New diver getting my certification, is my instructor doing it wrong?

[LGHT]

Wow this is a horrible story and I really like that everyone's supporting the OP, but I think he allowed himself to be taken advantage of and allowed himself to be a victim in the situation.

I'm not saying he's wrong, but bully's will bully you and sadly there are people in this world that will take advantage of you if YOU let them. I've been bullied and taken advantage of and after the fact I had to admit that I allowed myself to and in every situation I always had a choice to continue or not.

I did my first dive and it was awkward and scary, I hadn't used this equipment much and had very little ocean experience.

I understand that you wanted to get done for your vacation, but you agreed to go knowing you never used the equipment and had little ocean experience putting yourself in a bad situation

I watched him cuss and scream all day, he wouldn't listen to any questions, he called it whining.

Why would you let anyone curse and scream at you ever? The second MY instructor cursed at me I would have told him not to ever talk to me like that again and if he did I would have just walked away.

I don’t like confrontation, but this guy left me scared, and now with 3 injuries.

I don't like confrontation either, but you have to admit at any given time you could have just walked away from the entire situation. Why would you put your trust into a person that makes you scared, curses at you and intimidates you?

Keeping me in the water when I complained of ear pain (now have water in my ear and 3 ear infections).

Did he physically force you to stay in the water or just yell and intimidate you to do so? Again you had a choice to get out of the water and you didn't.

He also had me buy a mask, fin, booties, gloves, snorkel, and hood. He told me I had to buy from his store,
Then told I needed to pay extra for swim instruction with gear on (I have swam for 20 years but thought I was really bad with my gear on) so that was an extra $900, then on my credit card were all this miscellaneous charges.

I don't understand how he MADE you do anything. The second that he tried to force you to buy anything should have been a huge red flag and made you realize that he's only out to cheat you out of your money. Knowing that you should have realized if you allow him to cheat you once he will cheat you twice. Again you could have simply said no and walked out. You may have been out of a few $$$ if you already paid for the class, but it's better to take a small loss then continue dealing with a cheater and end losing $3000 overall.

I would continue to fight this issue and maybe even take legal action, but you also need to chalk this up as a lesson learned in life and use this situation as a reminder to never let anyone bully or intimidate you under any situation.

 

[Bombay High]

Wow this is a horrible story and I really like that everyone's supporting the OP, but I think he allowed himself to be taken advantage of and allowed himself to be a victim in the situation.

I'm not saying he's wrong, but bully's will bully you and sadly there are people in this world that will take advantage of you if YOU let them. I've been bullied and taken advantage of and after the fact I had to admit that I allowed myself to and in every situation I always had a choice to continue or not.



I understand that you wanted to get done for your vacation, but you agreed to go knowing you never used the equipment and had little ocean experience putting yourself in a bad situation



Why would you let anyone curse and scream at you ever? The second MY instructor cursed at me I would have told him not to ever talk to me like that again and if he did I would have just walked away.



I don't like confrontation either, but you have to admit at any given time you could have just walked away from the entire situation. Why would you put your trust into a person that makes you scared, curses at you and intimidates you?



Did he physically force you to stay in the water or just yell and intimidate you to do so? Again you had a choice to get out of the water and you didn't.



I don't understand how he MADE you do anything. The second that he tried to force you to buy anything should have been a huge red flag and made you realize that he's only out to cheat you out of your money. Knowing that you should have realized if you allow him to cheat you once he will cheat you twice. Again you could have simply said no and walked out. You may have been out of a few $$$ if you already paid for the class, but it's better to take a small loss then continue dealing with a cheater and end losing $3000 overall.

I would continue to fight this issue and maybe even take legal action, but you also need to chalk this up as a lesson learned in life and use this situation as a reminder to never let anyone bully or intimidate you under any situation.

So what you are saying, in effect, is that no one ever ought to get bullied and intimidated and cheated.
And if you do, its all your own fault.
Wow ... thats interesting.

---------- Post added May 3rd, 2013 at 11:56 PM ----------

I think what can be taken away from all of this, is that the shop closest to home is not necessarily the best choice. I live exactly halfway across the world from you, but, did some diving in LA, and can recommend with no hesitation, Hollywood Divers. Although I did no training with them, they came across as an absolute 1st class operation.
With dive instruction, its always cheaper to get the best instruction money can buy.

 

[robertarak]

Wow this is a horrible story and I really like that everyone's supporting the OP, but I think he allowed himself to be taken advantage of and allowed himself to be a victim in the situation.

I'm not saying he's wrong, but bully's will bully you and sadly there are people in this world that will take advantage of you if YOU let them. I've been bullied and taken advantage of and after the fact I had to admit that I allowed myself to and in every situation I always had a choice to continue or not.



I understand that you wanted to get done for your vacation, but you agreed to go knowing you never used the equipment and had little ocean experience putting yourself in a bad situation



Why would you let anyone curse and scream at you ever? The second MY instructor cursed at me I would have told him not to ever talk to me like that again and if he did I would have just walked away.



