Dear Instructors and Dive Professionals:

[The Chairman]

If your agency requires you to carry insurance in order to be active, you are a professional diver.

This is for DMs (Dive Masters) and higher. We feel that many of the issues covered are of significant interest to those who teach and those who help teach.

 

[Bob Vincent]

Scubas its not trying to hide something. Scuba is suppose to be FUN! When diving first started it was done by the adventurous, a lot of X military. Since there weren't any certifying agencies one person trained another and so on. Diving was considered for the macho and the first training was taught like you were in the army, no fun. They went over board to today's standards. You don't need to blacken someone mask and turn off their air underwater and drop the weight belt and pull one fin off and see how he does and the same thing to his buddy at the same time! When will a Open Water Diver ever run into that type of situation? NEVER! We don't carry foot long knifes to tell us we are good divers.

Well there are certain things an Instructor level diver would like to talk about to others in the same mind set. But it may not serve the best interest of a novice diver. Maybe about an accident are what ever. Diving is safe enjoyable and FUN! We don't have to muddy the waters for a novice diver. I don't want to get in to a lot of detail but I believe you can see something would scare the be-jeepers out of a new diver. That didn't have real world experiences to base conclusions on.

 

[plwtwo]

BTW, Bob MSDT doesn't mean Master Instructor

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

As an working instructor in the Caribbean, I'll be happy to discuss diving topics with anyone. Nice to be a part of this forum!

 

[reginthemouth]

Sorry for that

 

[jester1226]

WOW! Things have been quite here!

 

[millermil121]

1. I think the inst. to inst. page is great. I would join in a heart beat if they would let me, but I dont think I can now that I am not teaching any more. I hope I can, so what do you all say ?

2. I wish when I was teaching and had just started out that there was some place that I could turn, to get help on some things. I wont make them know that way the class that I had trouble with don't know I am talking about them.

3. See I can talk about a problem class and not hurt anyones feelings and still get the class to come back for more help, do that in a open forum and every inst. out there will have to look for a new job.

4. This is comeing from a inst that need help and was told by a group of people that it was not in the book so I could not do it with there blessing. That is when I came to the fact that I could not work as a indpent inst. and the large dive shops here will win, so I stoped could of ussesd this forum a long time a go.

5.thank you for your time and letting me type love the site and would love to join the inst. to inst. and I have nothing to hide. but will change the names of any student to protect them from Inst. bashing.

 

[knotical]

I would join in a heart beat if they would let me, but I dont think I can now that I am not teaching any more. I hope I can, so what do you all say ?

I'm pretty sure you can join. There are several "instructor emeritus" in the forum, and their experience is often invaluable.

 

[techpro]

What is it you would like to know? I as an instructor hide nothing from potential students because this is a sport that requires motivation, in other words you have to really want to do it. You should not be in a class to please someone else if you are not sure you want to do it. I put all of my prospective new students through an orientation that lets them know what I expect from them and what they can expect from me. If you are running into instructors that seem to hide things you may want shop around and talk to other instructors. Teaching is an art not a science, just because you are an instructor does not mean you are a good one. Have you ever had a doctor you weren't comfortable with, or a teacher in school? Get a second opinion.