My first dives were with my father in a quarry and Lake Erie. Neither one of us had OW or any other formal instruction. Amazing that we survived and didn't hurt ourselves. See avatar.
After your ow course, were you able to dive without Dm/instr?
- Thread starter Germie
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
The course I took in 1985 emphasized independence of buddy pairs and also noted that "not everybody has to become a diver" if folks had uncertainties. Philosophically different than today's courses (at least that I've seen). I did exactly 3 dives with a guide (not the first 3, but on a trip where there was no option not to) and a lot of unguided diving. Before I dove with a guide again, I was leading less experienced divers around various sites....
Coming out of OW today, it seems like some students are really ready to hit the water swimming, to paraphrase.
Others, well, they either shouldn't be certified quite yet or will need a lot of hand-holding.....
Coming out of OW today, it seems like some students are really ready to hit the water swimming, to paraphrase.
Others, well, they either shouldn't be certified quite yet or will need a lot of hand-holding.....
@Dogbowl
I’m on a FB diving group, with a large international membership. There are many divers who post weekly looking for charter op recommendations in vacation destinations, indicating they are specifically looking for an instructor/DM to dive with. They’re OW, perhaps AOW, probably 30-40 dives at most. It’s a female diving group, so these are all women. It seems to mostly be 20-30 something gals. It’s not those traveling solo looking for a guide. It’s divers who specifically state they don’t feel comfortable and want an instructor/DM to dive with.
I’m beginning to see a pattern: those who get certified at resort destinations (non-US). Also, a lot of young things, many with very little diving experience, asking what resort destination to do their DM/instructor course at. It’s a vicious circle. Damn near zero to hero for DMs/instructors, a lot who probably end up working at the resort destinations. A number of them have mentioned owning NO gear at all, not even a mask, until they decided to go for DM.
I just can’t get my mind around it.
I’m on a FB diving group, with a large international membership. There are many divers who post weekly looking for charter op recommendations in vacation destinations, indicating they are specifically looking for an instructor/DM to dive with. They’re OW, perhaps AOW, probably 30-40 dives at most. It’s a female diving group, so these are all women. It seems to mostly be 20-30 something gals. It’s not those traveling solo looking for a guide. It’s divers who specifically state they don’t feel comfortable and want an instructor/DM to dive with.
I’m beginning to see a pattern: those who get certified at resort destinations (non-US). Also, a lot of young things, many with very little diving experience, asking what resort destination to do their DM/instructor course at. It’s a vicious circle. Damn near zero to hero for DMs/instructors, a lot who probably end up working at the resort destinations. A number of them have mentioned owning NO gear at all, not even a mask, until they decided to go for DM.
I just can’t get my mind around it.
- Messages
- 16,405
- Reaction score
- 5,219
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
I took the old fashioned classroom course but not the weekend one. It was 2 nights a week of class plus pool for 3 weeks then the weekend checkout dives. I felt good enough to dive unsupervised. I would not have liked the "weekend" course, after having assisted on quite a few. A lot for some people to absorb in 2 pool days.
I was able to secure a fellow OW newbie buddy. We did a lot of "benign" shore dives--some deep, mostly 30' or so. I don't recommend two newbies buddying up with neither having rescue skills, but sometimes that's the only choice. We were very conservative. After my 75th dive, he moved and I began diving solo very shallow (30' or less), as due to my location, it was the only real practical thing other than a lot of organizing and much less frequent diving. Since then this has been my majority of diving. My personal rule solo is I don't go below 30', but have broken that rule a few times and have been very careful (rarely stayed below 30' for more than a few minutes).
I've only been on one "guided"dive (Panama). 4 of the 5 days it was just me and the DM, which was great. The 5th day included more people including one jerk who deserted the "line" and messed it all up for us and the DM. Confirms all the stories people write here about disliking guided dives.
