Daughter had bad experiences in pool / too big a class size/ more questions

[kimanjo]

Hi, all. I'm writing on behalf of my daughter, 20. She began Scuba lessons last week at our local dive center. The first days she took class there were 18 students and one instructor. The second day the class had 20 students. The third day, at the pool, there was her classroom instructor and 3 assistants.

Although she is an excellent snorkel- and skin diver, as she was raised in Key West and has had a lot of experience in the water, plus she does other watersports--the large class and crowded pool setting made her nervous. She was overwhelmed and she felt things were going too quickly, as she had lots of questions. She didn't "get" the dive tables. Also, there were 2 bad incidents at the pools: her BC exploded, (which they replaced) and then an O-ring snapped and her regulator exploded(?) --made a loud pop, and also had to be replaced. This happened while she was entering the pool. The instructors told her this was happening because the weather was really hot. Also, the instructor weighted her, but she still couldn't get down, so the instructor held her hand to keep her submerged.

Everything went downhill from there. Underwater daughter panicked, she was wondering when/if the next bad thing was going to happen. She couldn't focus and she forgot to purge her regulator....you can guess the rest.

She's really upset, because she's been wanting to dive for years, and she considers herself a failure. I told her my experience is that it took me a month--a month! while working on a boat, and having a one- on one- sessions with the first mate (a DM) to get me comfortable with diving and the terminology, dive tables, etc. I have a friend who was in a group of 3, who did the course over three weekends, then spent 3 more weekends in the pool then a weekend on OW work. My nephew took a class while at college and he spent the entire semester learning scuba.

I have emphasized to daughter that scuba is something that should not be rushed, a lot of it is based upon confidence, built on a firm foundation of knowledge, and had I known this 4 day course was going to be so big and impersonal I would never have suggested it.

Daughter is now planning a trip to Roatan/Utila this summer (along with the highlands of Honduras) and she wants to dive, but she may need to go at a slower pace than is normal, because she wants to re-build her confidence. Is this possible?? Also, she has no desire to dive beyond 30 feet, absolutely none. No wreck diving, no cave diving, no thrill- seeking--just the desire to however around a reef and observe the colorful marine life.

Any suggestions?

 

[JamesK]

Let her know she is FAR from a failure. Many many many excellent divers had problems in the begining. We are in an environment that is alien to our bodies. Do not give up hope and keep practicing. You never stop learning SCUBA. Over ten years doing it, and unknown number of dives, and I learn every dive.

I really question the instructor holding her down. Not good IMO. I am also wondering what hot weather has to do with a BC and regulator "exploding"? I am in Cuba, and it is hotter the two muskrats shoved in a wool sock. I have never had anything "explode".

I would suggest she speak to the instructor and see if she can set up private pool time, or find out if he has a smaller class she can attend. It will take time, but if she really wants to pursue it, she can do it.

 

[RickyF]

I would suggest that she talk to her instructor outside of the classrom and let him know how uncomfortable she is. Maybe she could schedule some one on one instruction and get more comfortable. As for diving Roatan and Utila, I can only comment on Roatan. The diving on Roatan is pretty easy with little if any current. There are plenty of shallow reefs. She may have to hire a personal DM as to not impact the other divers. I have never dove Utila, so I can't comment there. If she needs a recommendation for a good dive shop on Roatan, PM me and I will give her an excellent shop name.

 

[tracydr]

Could she just find a different, smaller class with a new instructor? Maybe semi-private? Perhaps she can request part or all of her money back from the first class, since they weren't following guidelines (assuming those were the actual numbers without assistant instructors). 18 students with 1 instructor? What agency is this? At least, for PADI, that we be far to many students to instructors.

 

[dfx]

Shows how important it is to carefully research the shop you're doing the course with, and the course itself. Of course, that's something hardly anybody knows ahead of time. Because a course is a course, right?

Personally I'd recommend taking another OWD class with a different shop, maybe also a different agency. Of course that means additional $$$ and time, but it's worth it. My ACUC course ran over 10 weeks, with at least one hour pool session every week, and that was just about enough.

 

[Mitchell Teeters]

With all due respect you need to back up and let the girl stand on her own two feet. She is 20 after all. Why isn't she posting this? OMG.

Sorry I'm a high school teacher and I have to deal with this stuff all the time. I would suggest that she watch the youtube video of the commencement address about not being special.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f2j53aXDUQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Now that is done. I would suggest she seek a smaller class size and discuss the issues with the instructor. Your terminology of "exploded" sounds quite like you are attempting to Garner sympathy for the situation. I have yet to hear of a BCD exploding. I'm sure there will be others with more tact that come along. And I guarantee there will be others with less as well.

Sent from my DROID X2

 

[DivemasterDennis]

There are a number of things "wrong" with the pool training as reported, and I am curious as to what agency is involved. It might be a good idea to go elsewhere. Improper instruction, faulty equipment, bogus explanation of cause of equipment failure, lack of communication on size and dynamics of the class. I really think a fresh start is appropriate. Based on what is presented, I would not engage further with that instructor or facility. I would encourage your daughter by focusing on the problems she has encountered that were not of her making, and that she should wipe the slate and start again with a reputable program and competent instruction. You have a lot of options for that in Florida.
DivemasterDennis

 

[oly5050user]

sounds like a cheap course that is cutting standards, and using old broken down gear to keep costs down.Real bad start to this activity.. If thats the case you get what you pay for..a quality course should not be the cheapest in town... Don't walk but run from that instructor/facility..find a facility that limits the amount of students in it,ideally no more than 6 to 8 students ..or sign up for private 1 to 1 class..if it is a PADi course the student should own their copy of text/rdp tables/log/dvd video..or complete PADI online training..I would suggest to watch the video module 1 -read module 1 text DO knowledge review 1.Continue all this on to module 5..Do this BEFORE the start of class work so student gets to class prepared. The tables are actually way easy and many people get it completely just by watching video and reading book and completing knowledge reviews. If the system I described is followed completely the course is so easy a 5th grader can do it.
Do not get the idea that a quality course has to take weeks/months to do..Most people "get it" with about 18 hours of classroom/pool work.Can be done over a weekend easily..Some with less time,some with more. Everyone learns at a different rate.Shortest time I have ran a ow course was 4 to 6 hours.Students came in prepared having done PADI online academics and scored 100% on review exam.Pool time consisted of instr demonstrating skill and students (2 of them in a private class) got it 1st attempt and were able to repeat skill again and again in a calm,comfortable manner. Both students were water people having been snorkeling before and good swimmers.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

She did not fail. The course and instructor failed her. One of the worst things a new diver can do is sign up for a class without researching it. That may be her only shortfall here but even then it is not common knowledge among the non diving public that all basic OW courses are not the same by any stretch of the imagination. Your daughter seems to have gotten caught up in a factory class. Little individual attention, lots of shortcuts, and no extra effort to address the needs of individual students. You'd be doing new divers a favor by naming this outfit and helping others avoid her bad experience. My classes are never more than 4 students and run 6-8 weeks twice a week. One session classroom and the other pool. Each running two to two and a half hours. She sounds like this is the type of course she needs. There are instructors all over the world that teach this type of class. Call or email SEI headquarters www.seidiving.org and ask for a name.

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[herman]

Spend the extra money and get a private instructor. Once she gets certified she really really needs to spend some time UW before heading off on a dive trip. Not to be rude but if she doesn't get some bottom time in and becomes comfortable diving she will be that instabuddy that everyone hates to get stuck with. The vast majority of the dives I have done on Roatan are free accents and deeper than 30 ft. She needs to be comfortable diving in those conditions or she is setting herself up for a bad experience.