I don't like confrontation either, but you have to admit at any given time you could have just walked away from the entire situation. Why would you put your trust into a person that makes you scared, curses at you and intimidates you?



Did he physically force you to stay in the water or just yell and intimidate you to do so? Again you had a choice to get out of the water and you didn't.



I don't understand how he MADE you do anything. The second that he tried to force you to buy anything should have been a huge red flag and made you realize that he's only out to cheat you out of your money. Knowing that you should have realized if you allow him to cheat you once he will cheat you twice. Again you could have simply said no and walked out. You may have been out of a few $$$ if you already paid for the class, but it's better to take a small loss then continue dealing with a cheater and end losing $3000 overall.

I would continue to fight this issue and maybe even take legal action, but you also need to chalk this up as a lesson learned in life and use this situation as a reminder to never let anyone bully or intimidate you under any situation.

I wish there was an unlike button.

 

[Shasta_man]

Ah, finally the "you LET them screw you so it's all YOUR fault" response. Still amazed at 3 grand... The OPs experience was probably the worst experience I ever heard of. We should all go for a dive with Mr Russello. He can carry the cinderblock we want to bring with us.

 

[blinkswiler]

PLEASE call PADI Training & Quality Management at 1 949 858 7234 ext. 2540 before this clown gets someone (or you) killed. training@padi.com
The standards violations you descrive are incredable.
I agree, run, don't walk, away from this shop/instructor.

---------- Post added May 3rd, 2013 at 12:31 PM ----------

Perhaps I jumped to conculsions. I presumed it was a PADI instructor. As a PADI instructor, I am very concerned about instructors that don't place customer care and safety first. Which ever agency it was, they need to be contacted directly and the experience reported for standards review. I live in Bakersfield Ca. and go to Catalina often (was there last weekend with a class). Conditions vary and low tides can present a problem for entry and exits. If I can be of any assistance, contact me off-line.

 

[Wineaux]

Don't beat yourself up. I can totally imagine how in hindsight you are thinking 'how the hell did I let that happen?" but it was a lot of small things that as they happened you probably raised an eyebrow and then took a deep breath to let it go in the interest of getting through the course. Of course, looking back with all the details you can see the disaster for what it is. The important thing is you are trying to rectify the situation and warn others. This is also a very good analogy for not letting things spiral out of control while diving. One thing goes wrong... you recognize there is a problem, you fix it, all is good. But when you ignore it and then the next thing goes wrong and the next, suddenly it isn't easy to fix and you have exponentially increased your problems and that is how people end up on the news.

Have you thought about taking him to small claims court? I believe in California that is your option for cases less than $7500. Unless you had permanent hearing loss it probably wouldn't be worth using a lawyer as the fees would be more than what you're trying to reclaim and even then, there is no proof his negligence is what caused your ear infections. You could have had the best class experience ever and still gotten the ear infections. Anyway... get the specifications for the agency this guy was using so you can show you were not given the training you should have, were charged more than standard, etc. You will only be out your filing fee ($75?) and your time if you lost. Unfortunately it probably isn't illegal to charge someone all that you got charged if you signed the checks/cc receipt so you may not win but it would be worth a try.

Lastly, do not let this scare you off diving. Your classes and diving experiences with a different and recommended instructor will be 180* different.

Oh...The anxiety is normal... I rarely have anxiety so I was shocked when I experienced it on my first OW dive... it was a totally foreign experience. A good instructor will speak calmly, give you time and calm you down. Mine did and while I still feel it creeping up on me... for me it is the bobbing around at the surface as well as wearing the hood (I do not like things on my neck and have had to get used to that sensation), I can now recognize it for what it is I know that once I am descending and "doing something" it goes away. It's all in my head and once my brain gets occupied doing the other things it needs to do and processing all the cool things my eyes are seeing the anxiety melts away.

 

[BDSC]

I have a question for all you folks who are DM's or instructors. Perhaps I should focus more on if you are PADI "professionals". I have seen in this thread and various other threads on SB where the OP is told something to the effect of, "this is a gross violation of standards and the instructor should be reported."

My question is, can only a student of a particular instructor report them? What keeps some of the instructors on this board from reporting a fellow instructor if you could find out who the instructor is say through a PM to the OP? If what is being presented is even close to the truth, do you feel any obligation to report that person knowing what they are doing could be dangerous?

Just curious.

 

[h2ogypsy]

Hi I'm bailey and I'm in the process of getting my open water cert. I have a trip coming up in 7 weeks and wanted to get certified before then, I found an instructor who said 7 weeks is enough time.

Ao I'll tell my story then list my questions.
I signed up last Wednesday the 6th and got my study materials and started my first class Saturday the 9th for my in class learning, after 4 hours in the classroom we went to the pool and did 1 hour with the gear. The next day the instructor took me to catelina to Avalon dive park to do some open water diving (he knew this was my 3rd time in the ocean EVER). While diving he would ask me to get in and we had NOT gone over exits and entry's, using my BC, and I had 1 hours experience with the equemt in a 5ft deep pool.

