How Angry Should I Be at this Instructor?

[Todd Dicker]

So, real advice needed here. My inclination is to go back to this dive shop and complain, but I also have a "suck it up, things happen" tendency to want to brush it off--okay, more like "man up and don't admit it pissed you off" is closer to it:

Yesterday was the open water dive for my drysuit class. We did a boat dive in 50 feet of 47 degree Lake Michigan water. The group was an instructor and four students.

We descended the anchor line to the bottom, and I dropped to my knees and tried not to stir up too much silt, but the group wasn't quite as gentle and we silted out pretty quickly and visibility dropped to near zero. The instructor got close to my face and gave me the "stay right there" sign.

That was the last I saw of any diver for fourteen minutes. I had my dive light on and pointed it around to make me visible. There was no current, and no waves, so I knew I could ascend and the boat would be close, so I never felt in danger, and I'm a firefighter who trains for zero visibility search and rescue so I wasn't panicked. But I WAS pissed off. My instructor swam off and left me on the bottom in 47 degree, freaking cold water, sitting still so I was getting even colder, and fourteen minutes (according to my dive computer profile) has gone by. I also was thinking about how an Instructor should be aware of where he students are at all times, and this one clearly didn't know where I was. I should also say that I am new to cold water diving, and clearly didn't have enough air in my drysuit (I now understand) so I was a lot colder than I should have been. But it's my first open water drysuit dive, and that's what the training is for.

At the end of fourteen minutes, anther student descended on top of me. We exchanged "what's happening now?" signs, and clearly he had no idea what to do either, but he gave the "let's go up" sign, so I did.

At the surface, the Instructor said, "I should have told you guys that if we're separated, wait a couple minutes then come back up to regroup" and he began talking about going back down. By that time, I no longer had any confidence in this guy. So I listened to the little voice in my head that said "don't go down with him."

Like I said, I'm a full time paramedic/firefighter. I'm rarely in this situation, but when that little voice is telling me not to do something, I have to respect it. I hear too many stories of guys who get seriously hurt or killed and they were hearing that same voice but ignored it to "be brave."

So, am I unreasonable pissed? Should I be furious? Or does **** just happen, move on, and chalk it up to learning? I'd be interested in other opinions.

 

[Patoux01]

I'd say **** happens, and spread the word. But that's just me.

An instructor teaching on his (and having students on theirs) knees is a moron, nothing more, nothing less. Think about it, had you guys been neutrally buoyant and knew how to kick, as you should, then there wouldn't have been any issue.

At the end of the day, you're responsible of your own safety. I'd have ascended out of the **** for sure, to see if I can see someone. If not, I'm going up after a minute.

 

[snowdog61]

Your feelings about this are your own on whether you want to stick with this guys or go elsewhere. He likely left you there (safe and secure) to go herd the rest of the cats but the 2 min rule should have been discussed somewhere. A silt out was obviously a possibility so there should have been a contingency plan for it. What we have here is a failure to communicate - the instructor should have obviously given a better (or at least more thorough) dive brief. If you were left just hanging out for 14 minutes not too excusable in my mind. Most other 'normal' people would have likely bailed way earlier. If nothing else, your composure will serve you well if you get stuck in other less-than-ideal conditions. I'd just write it off but being me, I know on future trips with this guy, I'd be busting his chops about 'so if we get separated, do you want me to sit on the line for 14 minutes like you did the last time?' He'll get the hint hopefully

 

[Oldbear]

So if I understand you correctly this incident happened during the Open Water Dive #1 of you Drysuit specialty course, not your Open Wayer Scuba Diver's Course in a Drysuit.

So if you are a certified diver than briefing or not you should have remembered the Lost Diver protocol...wait no longer than one minute than regroup on the surface. At least now you will never forget that basic rule again.

It sounds like there was more than necessary confusion on what was expected from you by the instructor and what you expected from them. You are a certified diver so he should not have to hold your hand. But you paid for instruction not for the privallage of testing a Drysuit in bad visibility left unattended in Lake Michigan. And when the other student descended upon you it is evident at least 50% of the student where unclear of the instructor's desires.

At least you kept calm in that environment. But I do think you have the right to be upset. If you the student would have had an inversion it could have been very bad for you. That instructor lost control of their class and was not there to offer assistance.

