Frustration and the busy instructor

[Fishkiller]

so I go out for my first AOW dive, The Search and Recovery. That dive was selected because that was the only dive for this weekend, all the other instructors were doing weekend classroom and confined water. There were two students who had AOW so could do the complete specialty and there were three of whom I was one that were OW working on AOW, and one guy going for his drysuit.
What a mess.. the one guy's drysuit was too small so the DM loaned him his,(who would've thunk a DM didn't want to get wet.) then the instructor had the AOW's do some skills while as the three of us looked for a lost fin. diver 2 of 3 lost it. it was a search and recovery dive so practice in real life situation. well we decided that I was going to swim and the finless would be the pivot. The pivot is suppose to stay put not drift. so in 2 foot vis water I was swimming all over the place at the end of a rope. when I bumped into diver 3 of 3 I stopped, at first I asked myself how he get here? that's when I realized the pivot was moving also....so it was 6 foot deep water. after the instructor left group one, made us wait while he looked for the fin.. if the pivot would've stay put I could've found it on the second circle only about 4 foot away from where the pivot should've stayed...
on the U search,,, 2 of 3 and 3of 3 couldn't stay down, wrong weight too lite..then 3 of 3 couldn't read his compass in the water, too small. I started getting frustrated and started moving to fast, 3 of3 wanted to know how I could go in a circle with three compass headings??I do too.

I thought it was fun actually lifting something.

Did I learn anything from that dive?? yes threesomes don't work well for me, I need to slow down. And the instructor should have only worked with one group at a time and not let the blind lead the blind.
I didn't like that instructor's style, but like the shop and other instructors at the shop. I almost didn't let him sign my log book because I felt he only wanted the certs..I mean if I wanted to learn by myself I'd dive alone...arg and I want an answer when I ask the question not when it is convienent.

practicing adding and sudtracting 90

 

[MrMrEZG]

I feel that alowwing AOW students to to work together teaches themto think for themself (you learning that the pivotman needs to stay put) and not rely on their inst. now I also feel that he should've been with you guys (to keep the pivotman in place).

The bottom line is that the instructor is selling a product (lessons) and if you as the student/customer are not satisfied, then he did not do his job.

 

[SubMariner]

Fishkiller:

Firstly, I agree with MME, if you aren't satisfied, then the Instructor didn't do his job. Guess you won't be diving with HIM again.

"Did I learn anything from that dive?? yes threesomes don't work well for me, I need to slow down. And the instructor should have only worked with one group at a time and not let the blind lead the blind."

It doesn't sound like anyone really understood their role... some obvious mis-communication!

1) Instructors can and do have multilple levels of training going on at one time, especially if there are certified assistants like DMs available. It is not always necessary for an Instructor to be in the water with a student, especially one who is already certified. However, it does sound like things were quite hectic...

2) As a certified diver you are supposed to be able to handle things on your own once given the scenario & objectives of the dive. If you didn't understand what you were supposed to do or how do accomplish your task, YOU must make that clear and ask for more information. Otherwise how else is the Instructor to know you don't understand? Remember, the point is for YOU to experience the dive.

That being said, threesomes ARE difficult to manage; takes a lot of setup beforehand & good communication.

And yes, you DO need to slow down. The words speed & scuba do not belong in the same sentence together!

Keep diving...You'd be surprised how your skills & confidence level will grow as you progress.

~SubMariner~

 

[Fishkiller]

I went on a Navigation dive today, with a diffrent instructor my favorite so far. It was nice. I take 20 kick cycles to move 100 ft and 30 seconds on average to move the same distance. from the surface I was told that I can swim a nice square. without even mentioning the problems from the previous dive I was told to slow down and if I had a question I wasn't to go any further until I had the answer.

I would have been certified long before now if I would have had this instructor in the first place... I will only dive with him now, as an instructor. made me a happy diver.

 

[MrMrEZG]

glad to here that you enjoyed yourself. I feel that you did the right thing by getting re-instructed.

hey submariner,
those two words fit real nicely in your sentence.

 

[Ladygodiver]

It is very important to have good surface communication with your instructor, as you have learned. You are the consumer right? My daughter is going through the course right now, another diver in the family, anyway the instructor that I sent her to was cross training another instructor from PADI into PDIC. When my daughter came home and said in the Arcamedes principal, according to this PADI instructor, that pencils sink!This was not the only thing mind you. Well I just about lost it and went in and had a talk to him. After all I was paying for his instructions. Well that other instructor was not allowed to teach any more classes.
Lesson learned - dissatisfaction is not known unless voiced!

 

[The Chairman]

Hah, Fishkiller & All,

Boy can I relate. I hate it as a Dive Master when an instructor has his head up his butt and nothing is organised. When it comes to the OW classes, I can usually read their minds... I know it so well, that I can really assist. However, on some of these other dives, they just expect us to think on our feet and improvise. I usually don't have a prob with it, but I have seen many a DM go belly up. Sometimes task loading is it's very own lesson.

As for the search and rescue, did your instructor de-breif you at all after the snafu??? I would have quietly let the poor guy drift, let you guys fail... but only once. Then I would have a reflection period, where we go back over the classroom portion of search and recovery, and let y'all figure out what went south. Sometimes, the most poignant lessons are the ones we teach ourselves. After that, I would take you back to the point where you began and start over again, and then have you switch roles and search for something else. I would also most likely take each of you aside and give you an individual critique of how you can improve and just what you need to work on next. Mind you, I highly stress communication, problem solving, and slowing down!

Yes, there are a few Instruc"turds" I just won't help out as a Dive Master. They are arrogant and lazy, and do not have the student's best interests at heart. No, I won't name them... ;-)

Pete from Orlando...

 

[Fishkiller]

thanks for your replies and comments that have made a big difference in the way I look at diving especially the expectations of continual education.


from SUBMARINER
And yes, you DO need to slow down. The words speed & scuba do not belong in the same sentence together!

Keep diving...You'd be surprised how your skills & confidence level will grow as you progress.

thanks agian