to themselves and others. They are the ones who tend to get hurt. Over-confidence is a disparity between confidence and ability... more often that not caused by an over-inflated opinion of your diving competency. It's easy to develop such an opinion when supervised and protected on a training course...and further post-course dives tend to reinforce that opinion because nothing goes wrong. However, a diver is only as good as they can perform when things go wrong. That's when over-confidence is exposed. Sometimes that exposure leads to a close-call and re-evaluation of mindset. Sometimes it leads to people getting hurt.

Healthy anxiety is good and natural.

Unhealthy anxiety isn't. If you feel like verging on panic, or have excessive apprehension, then you probably need to reinforce your core training. Again, this is a mis-balance between confidence and ability. In this case, too little confidence based upon an under-inflated opinion of your diving competency. Panic is dangerous for scuba divers. Train sufficiently to have a level of confidence that matches your ability. That level of confidence should include a realistic assessment of your capability to deal with the emergency circumstances you were (or should have been?) educated about.
 
One thing I have noticed on scubaboard, there are no shortage of opinions.

I have not found one piece of advice on this thread that I don't mostly agree with, not one. Your instructor should try as hard as he/she can to make you comfortable in the learning process. There are several repies to your thread by some very wise and experienced instructors and divers.

I wish you great success in your efforts to reclaim your monies from this instructor. DON'T give up! I cannot swim and am claustrophobic. With only two exceptions, driving my convertible and... well... nevermind the other one, scuba is my absolute favorite hobby. Okay I'll say it...model trains :dork2:
 
Question #1. Was this too soon and too little pool experience?
Question #2. What is normal in terms of pressure on your ears? It was uncomfortable the whole time and I was trying to equalize pressure but never got there. Any tips?
Question #3 did the instructor act like this because this is how they are taught to speak and act?
Question #4. Is it normal to have a little anxiety at first underwater?
Question #5. Is this good and I'm just anxious?
This has all been said on here already, but figured I would beat the dead horse some more.
#1 Yes. All your skills and practice should have been mastered prior to you entering the open water. In a pool, if something goes wrong, the chance of permanent damage is extremely low. If you had any lingering doubts or questions, the pool is the place to get them worked out...not the open water.
#2 It was mentioned, but every 2 feet or so you should equalize the pressure on your ears. if you are descending, and can't get them to clear, slowly ascend a few feet, and try again. Once they do clear, then begin your descent again, but a little slower this time, and continue to do the equalizing. You should have no pain in your ears. Pain is natures way of telling you something is wrong. LISTEN TO NATURE!!!
#3 The way he was speaking to you is in no way, shape, or form proper. You are a student, learning to dive. The instructor should be able to converse with you in a non-demeaning way, and ASSIST you in learning. If you already knew what to do, you wouldn't be in his Open Water course. If he expected you to know something, maybe he should have ensured that he taught it to you. He sounds like a complete incompetent tool, that is endangering the lives of students.
#4 It is very normal to experience a little anxiety at first. Even in the pool, the first time you drop under, and are breathing through the reg, can be a slightly nerve wracking situation. Some people get scared, some are completley comfortable, and others think right then and there that diving isn't for them. It can all be mitigated by the instructor and assistants being there for the students, and assuring them that they are there to protect them in this initial introduction. Once you hit the open water the first time, it can happen again. At this point, it is critical that the instructor is close to assist. You are still learning, and will need guidance.
#5 Find another shop, and an instructor that is focuses on teaching, and not making money or showing off. You'll do just fine, and before you know it, you'll be back here telling us how much fun you are having. If you can, the instructor that did this to you needs to be reported to the agency he is working for. You may just save someones life.

Let us know how things go, and remember, you can ALWAYS ask questions.
 
