COZUMEL: Ready or not, here I come
- Thread starter LACityBoy
- 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
OP
LACityBoy
Banned
I've only used aluminum tanks. And the rolling wasn't constant...It just threww me off sometimes, and gave me the feeling I wasn't in control. I recovered. And I think once or twice my instructor did put an extra weight on the tank, for balance...Just something I need to practice, I guess.
A lot of us feel this way. The history of OW certification has been the whittling away of class time and skills practice to the absolute minimum that will get people safely through a guided dive to 60'.
There are exceptions, the largest being instruction through the non-profit club systems of some of the European countries. But very few prospective divers in the rest of the world are going to stumble across the instructors or agencies offering more extensive training or be willing to pay substantially more for the same card if they do.
Usually what happens is what you are experiencing, you make it through classes and feel like something is missing. You options are to dive your way through it or seek advanced training. This can be through one on one training with an instructor or another course that range from a couple of hours for a PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy card all the way to 5 full days for GUE Fundamentals.
OP
LACityBoy
Banned
Thanks for your insights. It's nice to know that I'm not alone in thinking I was basically "fast-tracked" into the current situation I find my self in... LOL...
I have looked into the GUE program. Not in depth, but enough to think that it offers, what should have been offered, with the PADI certs...
Either way. I'm hooked. And that was the idea, right? So, I'm not complaining, not bitching, not pointing fingers.. It is what it is, and now it's up to me to own my own progress, from here on out. And I'm fine with that...
But, at the end of the day, I'm guessing that a lot of beginner divers who get their basic certification, still feel too overwhelmed by the complexities of diving, that, once the vacation is over, and they head back home, to whatever they head back home to, all they have to hold on to, is the excitement of those first few dives, yet with no drive or direction to continue their OW education.
I have looked into the GUE program. Not in depth, but enough to think that it offers, what should have been offered, with the PADI certs...
Either way. I'm hooked. And that was the idea, right? So, I'm not complaining, not bitching, not pointing fingers.. It is what it is, and now it's up to me to own my own progress, from here on out. And I'm fine with that...
But, at the end of the day, I'm guessing that a lot of beginner divers who get their basic certification, still feel too overwhelmed by the complexities of diving, that, once the vacation is over, and they head back home, to whatever they head back home to, all they have to hold on to, is the excitement of those first few dives, yet with no drive or direction to continue their OW education.
Yep. It's a real problem. Most people price shop for their OW class, so there is pressure to provide cheap classes. They do that by making the classes shorter and even offering them at cost hoping they will make their money selling gear to the students. That's why most shops won't rent you mask, fins and snorkel for an OW class.
So you end up with undertrained divers with a bunch of expensive gear that they are going to want to or need to replace if they move on with their diving. It's no wonder the drop out rate is so high.
Even if prospective divers understood this, it might not make any difference in the classes they choose. A large percentage of new cards are going to Instagram or experience diver. These are folks who aren't really interested in diving per se, it's just something on the list of cool things they can show off to their social media friends and followers. After they have taken the selfies, they move on to a tandem skydive or a Nepal trek out whatever is currently trendy.
So you end up with undertrained divers with a bunch of expensive gear that they are going to want to or need to replace if they move on with their diving. It's no wonder the drop out rate is so high.
Even if prospective divers understood this, it might not make any difference in the classes they choose. A large percentage of new cards are going to Instagram or experience diver. These are folks who aren't really interested in diving per se, it's just something on the list of cool things they can show off to their social media friends and followers. After they have taken the selfies, they move on to a tandem skydive or a Nepal trek out whatever is currently trendy.
driftwood
Contributor
Regardless of which shop you go with, spend the money and get a private DM. Nothing better than having a pro as your dive buddy to help you work through some kinks. Did wonders for my step son's skills. No need for one on you entire month. You will know when to stop.
On our last trip, I really wanted to see a splendid toad fish. Turned out that our DM's GF had just done a study on them for her graduate work. Stopped counting around the 15 or 16th STF.
Since you are going to be there a month, you need to eat like a local. Pescaderia San Carlos is an excellent start.
On our last trip, I really wanted to see a splendid toad fish. Turned out that our DM's GF had just done a study on them for her graduate work. Stopped counting around the 15 or 16th STF.
Since you are going to be there a month, you need to eat like a local. Pescaderia San Carlos is an excellent start.
OP
LACityBoy
Banned
Pescaderia SC is ON THE LIST!!!
Joaz Banbeck
Registered
- Messages
- 64
- Reaction score
- 24
Make sure that you know the hand signals for 'boat traffic overhead'.
OP
LACityBoy
Banned
"...I make safety stops when riding an elevator..." That's funny, yet, message received.
I've already hooked up with a GUE instructor in CA. I'm definitely going to do the GUE Fundamentals course.
It's funny, but since beginning to dive, and subsequently talking about it to others, I've bumped into so many people who say, "yea, I have a certification, but I haven't dived in ___ years." Fill in the blank. Numbers range from 5-25.
Seems as if the whole "marketing" concept behind the whole PADI strategy is mightily flawed. (Is it unfair to single out PADI? I'm new, what do I know?)
Boy we sure have gotten off message, here. LOL...I'm sure there are plenty of threads that discuss the inadequacies of the industry. Regardless...Too much to look forwatd to, to spend so much time looking back. Of course, Churchill said "the farther backwards you look, the farther forward you can see."
Splash!
I've already hooked up with a GUE instructor in CA. I'm definitely going to do the GUE Fundamentals course.
It's funny, but since beginning to dive, and subsequently talking about it to others, I've bumped into so many people who say, "yea, I have a certification, but I haven't dived in ___ years." Fill in the blank. Numbers range from 5-25.
Seems as if the whole "marketing" concept behind the whole PADI strategy is mightily flawed. (Is it unfair to single out PADI? I'm new, what do I know?)
Boy we sure have gotten off message, here. LOL...I'm sure there are plenty of threads that discuss the inadequacies of the industry. Regardless...Too much to look forwatd to, to spend so much time looking back. Of course, Churchill said "the farther backwards you look, the farther forward you can see."
Splash!
Similar threads
