DaddyJr
Registered
I suppose that I should let you guys know what happened. She attempted the theory exams late last year, she failed the first time round and was in tears. But she went back in a week later with some extra revision and passed. On both occasions she could have asked the instructors for clarifications but she didn't want to! She just didn't understand some of the questions and that's why she failed the first time, but she was more prepared about understanding the questions come the second time round.
She got discouraged at one time with some of the closed water exercises: she couldn't float for 5 minutes and couldn't bear opening her eyes in seawater - to locate and replace the mask, and at one point had taken a hiatus of a several months from the course. I had to have sessions with her to teach her easier techniques to float (now she claims to be able to float for forever!) and get her to realize that opening her eyes in seawater would always burn everyone, even myself and so I had to lead by example, she seemed to enjoy seeing me squirm.
As she progressed through the course I realized that failing the course might really impact on her confidence negatively, not just with diving. And I was second guessing myself on whether I should have allowed her to start the course now or maybe I should have made her wait an extra year or two. I knew she could pass the theory tests, but I had not anticipated that the closed water exercises being done in seawater would have been a big challenge - the dive centre had access to a swimming pool when she started the course, but the dive centre lost access to the pool shortly after she started the course, and so closed water sessions were done in the sea.
Anyways, there is a happy ending as after she completed the closed water exercises she swiftly proceeded to do her open water training dives with no hitches and is now a PADI Junior Open Water Diver.
She got discouraged at one time with some of the closed water exercises: she couldn't float for 5 minutes and couldn't bear opening her eyes in seawater - to locate and replace the mask, and at one point had taken a hiatus of a several months from the course. I had to have sessions with her to teach her easier techniques to float (now she claims to be able to float for forever!) and get her to realize that opening her eyes in seawater would always burn everyone, even myself and so I had to lead by example, she seemed to enjoy seeing me squirm.
As she progressed through the course I realized that failing the course might really impact on her confidence negatively, not just with diving. And I was second guessing myself on whether I should have allowed her to start the course now or maybe I should have made her wait an extra year or two. I knew she could pass the theory tests, but I had not anticipated that the closed water exercises being done in seawater would have been a big challenge - the dive centre had access to a swimming pool when she started the course, but the dive centre lost access to the pool shortly after she started the course, and so closed water sessions were done in the sea.
Anyways, there is a happy ending as after she completed the closed water exercises she swiftly proceeded to do her open water training dives with no hitches and is now a PADI Junior Open Water Diver.