How Angry Should I Be at this Instructor?

[northernone]

I respect your calm, I do feel direct conversation is needed though. The instructors next group of students might not have your training background and things could go badly for them.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[The Chairman]

We descended the anchor line to the bottom, and I dropped to my knees and tried not to stir up too much silt,

There's so much in this one statement. So, so much.

Why kneel at all? The thread is three pages long at this point, but this one thing stands out among all the rest. Of course you silted out the place on your knees. How could you not?

FWIW, your instructor was probably watching your bubbles emerge from the cloud and knew you were "OK". Possibly you're pissed off for the wrong reason. You had all that buoyancy at your command. Far more buoyancy than the average BC and you're on the bottom? Kneeling, no less. Unbelievable.

The kneeling on the bottom has been covered enough, I think.

Until people stop kneeling on the effin bottom, it hasn't been covered enough. It's like watching an underwater Pig Pen from Charlie Brown.

As a caveat, learn to listen under water. Everyone breathes a bit differently, even your instructor. So listen to them intently and figure out what makes their breathing unique. If you can't hear them, then you're too far away. I know the text books teach that you can't figure out direction under water because sound travels so much faster and I disagree. With a bit on concentration, it's just not that hard. If I can hear you, I can find you. Sometimes it helps to close my eyes. It's the one drawback to diving on rebreathers. BTW, don't expect to figure this out on the first try.

 

[yle]

The only thing to really be upset about is that the instructor didn't emphasize to the class how important it was to stay neutral and not touch the bottom.

But then again... you may as well be upset with everyone's OW instructors for not emphasizing the same thing. Or just be upset with all your classmates (and add yourself while you're at it) for not knowing that kneeling in that environment can cause a silt out.

Better yet: be grateful you learned an important lesson with no harm done, and move on.

 

[The Chairman]

Or just be upset with all your classmates (and add yourself while you're at it) for not knowing that kneeling in that environment can cause a silt out.

Do not kneel before any man, instructor or agency. They don't deserve it. You gotta fight, for your right, to be neeeeeeeeeeeeutral!

 

[TMHeimer]

tbeck3579, Good points. In the AOW I took in FL there wasn't anything on no-viz skills. I believe that's the norm, but AOW courses do vary a lot with instructor. There are probably areas where attaining no viz would be impossible (all rocks, etc.). But I'm just supposing.
Good point about maybe there were two buddy groups of two, but I think that may get back to not enough being discussed beforehand. Or perhaps it was to be a "group" dive--something I'm not in favour of with more than three. In our OW courses everyone of course swam out as a group, but there were buddy pairs. I used to buddy dive a fair bit more years ago and do recall several times getting separated due to viz--but more likely due to my buddy angling away without telling me or disappearing as I watch the last of his fins. Buddy skills!

 

[DevonDiver]

Two issues to consider, both of which could warrant an investigatory email to the instructor's agency:

1) Duty-of-care / Satisfactory supervision. Was the instructor adequately and prudently supervising his students at all times and ready/able to respond to potential issues in a timely manner? Had they carried out a proper risk assessment and considered potential problems that could arise on the dive? Had they selected an appropriate instructor-student ratio for the conditions of the dive? Had they ensured that the students were skilled and able to conduct the dive as planned? Had the issue of bottom-contact been briefed in advance (and students told not to...)?

The fact that you didn't succumb to stress or suffer an accident or injury is immaterial. Could it have happened?

2) Learning outcome / dive success. Did the dive enable students to achieve mastery in the specified performance requirements? Did the instructor demonstrate, observe and remedy student performance of those skills on the dive? Did all students have ample supervised time to practice and demonstrate the performance requirements? Did the dive improve your skills? Did you enjoy the dive? We're you comfortable and confident throughout the dive?

Was the dive signed off as successfully completing the stated performance requirements?

 

[soggybadger]

Public safety diver? Really?

 

[cipherbreak]

It's clear there were major issues with that training evolution, especially when 14 minutes later another student was descending on you by himself.

However...

Who is responsible for what?

 

[pinshootr]

why did you touch the bottom in the first place?

 

[Storker]

As a caveat, learn to listen under water. Everyone breathes a bit differently, even your instructor. So listen to them intently and figure out what makes their breathing unique. If you can't hear them, then you're too far away. I know the text books teach that you can't figure out direction under water because sound travels so much faster and I disagree. With a bit on concentration, it's just not that hard. If I can hear you, I can find you. Sometimes it helps to close my eyes. It's the one drawback to diving on rebreathers. BTW, don't expect to figure this out on the first try.

Have you actually tried this while wearing a nice, thick, snug-fitting hood suitable for cold water, like e.g. a 10mm Waterproof?