Mentors ...

[knotical]

No mentors as a new diver because in 1960+ we were learning on our own. But many years later while becoming a divemaster and later an instructor, I had several mentors.

- One who early on gave me the good advice to train with and observe multiple instructors.
- The former Special Forces instructor who was amazingly patient with students who were apprehensive, or slower learners.
- The senior instructor with encyclopedic knowledge.
- The “natural” instructor who made teaching look easy and whose classes flowed smoothly and accomplished more in less time than the rest. I learned how much prior preparation that took.
- The instructor whose enthusiasm was contagious because it always seemed fresh.
- The instructor who entertained students, even having them chuckle while learning the tables - efficiently.
- The vast majority of instructors who sincerely cared about student safety and success.

I tried to emulate them, although for the funny one all I managed was to make my presentations a bit more light-hearted.

In contrast, there were also a few who demonstrated things to avoid – ego trips, wasting time, guessing, shouting, making amorous advances. All this from only three people. None lasted long at our shop.

 

[TMHeimer]

In my 9 years I've had only one regular buddy other than boat instabuddies (a fellow newbie at the time who moved 4 years ago). I do obviously pick up things here & there, especially from the several Instructors I have DMd for. I live too far in the boonies and have not had a mentor. It would be nice. Anyone at all remember that '80s show The Greatest American Hero? And the song ends with "Believe it or not, it's just me".

 

[DCBC]

Thanks Bob; I agree that our Mentors make a tremendous contribution to our education and understanding of the underwater world and how we dive (and teach). I've had many Mentors which have given me direction over the years. My first Instructor C.B. Davis NAUI 101 was the first.

At the time, I was 10 years old. Children when they're placed in a position of equality with Adults (we're both learning the same thing) have difficulty with identity, at least I did. Adults often tend to treat young children as somewhat inconsequential (you're just a kid). Ben would have none of that. I was a student like any other.

It took me 22 months to complete Ben's diver training course (one night a week for 2 1/2 hours). The course was much more challenging back in 1963; in-particular I had difficulties with holding my breath for a 25 meter underwater swim, swimming 16 lengths, doff and don, blackout drills and other aspects of the program. I also struggled with underwater physics and physiology and especially with calculating partial pressures of gases.

I almost gave-up thinking it too difficult, but Ben persevered and so I continued. There were no excuses or short-cuts; I eventually became a certified diver. At the time, it was my life's greatest accomplishment and a proud day for me.

I often wonder if I would have ever taken-up diving as a profession if it wasn't for Ben. Six years later, I started my career as a qualified Navy Diver. Over the years, there have been many other Mentors. Many of these read like a Who's Who in diving history, but none have been more important to me than Ben Davis.

Ben taught me more than basic skills, he taught me persistence and patience. Diving didn't come easily for me, so when I see this in a student, it's quickly realized. I try to show the same dedication that Ben showed me. Thanks Ben!

 

[drbill]

Without sounding cocky, I can think of no one who really served as a mentor for me. When I first used SCUBA in 1961-62, we were all newbies and shared one kit. When I moved to Catalina in 1969 and began diving in the ocean, I lived in a remote setting on an island and there was no one there to learn from at the time. I was considered the "expert." Good thing I didn't feel that way about my own skills (or lack thereof). As a scientist, I learned much of what I know through educated trial and occasional error.

However, in the decade plus I've been on ScubaBoard I've learned from many divers who are far more knowledgeable about diving itself. After all, I'm a marine biologist and use diving as a tool in my studies... I'm not a dive pro.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Apart from instructors, my mentors have included my wife Debbie, who reminds me of safety checks, predive planning and other safety matters. Also, Derek Prosser, who own my LDS, who is a great encourager and stetcher of competence for all his staff. Course director anf freidn Mark WOlff keeps me current on new standards and I keep suhgggesting new teaching activites to hime. I learn from lots of folks, and hope lots of folks learn from me, too.
DivemasterDennis

 

[abyss_scuba]

My mentor was my first dive instructor, Dave. What a great guy.He taught me how to dive, smoke a cigar and told a great story after the dive. Most of his mentoring was done on the stoop (front steps of the building for those not from NY). He would go over a dive and ask what if questions. A typical Dave story was when computers where in their infancy and a discussion broke out among several divers whether the bottom temp was 50, 51 or 52 degrees according to their computer.. In typical Dave fashion he said " there are only two temps, warm and f$*#king cold" He kept it simple he kept it safe he kept it fun.