I will pile on at this point. I think you have a clear consensus message from the responses. Yes, there are two sides to almost every situation, and we don't know the instructor's side. But, even if your comments are a bit embellished (which I don't believe they are), you participated in what was fundamentally an inappropriate, and unsafe, situation.
Question #1. Was this too soon and too little pool experience? Probably. Nominally, in the PADI system as an example, you could do Open Water Dive One after you complete Confined Water Dive One. However, from your description, it is not clear that you even completed the requirements for Confined Water Dive One, and in my experience most OW students are really not ready for any open water activity after an hour in the pool. At the risk of making assumptions about someone I do not know, it seems that the instructor was trying to squeeze your training into a dive instruction activity (the two advanced students) that he had already set up, and that was what drove the timing. An instructor can combine OW and advanced training activities, but doing so as you describe is unwise, potentially dangerous, and as multiple people have mentioned, a recipe for multiple standards violations. Combining training for multiple levels requires careful planning, and some assistance, which doesn't appear to have been the case.

Question #2. What is normal in terms of pressure on your ears? It was uncomfortable the whole time and I was trying to equalize pressure but never got there. Any tips? It appears from your description that you were never shown how to properly clear your ears. While it is also possible that you have an ear issue that may compromise your ability to complete dive training immediately, I don't think a physician visit is necessarily in order yet, because there were so many example of poor instruction that it is more reasonable to assume that you simply weren't shown proper technique.

Question #3 did the instructor act like this because this is how they are taught to speak and act? No-o-o-o! As you describe it, he was unprofessional at the very least. I can think of other terms to apply, but that would not be professional behavior, either.

Question #4. Is it normal to have a little anxiety at first underwater? Yes, in fact few students do not have some anxiety. That is the value of spending a good deal of time in Confined Water (pool) first, to help the student acclimate to the whole idea of breathing underwater.

Question #5. Is this good and I'm just anxious? NO! You had a bad experience. As you describe it, the experience represents unacceptable instruction, irrespective of agency.
Several people have commented on how to proceed at this point, and terminating the agreement and getting a refund should be your first action. (I would suggest that you DO NOT start out by telling the instructor that you posted your experience on ScubaBoard and got feedback indicating that he is a bozo.) See if a mature, objective approach works - you did not have what you felt was a good training experience with him, you did not feel safe, and you don't believe it is in your best interests to continue with him. Don't mention reporting him to the particular training agency. (Although, if he refuses to refund part / most of what you paid, you could consider mentioning that your cousin Vito, from Detroit, is in town and would like to come speak with him about his kneecaps. :) ) Seriously, the next step would be to approach the shop where he works (presuming he is not the owner), and request a refund. From your description, I doubt that requesting a copy of your training record would be of much value, but that should ordinarily be done as well.

Two final points: Regardless of whether you are successful in getting a refund, you should a) pursue training with another shop, even if the current one offers a different instructor; and b) REPORT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS INSTRUCTOR TO WHATEVER TRAINING AGENCY HE IS AFFILIATED WITH! i don't suggest that as a matter of being spiteful, or punitive. As many others have suggested, what you experienced was unsafe, and should not be allowed to continue. Any competent agency will take your information and complaint, and investigate. The instructor may have a different point of view, and the agency may conclude that no standards were violated (I seriously doubt that will be the outcome). But, at least you will have done the responsible thing.
 
I wish the OP would come back and tell us what is going on. This is either a very unsafe situation, or a seagull.
 
Hi Bailey. You have some very real concerns, and as others have pointed out, you also have some options for solving the issues. First, though, let me reply to your specific questions:
Question #1. Was this too soon and too little pool experience?
It partly depends on what the conditions are like where the ocean dive takes place, partly on the readiness of the student diver, and partly on the objective of the dive. If this was a PADI course (since that's what I'm familiar with), it's permissible to take students on an ocean dive almost immediately, but the conditions at the dive site have to be quite ideal--shallow, clear water with minimal water movement. The PADI system encourages instructors to get students into the water quickly--it's called the "Dive Now" approach. However, we are also required to assess student readiness, and in cases where students are anxious (for example, if like you they have little experience with the ocean), it's always advisable, though not required, to do an introductory pool dive first. This may be what the instructor intended. The first ocean dive in a Discover Scuba Diving experience (which is not a course leading to certification), can actually count as the first open water dive in an Open Water course, regardless of whether a pool dive was conducted beforehand. Furthermore, we are able to offer additional open water dives after that first Discover Scuba ocean dive without additional confined water training, but these won't count as training dives for the purposes of the course. Just a couple of weeks ago I had a student who told me he was anxious about diving because of a fear of the ocean but had made it a personal challenge. I took him to the pool for a little over an hour, and then the next day I took him to the ocean for two dives. It was very hard for him, but he did both dives. Because he didn't continue training, neither of these dives will count towards any eventual certification, but if had decided to change his travel plans and complete the course, I would have been able to count that first dive as a training dive for the OW course. In other words, given the objective of the dives I did with this student (Discover Scuba), a short pool session (a little over an hour) followed by two dives in benign conditions was fine, even for a markedly nervous student.

