Fail! Weekend Certify-

[rstofer]

Im not understanding your post. If you're saying drop out rate in general is high because people do the online w/out the classroom or referencing my situation for epic failure is to reinforce why online isn't a good choice.

Not speaking for the poster but the dropout rate for new divers is staggering. In a lot of ways, it is because of situations like yours. Whether you get your butt kicked during a class or after, the result is the same: "Hey, this isn't fun!". And if it isn't fun, why do it?

I learned to dive in warm water. I can tell you for a fact, if I had done my certification at Breakwater, I would have finished the course but I doubt that I would have gone back. Breakwater can be inhospitable. It's cold, dark, silted up, has crappy viz, surge and beach entries/exits. What's fun about that? Heavy gear, constricting wetsuit, burning up before entry, freezing after, a long kick-out. Not my idea of a good time.

But the other 3 family members want to dive and I just go with the flow. They have never been in warm water so they don't know any better.

You have to want to do it because I could come up with a long list of things that are more fun and a lot less expensive. But some folks find it fun! There are dozens of long-time divers there every weekend. That parking lot is usually jammed with inflatables and Boston Whalers. But they're not diving at Breakwater!

Richard

 

[Peter_C]

I wonder if McAbee Beach would have been a better choice for Sunday? Or maybe Lovers Point #3? It's always worth considering a move to a more hospitable location.

Richard

Del Monte might have been more protected, but I have never dove there. Moving an entire class is hard to do. As also pointed out running these classes they line them up and have class after class so delaying them might often screw up their schedule and of course costs the shop more money to have the instructor(s) and DM(s) staying in a hotel again. So they push them through conditions that are not fun. Remember we do this for fun!

I have had a horrible experience at McAbee in similar conditions. Went in to ankle slappers and came out to overhead surf. Wound up having to rebuild all our regs and my drysuit valves. As to Lovers #3 it is super exposed. The photo below was shot just around the corner from Lover's a little towards Point Pinos at 7:32 am Sunday morning. The wave in the photo is probably about as big as the tree.

 

[Jim Ernst]

Originally Posted by GI0Ria
That is my plan-- I WILL post their Dive Shop name up-soon as I finish - If anyone knows anything I can do? I suppose I'm stuck with them - dreadful!


NO... You are not stuck with them, you have every right to pull your file and go to another shop and or Instructor anytime you wish!!

I would suggest at least, another Instructor!!

 

[idocsteve]

Not speaking for the poster but the dropout rate for new divers is staggering.

Is it?

Thats rather surprising to me...I guess I figured that most if not all people who go through an OW certification are going to pass...sooner or later.

 

[rstofer]

Is it?

Thats rather surprising to me...I guess I figured that most if not all people who go through an OW certification are going to pass...sooner or later.

I wasn't talking about dropping out during the class but rather the number of new divers still diving a year later. I would expect that dropping out during the class would be a much smaller number - maybe 10% (grabbed out of thin air!).

Richard

 

[Jim Ernst]

Not speaking for the poster but the dropout rate for new divers is staggering. In a lot of ways, it is because of situations like yours. Whether you get your butt kicked during a class or after, the result is the same: "Hey, this isn't fun!". And if it isn't fun, why do it?

I learned to dive in warm water. I can tell you for a fact, if I had done my certification at Breakwater, I would have finished the course but I doubt that I would have gone back. Breakwater can be inhospitable. It's cold, dark, silted up, has crappy viz, surge and beach entries/exits. What's fun about that? Heavy gear, constricting wetsuit, burning up before entry, freezing after, a long kick-out. Not my idea of a good time.

But the other 3 family members want to dive and I just go with the flow. They have never been in warm water so they don't know any better.

You have to want to do it because I could come up with a long list of things that are more fun and a lot less expensive. But some folks find it fun! There are dozens of long-time divers there every weekend. That parking lot is usually jammed with inflatables and Boston Whalers. But they're not diving at Breakwater!

Richard

I completely Disagree, I teach there and I do a lot of Diving at the Breakwater, there is a lot too see, and though you might have had bad conditions at the time, there are plenty of times that the conditions are awesome there!

 

[rstofer]

As to Lovers #3 it is super exposed. The photo below was shot just around the corner from Lover's a little towards Point Pinos at 7:32 am Sunday morning. The wave in the photo is probably about as big as the tree.

Then I got them numbered wrong! Viewed from left to right from the street corner, the site on the right seems most protected but it's quite a kick-out to get to 30'.

I'm not in a hurry to dive the one on the left and I haven't done #2.

Richard

 

[rstofer]

NO... You are not stuck with them, you have every right to pull your file and go to another shop and or Instructor anytime you wish!!

But the choices for SSI might be limited. PADI would be easy NAUI, not so much.

Richard

 

[rstofer]

I completely Disagree, I teach there and I do a lot of Diving at the Breakwater, there is a lot too see, and though you might have had bad conditions at the time, there are plenty of times that the conditions are awesome there!

It all depends on a frame of reference. My reference is the Maldives with 81 deg F water and 100' viz. T-shirt diving versus wetsuit. Boat diving versus beach diving. Nothing will convince me that Breakwater comes close! Millions of fish, beautiful coral, even the occasional shark.

Did I mention 81 deg water?

Richard

 

[fellowtraveler44]

Gloria,
Your post provoked some excellent discussion here, and underscores the need for instructors to ensure that every student understands what is expected of them at the check-out site. We all fall short of proper communication periodically, and your post reminded us all of that. My criticism here was primarily directed at those who passed judgment without the benefit of hearing the dive shop's view. Your post is great for sparking discussion on proper communication, but this thread is not the place (unless the dive shop chimes in here) to decide who is right & who is wrong.