 

[tdtaylor]

Wonderful thread.

I only started diving a little over two years ago, and was blessed to have a group of instructors who were patient, caring and very through. I went on to dive a lot with most of them, and still do...and I still learn a lot. I am most fortunate now to assist them teaching many of their classes.

One person in particular, the Shop Owner and I have dove a lot in the mid Atlantic and New England (of course it may be I'm the only one who likes cold diving enough to join him ). He has really pushed me to take my diving higher levels, and trained me to be an Assistant Instructor. What makes it better is that we are good friends.

I cannot imagine that I could have ever reached this point this soon without the mentoring for this group. Most have many thousands of dives, so I continue to learn .

And while my mentoring skills are not as finely tuned as those that have/are mentoring me, I try to return the favor, mentoring those new divers coming out of our OW and AOW classes. An yes, I often come up with 1,500-2,000 psi with a smile on my face.

Terry

 

[boulderjohn]

I have had more than a few very fine dive instructors who taught me a lot, but I don't think that is the spirit of this thread. I have learned things here and there from people with more experience than I, but really no one has been a consistent Mentor in that sense. When I was a DM and later an AI, I learned a lot from watching good instructors at work, but these were not really people who were trying to help me grow.

Outside of those examples, I have learned the most from experienced divers sharing their thoughts on ScubaBoard. I have especially absorbed ideas in the Instructor to Instructor forum.

I think my problem--and it really is a problem--is that there is so little local diving where I live. I have had to travel fairly far and often very far to get in the water. I therefore often dive with complete strangers. I am reading this thread with a great deal of envy. I really wish I were more in a position to dive with such people on a consistent basis.

 

[mdb]

I believe that Mentors turn others into Mentors that is the magic of learning.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Now I'd like to talk about my second mentor ... the person who had more influence on the diver I became than anyone else ... Uncle Pug. I met him less than a year after I started diving, on a dive trip in Canada, and it was he who first told me about ScubaBoard. It was a couple years after that we started diving together ... when I became DIR curious, and wanted to learn how to back kick. I thought at the time I was a pretty good diver, but I just couldn't believe the mad skills this guy had, and how easy he made everything look. He patiently taught me more about buoyancy control than I had ever learned in a class, spent dive after dive with me while I worked on back-kicking, and picked up my sorry remains after what I considered a pretty poor first attempt at Fundamentals ... helping me to work on a self-image that had just suffered a serious encounter with reality. And shortly after that, he's the one who first handed me a camera and got me started in underwater photography ... and who instilled in me that the secret to good pictures is good buoyancy control and finning skills.

But the most important lessons I learned from him had to do with how to think about diving ... basic planning, gas management, evaluating risks vs rewards vs skills ... the things they tell you in class after class you should be doing, but rarely ever really teach you how to do.

I've gone on to incorporate a great deal of what Uncle Pug taught me into not just how I dive, but how I teach others to dive. Whenever I make a mistake, I always hear his gentle admonishment ... "you really need to rethink your approach to that dive" ... and in so many ways he helped me learn how to get the best use out of that most important piece of dive gear ... my brain.

A good mentor, in a lot of ways, can influence you far more than a class. There's no agenda, no sales pitch, no pressure ... just think it through ... and most importantly have fun. Some of the most important lessons I've ever learned about diving have come from people who, like Uncle Pug, weren't instructors at all. They were just experienced divers who were willing to share what they know ... and provide an example of what a good diver looks like.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)