Also he brought 2 advanced diving students with him and his girlfriend who is certified but could barely swim. He was in charge of us all and told me to wait for him while he did skills checks on the others, so I was alone in the water bobbling from 25ft up and down trying not to fly up to the top. I did my first dive and it was awkward and scary, I hadn't used this equipment much and had very little ocean experience. Also I could equalized pressure in my ears, leaving my ears still today unable to hear much. My second dive was at low tide which is hard getting in with fins and the instructor got knocked over leaving me slamming up against rocks while he was stuck, luckily I rock climb and knew how to grip rock while getting out. I felt unsafe, and like he would be mad if I told him it was going to fast (as I tried and he screamed at me time and again to stop whining and relax). He also had me buy a mask, fin, booties, gloves, snorkel, and hood. He told me I had to buy from his store, but had nothing to fit me (I'm average size 5'4" and 120lbs). Also the equipment he rented to me didn't fit me ( I turned blue from how tight it was), and the BC was leaking the whole time and his student had to point it out. It feels like he is just trying to make money and rush me through. But maybe this is normal? I want to trust someone as it can be your life at risk. After we were done diving he left me with the get and told me to clean it but never showed me how (I read how to do it, but want to be cautious)
Question #1. Was this too soon and too little pool experience?
Question #2. What is normal in terms of pressure on your ears? It was uncomfortable the whole time and I was trying to equalize pressure but never got there. Any tips?
Question #3 did the instructor act like this because this is how they are taught to speak and act?
Question #4. Is it normal to have a little anxiety at first underwater?
Question #5. Is this good and I'm just anxious?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!! I left feeling scared and unsafe aand like I was wrong for not getting it in 24 hours. Please help!!!!! I also feel if I ask for my money back he would act out, I watched him cuss and scream all day, he wouldn't listen to any questions, he called it whining. Unless he bragged about himself he wasn't interested, no eggagerating here, he literally said asking about the vis, debth, BC, temp, was whining.
Help!

Wow; I'm so sorry you had this experience. As with anything in life, when something doesn't feel right it usually isn't (you should report this person). I never forget the feelings I had when I first got in the water with SCUBA gear; I remember being absolutely clueless and relying on my Instructor to "save me" if needed (I was terrrified to be honest). I knew nothing and probably would have bought the dive shop if he had told me I had to. I have not read all of the other responses (I'm sure there are good ones and not-so-good-ones) but I am impressed that you came to the Board and asked for advice; that shows you are responsible and hopefully really want to be a diver. There are both professional and unprofessional folks in everything we encounter. I advice you to "INTERVIEW" any dive shop/instructor for your future certifications (I hope you continue on for more specialties/certifications). It's your life and your money and you have a right to be treated with respect. Some Instructors/Divers get a 'God Complex' when they (we) should remember, we are simply trained to teach others a skill that we have (hopefully) mastered.
Answer 1: I do not put my students in the open water until we are both comfortable with their skills (safety, confidence, etc.)
Answer 2: If you cannot clear your ears do not continue with the dive. There is always another day and diving is supposed to be fun.
Answer 3: The Instructor is an unprofessional jerk with a "God complex" and probably should be reported before he/she gets someone killed/injured.
Answer 4: Yes. You are breathing underwater. That is not an everyday occurence for most folks!!!
Answer 5: Do your homework when taking on anything in life. Go with your gut. If something doesn't sound right confront it. If someone does not give you the response you need then ask someone else (as you have done here).

Happy diving to you; you have shown that you can recognize when something isn't right and you have taken measures to correct it. Kudos

 

[Quero]

I have a question for all you folks who are DM's or instructors. Perhaps I should focus more on if you are PADI "professionals". I have seen in this thread and various other threads on SB where the OP is told something to the effect of, "this is a gross violation of standards and the instructor should be reported."

My question is, can only a student of a particular instructor report them? What keeps some of the instructors on this board from reporting a fellow instructor if you could find out who the instructor is say through a PM to the OP? If what is being presented is even close to the truth, do you feel any obligation to report that person knowing what they are doing could be dangerous?

Just curious.

This happens to be a NAUI instructor, and I'm not sure what the NAUI standards are, but as PADI professional (without quotation marks around it, by the way), I can say that we are only able to report incidents if we have first-hand knowledge of them. We must have been involved directly or have witnessed the incident with our own eyes. We cannot make a report based on hearsay, and what we read on SB is hearsay, regardless of its degree of veracity. I presume that because a report may result in legal issues that NAUI, SSI, and the whole constellation of smaller agencies all have similar guidelines about reporting instructors for standards violations or reporting incidents resulting in injury.

 

[BDSC]

I can say that we are only able to report incidents if we have first-hand knowledge of them. We must have been involved directly or have witnessed the incident with our own eyes. We cannot make a report based on hearsay, and what we read on SB is hearsay, regardless of its degree of veracity.

So then you are saying if a student were to come to you and tell you a story like the one told by the OP, there is nothing you can do about it other than encourage the student to make a report? Unless the student reports the instructor, that instructor can continue to teach in an unsafe manner?