I would bring this up with the dive store's management and see what their attitude is. I know my training agency, PADI, has a quality assurance dept. and would be interested in hear the full story.

 

[RayfromTX]

Debrief with the instructor now that time has passed. Calmly list his failures and yours as well as any positives. Tell him how you feel about his approach and your level of trust. Your perspective as a student is more important to him than his perspective as an instructor is to you. He will have many students. You will have few instructors. He needs to learn from his students to benefit his relationship to future students. You are likely to learn more from experience than from instructors. Learn what you can from it and move on.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

I'm a full time paramedic/firefighter.

You are a certified OW diver right? You are responsible for you. Use it as a learning lesson to make sure you communicate with your instructor or buddy as to what is protocol for various scenarios. Now you are that much wiser...

What would you do in a training burn? You are a certified firefighter - you stay and fight the fire with or without your buddy until you cant stay in any longer or it gets too dangerous, communicate to command and back out - you don't stay in there... Same concepts apply...

 

[Anthony A.]

Debrief with the instructor now that time has passed. Calmly list his failures and yours as well as any positives. Tell him how you feel about his approach and your level of trust. Your perspective as a student is more important to him than his perspective as an instructor is to you. He will have many students. You will have few instructors. He needs to learn from his students to benefit his relationship to future students. You are likely to learn more from experience than from instructors. Learn what you can from it and move on.

Totally agree, learn from the experience and just sit him down for a chat. Explain your feelings and his lack of communication. If he accepts the advice, then he will improve for his next students. If hes toi proud or shrugs it off, then talk to the dive shop. In my limited diving career, I learn most from unexpected experiences like this and improve. How i survived all these years who knows lol

 

[Miyaru]

...and I dropped to my knees ....

Why?

 

[cerich]

So, real advice needed here. My inclination is to go back to this dive shop and complain, but I also have a "suck it up, things happen" tendency to want to brush it off--okay, more like "man up and don't admit it pissed you off" is closer to it:

Yesterday was the open water dive for my drysuit class. We did a boat dive in 50 feet of 47 degree Lake Michigan water. The group was an instructor and four students.

We descended the anchor line to the bottom, and I dropped to my knees and tried not to stir up too much silt, but the group wasn't quite as gentle and we silted out pretty quickly and visibility dropped to near zero. The instructor got close to my face and gave me the "stay right there" sign.

That was the last I saw of any diver for fourteen minutes. I had my dive light on and pointed it around to make me visible. There was no current, and no waves, so I knew I could ascend and the boat would be close, so I never felt in danger, and I'm a firefighter who trains for zero visibility search and rescue so I wasn't panicked. But I WAS pissed off. My instructor swam off and left me on the bottom in 47 degree, freaking cold water, sitting still so I was getting even colder, and fourteen minutes (according to my dive computer profile) has gone by. I also was thinking about how an Instructor should be aware of where he students are at all times, and this one clearly didn't know where I was. I should also say that I am new to cold water diving, and clearly didn't have enough air in my drysuit (I now understand) so I was a lot colder than I should have been. But it's my first open water drysuit dive, and that's what the training is for.

At the end of fourteen minutes, anther student descended on top of me. We exchanged "what's happening now?" signs, and clearly he had no idea what to do either, but he gave the "let's go up" sign, so I did.

At the surface, the Instructor said, "I should have told you guys that if we're separated, wait a couple minutes then come back up to regroup" and he began talking about going back down. By that time, I no longer had any confidence in this guy. So I listened to the little voice in my head that said "don't go down with him."

Like I said, I'm a full time paramedic/firefighter. I'm rarely in this situation, but when that little voice is telling me not to do something, I have to respect it. I hear too many stories of guys who get seriously hurt or killed and they were hearing that same voice but ignored it to "be brave."

So, am I unreasonable pissed? Should I be furious? Or does **** just happen, move on, and chalk it up to learning? I'd be interested in other opinions.

report the instructor to the agency.

 

[Diver0001]

Obviously sloppy. Complain.

It won't hurt to complain even if nothing changes but it could avoid a repeat event with a student who is NOT inclined to remain calm in such a situation.

R..