Ranking of Scuba Specialty courses

[Oldbear]

Question for instructors. How do you rank Scuba Specialties in the order in which they are demanded? We are not ranking them based on which has the most value but which is the most wanted by the customer. Thanks.

My most requested specialties are:
Wreck/DPV (combined)
Self Reliant Diver
Shark Conservation w/local adaptations

My most popular (numbers):
Zombie Apocalypse Diver (offered around Halloween time)
Divers Against Debris (offered the morning before a Harbor Cleanup dive

My store:
EAN

Each Instructor seems to have their own niche

 

[Wibble]

One of the big bug-bears of the "specialities" is that there's no continuing mentoring and guidance speciality.

Skills are learned on a course. They are perfected by intensive practice, preferably with some coaching.

The old adage applies: Congratulations on passing your driving test. Now you can learn to drive.

Never understood why there's no constant mentoring available as a paid-for service.

 

[Cdncoldwater]

Now you are sipping the anti-PADI Koolaid on SB, even though PADI did not invent specialty courses.
If you learned nothing on a specialty course, then your instructor was at fault. You apparently had crappy instructors. Sorry.

Not saying I didn't learn something and my instructors were very good, thanks. To be honest I definitely didn't learn a lot on every course, a few I did. In retrospect I would likely do things a bit different and now look at specialty courses with a critical eye and if there is any real requirement or actual skills gained. I don't have a pocket full of cards and I certified with different groups, but regardless of dive organization if I don't need to "have a cert" to dive in a certain environment then I very likely won't take the course.

 

[tursiops]

if I don't need to "have a cert" to dive in a certain environment then I very likely won't take the course.

I suppose an example might be underwater photography. You don't need the card. But a course from a good instructor can greatly improve your photography, probably much more so than trying to DIY. People buy a camera, start using it, get crappy pictures, and blame the camera. Right.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

One of the big bug-bears of the "specialities" is that there's no continuing mentoring and guidance speciality.

Skills are learned on a course. They are perfected by intensive practice, preferably with some coaching.

The old adage applies: Congratulations on passing your driving test. Now you can learn to drive.

Never understood why there's no constant mentoring available as a paid-for service.

I'd be curious to learn what percentage of con ed is from vacation divers. My guess is that time is short, the instructor only has time to show them the skills, they sort of do it, and need to continue to practice. If that is the bulk of the demand for con ed, none of this is surprising. As far as local diving, I just see lazy instructors mostly ticking off boxes. That's on them.

 

[tomcatbubba]

One of the big bug-bears of the "specialities" is that there's no continuing mentoring and guidance speciality.

Skills are learned on a course. They are perfected by intensive practice, preferably with some coaching.

The old adage applies: Congratulations on passing your driving test. Now you can learn to drive.

Never understood why there's no constant mentoring available as a paid-for service.

I think there is to a point. I have a few students that I have taken from OW up through the TEC series and I've been their instructor for most, if not all of that journey. So, if a student develops a good relationship with an instructor and uses them through their diving journey, there is definitely constant mentoring as a paid-for-service. I also dive with a bunch of my students outside of class. Part of the benefit of training smart, competent divers is they make great dive buddies I can count on.

 

[TMHeimer]

One of the big bug-bears of the "specialities" is that there's no continuing mentoring and guidance speciality.

Skills are learned on a course. They are perfected by intensive practice, preferably with some coaching.

The old adage applies: Congratulations on passing your driving test. Now you can learn to drive.

Never understood why there's no constant mentoring available as a paid-for service.

I assume you mean you pay the instructor you had for the specialty to constantly mentor you after the course is over. Hmmm.
Some may agree to that, others not. Maybe your instructor will be busy enough teaching others regularly as they sign up for specialties (or OW courses). Or maybe they have day jobs and only teach scuba on weekends (like most do here).

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I assume you mean you pay the instructor you had for the specialty to constantly mentor you after the course is over. Hmmm.
Some may agree to that, others not. Maybe your instructor will be busy enough teaching others regularly as they sign up for specialties (or OW courses). Or maybe they have day jobs and only teach scuba on weekends (like most do here).

Something that I do that is considered by some locally to be controversial is to separate teaching and testing, with practice in between. I've never had students demonstrate mastery right off the bat, so I'd send them off to practice those skills, and when they are ready, we meet again. I would offer multiple attempts at this, as I'd want them to improve. I think this is the sort of GUE model for fundies with provisionals/rec/tec passes.

That doesn't work for dive destinations for vacation divers. It only works for local divers or people spending significant time. This brings up the issue of appropriate compensation which separates those that just want a c-card to enable them to do certain dives and those who want to progress in their diving skills.

 

[Cdncoldwater]

I suppose an example might be underwater photography. You don't need the card. But a course from a good instructor can greatly improve your photography, probably much more so than trying to DIY. People buy a camera, start using it, get crappy pictures, and blame the camera. Right.

Maybe but if you understand photography, read a bit, know your camera and practice you will get better. No course I've ever done in scuba or most other venues had me walking away with expert abilities. Practice is required to improve skills and that is what I'm getting at. Fish identification, photography are just two that spring to mind; research and practice would go a long way independently. If people want to take courses for the social aspect or to build their confidence then by all means do so but there are definitely some that are nothing but marketing, regardless of dive organization. In retrospect I would consider spending money on tailored instruction for specific skills rather than a series of "courses". I now have the experience and contacts to dive with others I can learn from and on occasion help with their skill development and overall most of my learning was done after a course on normal dives.

 

[Wibble]

I assume you mean you pay the instructor you had for the specialty to constantly mentor you after the course is over. Hmmm.
Some may agree to that, others not. Maybe your instructor will be busy enough teaching others regularly as they sign up for specialties (or OW courses). Or maybe they have day jobs and only teach scuba on weekends (like most do here).

I mean that a typical LDS (Local Dive Shop) would offer mentoring at a small fee for people to have some coaching to perfect skills. Take the typical day in the life of an instructor & divemaster; OW, AOW courses to teach. There's gaps in that day which could be used to do "an hour" with another bunch of people who want some coaching; buoyancy, finning, etc. Even going over some old OW/AOW skills. Or prepping for a Rescue Diver course. Or just plain want to be better!

If the LDS did any tech courses, then there's tons of opportunities for coaching. Shutdowns, finning and all the basics need lots of practice!

The principle of paying is important: if you give it away, it ceases to have a value. Even a couple or three people paying $10 for an hour would be valuable.

But as @wetb4igetinthewater said, it's not something that would sell in a "resort", but a longer-term relationship as per "local" divers.