Question #2. What is normal in terms of pressure on your ears? It was uncomfortable the whole time and I was trying to equalize pressure but never got there. Any tips?
It's normal to feel pressure in much the same way you do when your car goes down a steep hill or when a plane is landing, but it's not normal to feel acute discomfort. One trick is to pressurize the middle ear before you even descend and then on each breath during descent. That way you actually prevent the pressure from building too much in the outer ear.

Question #3 did the instructor act like this because this is how they are taught to speak and act?
Of course not. Most instructors are not drill-sergeant types. Most of us go out of our way to motivate our students through learner-centered, positive approaches rather than trying to motivate them through humiliation, name calling, and raised voices. Some students do quite well with the "hard-ass" type of instructor, but I think most do not. Scuba is supposed to be fun, and learning scuba is supposed to be fun. In fact, the teaching notes for my agency start right out with the recommendation to "Make it fun!"

Question #4. Is it normal to have a little anxiety at first underwater?
Absolutely. Almost everybody gets anxious at some point in their training. For some it happens the first time they stick their faces in the water; for others it happens the first time they step off a boat with all that heavy gear strapped to their bodies; for yet others it happens when they look up and see the surface of the water at a height above them they would normally associate with the roof of their house. But almost everybody gets over the anxiety gradually.

Question #5. Is this good and I'm just anxious?
No, it wasn't good, but yeah, you're probably a bit more anxious than the average student. It's important to know yourself and to choose your training format not primarily by price (which you seem to have researched, eventually choosing by proximity since all courses were similarly priced), but instead choosing it according to whether it's a good match for your specific needs given your individual psychology. If you're normally a worrier (you said you wanted to be extra cautious in cleaning gear), then a group class that whisks you through may not be a good match for your needs as a learner. If you are not self-confident in the water, perhaps you need a very caring and patient instructor, in which case you can interview prospective instructors to see which one you seem to "click" with.

Now that I've given my take on your questions, let me add a couple of other observations:
a) It is a major violation of standards for an instructor to leave an uncertified diver unattended in the water. You should never have been alone under any circumstances--certainly not at a depth of 25 feet as you describe, but not even floating on the surface. You are strongly advised to report this to the training agency the instructor is teaching under. Instructors can and do lose their teaching credentials for exactly this kind of violation. Please file a report. Even if it's too late to shield yourself from the dangerous practices of this instructor, you might actually save a life as a result of the expulsion or retraining the instructor would be subject to.
b) If the second dive was considered a training dive during which you were to perform skills learned in the pool session, you should re-read carefully the sections of your manual that describe exactly what the performance requirements are for each pool dive and each open water dive to see if you practiced everything that is required. If not, add your recollections to your report. If possible get a copy of your training record (in fact there's actually a copy in your Log Book, if the instructor has filled it out properly).
c) Consider getting private instruction. Given your lack of ocean experience and resultant anxiety, and adding to it your unfortunate negative experience, a private instructor who proceeds at at your pace, remains focused only on you rather than having her/his attention divided with other students, may be advisable.
 
Guy is a moron and quite likely to get you killed. One hour in the pool is horsecrap. ... Get your money back and name this guy. You may save someone's life by doing so.

What Jim said.

While it is true that in every industry there are a few bad apples that give bad name to the rest, IMHO, this one takes the cake. This professional's modus operandi has "a diving accident waiting to happen" written all over it. Find a better instructor. You may indeed help save someone's life by reporting this guy to the agency that certified him as an instructor.
 
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