You have made it this far. Anyone planning on becoming a better and more knowledgeable diver this year? I see alot of questions on the board... Everyone just hands out answers. Maybe we should all push for people who have alot of questions to enroll in a class to further their knowledge of diving. Your thoughts?
I'm one of those people who just likes to keep learning. Classes are great ... I'm heading off to Florida in three weeks to take a side-mount class in the caves of Marianna. Then, after class, the real learning will take place as I adapt my OW diving to that style.
Great points, Jim. I'm currently frustrated and disappointed with the AOW class I've taken. Not to turn this thread into a whine and cheese, but for any diver who has more than 50 dives and is very confident in their abilities, at this point I would recommend skipping the $1,000 (class and diving) AOW and just buy a nice computer and teach yourself how to use it.
OK, education is important, I'll agree. So if y'all want to line me up against the firing squad wall...have at it.
It's always sad to hear people say they took a class and didn't learn anything. I've had folks through my AOW class with far more than 50 dives who were challenged, and came out thinking they got quite a lot out of it. Sometimes it's effort, but a good instructor will evaluate your skills and weaknesses and set the bar accordingly. Maybe you just need to choose an instructor with that mindset.
Well, im sorry for whatever bad experiance you've had, or those you know.. But conitinuing education in some form or another is key to diver safety. Please correct me if im wrong but it seems you dont agree with that, It seems you think that they should be taught everything in their first open water class... Im probably not getting your context right..
I see Jim as saying that a good mentor and time in the water is also an invaluable learning tool. He's correct. I've learned a lot by taking classes ... I've learned a lot more by applying myself in the water ... sometimes under the guidance of a more experienced diver. For those who've been around a while, I was fortunate enough to have a great mentor for a few years ... Uncle Pug. He taught me more about applying my skills and knowledge in the real world than I ever could have learned in a class. A good mentor is worth more than you'll ever pay for a class. But make no mistake ... both are valuable, and usually for different reasons.
Well im sorry you feel that way. No amount of study of i.e Scubaboard, The Deco Stop, The Cyber Diver or any other online forum can substitute for actual guided practice for scuba diving. And yes that does cost money in most cases... If anyone doesnt like that they should have thought about it or been made aware of it by someone before they joined the 3rd most expensive sport...
The problem with classes is that they're an artificial environment. Sure, you can learn a lot, but a good class doesn't really teach you how to dive ... it teaches you how to learn. The actual learning comes from applying what your instructor shows you in a real-world environment ... repeatedly ... until your body understands how to apply it with as little thought as you give to walking when you're doing so while engaged in a conversation with someone.
Your book... I get it now, give you the money for your book not other instructors. Better to buy your book then the long standing tradition of formal training and continuing education.
It's a good book, actually ... I've been reading it lately ...
One of the best diving teachers I have had the good fortune to encounter was Joe Talavera, and Joe's edict was, "Do all the diving you can do with the certification you have, and when you are bored, go get more training." There is a lot of truth to that, once you reach a certain point -- but unfortunately, it may not be valid at the very beginning, simply because some students come out of OW without the skills to do ANY independent diving to speak of. Such folks (and I was one) are better served by continuing education right away, not to increase the scope of what they are certified to do, but simply to keep trying to achieve competence in basic diving.
Joe was the instructor I will always strive to become. Such instructors are an inspiration, and well worth taking classes with.
EVERYTHING in diving can be learned by mentorship and experience, if you are willing to take enough time and take the risks involved in making mistakes. But the educational process can be shortened, made more efficient and less dangerous by seeking formal instruction.
I'm not sure I agree with the EVERYTHING part ... classes and mentorship are two parts of the same structure. A house with a great foundation is worthless if the roof leaks ... you need both to have a solid structure ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