I was able to secure a fellow OW newbie buddy. We did a lot of "benign" shore dives--some deep, mostly 30' or so. I don't recommend two newbies buddying up with neither having rescue skills, but sometimes that's the only choice. We were very conservative. After my 75th dive, he moved and I began diving solo very shallow (30' or less), as due to my location, it was the only real practical thing other than a lot of organizing and much less frequent diving. Since then this has been my majority of diving. My personal rule solo is I don't go below 30', but have broken that rule a few times and have been very careful (rarely stayed below 30' for more than a few minutes).
I've only been on one "guided"dive (Panama). 4 of the 5 days it was just me and the DM, which was great. The 5th day included more people including one jerk who deserted the "line" and messed it all up for us and the DM. Confirms all the stories people write here about disliking guided dives.
maj2
Contributor
- Messages
- 16,405
- Reaction score
- 5,219
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
The dive excursion I did for checkout, the dive school programed 6 dives in total during 3 days. The third day those dives were with buddy with no Instructor. They wanted to be sure that we were capable divers.
I love the dive school were I get certified.
I love the dive school were I get certified.
Dogbowl
Contributor
@Marie13 , I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said. And while I live and sometimes dive in the great white north, my preference is definitely warm water ocean diving around the world. I hate long distance plane rides but I love to travel to warm places. Even my interest in caves is in sunny, warm Mexico rather than Florida. So I see it from the other side too. When a poster said above that he/she’s never dived with a DM after OW, my mind was blown too. That’s because that is a bit foreign to me. I’ve also never dived repeatedly at a site before, but am always diving a new location somewhere around the world. And weren’t we taught to seek out experienced/professional assistance when diving new locations? I guess I’m just trying to say there’s a flip side to every coin.
@Neilwood , I also don’t disagree with most of what you said either. But the confidence thing is not necessarily the fault of the instructor. Each student comes with his/her own baggage. Some people are naturally less confident people, due to genetics or upbringing. Some confidence issues are as a result of physical or medical limitations; ear problems, for example, especially in strong current places.
There’s a belief on SB that warm water vacation divers are not “real divers”. I struggled with that a bit but realized that I could care less. For the majority of divers, diving is supposed to be fun and is a strictly recreational activity. I like valet diving and diving with a DM. Heck, I’ll even pay extra to hire a private DM if I wanted to. But on the other hand, I also drink a certain blue coloured Koolaid. So I’m an oddball. I’ll admit that!
@Neilwood , I also don’t disagree with most of what you said either. But the confidence thing is not necessarily the fault of the instructor. Each student comes with his/her own baggage. Some people are naturally less confident people, due to genetics or upbringing. Some confidence issues are as a result of physical or medical limitations; ear problems, for example, especially in strong current places.
There’s a belief on SB that warm water vacation divers are not “real divers”. I struggled with that a bit but realized that I could care less. For the majority of divers, diving is supposed to be fun and is a strictly recreational activity. I like valet diving and diving with a DM. Heck, I’ll even pay extra to hire a private DM if I wanted to. But on the other hand, I also drink a certain blue coloured Koolaid. So I’m an oddball. I’ll admit that!
Only by those who say it.....
I'm a Great Lakes Diver, and don't feel any the bit "better" than (1) guys ocean diving the wrecks off the East Coast, (2) guys going "inside rocks" wherever they do that, (3) guys diving open water in the oceans, (4) guys diving crazy warm water drifts, (5) [name just about anything I haven't done.......]
Aside from "don't hold your breath", and (according to Pete) "have fun", the rule of check your ego at the shore is right up there as the core rules...
YMMV
@Dowbowl
The warm water divers that aren’t “real” divers are the ones who might dive a couple of days a year and think they’re God’s gift to diving. I’ve met these types in person too damned often, and I’ll admit it’s rather enjoyable figuratively crushing their overinflated self-image.
The warm water divers that aren’t “real” divers are the ones who might dive a couple of days a year and think they’re God’s gift to diving. I’ve met these types in person too damned often, and I’ll admit it’s rather enjoyable figuratively crushing their overinflated self-image.
Similar threads
- Poll
