Overweight instructors

[kek19]

double post sorry.

 

[Orsk]

I'm considered overweight and even obese by some standards at 6'1" and 210lbs. I am actually in good health. I see the biggest problem here as lack of skill. She may have been new and nervous, but she probably has the knowledge and is just unable to display it properly with a class. She is also unskilled at handling her weight. I know many overweight divers who are comfortable with it and can do all the skills needed. Maybe she recently put on the weight, had a surgery, had an injury, or had a baby, maybe still pregnant(not a good idea to be diving). Whatever it is she's not comfortable with her size yet, and that mixed with being a new instructor just didn't go well. I agree with many of the posts above that she needs a bit of help before she is left on her own with a class, but that's what the LDS should do by recognizing it and keeping her with other instructors until she can do the job.

 

[Rhone Man]

Reminds me of a story told by my LDS. They had a grossly overweight tourist sign up for a dive and on the day they seem him wheezing along the dock, sweating like buggery, pulling a cart with his gear. He is so overweight they give him a 50/50 chance of dying of a heart attack before he makes it to the boat.

Eventually makes it, passes across his card and he is a PADI IDC Course Director. Fantastic underwater, but not going to be in a position to rescue anybody in a distress situation at the surface. Fortunately his only "students" are DMs certifying as instructors. But it doesn't do the image of the "sport" any good.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Is it wrong to think that this (or any) person that cannot perform and demonstrate all skills and handle themselves above and below the surface in a safe and "fluid" manner (just meaning not terribly awkward) should not be instructing or even helping to instruct? I would imagine that helping to instruct is more than just being there "just in case". I would expect that you are called on to do things throughout and if I, as a student, saw an "instructor" or "assistant" fail to perform a skill (or stumble doing it), I would lose a lot of faith in the teachings that I was getting. If, when performed by an Instructor (or Assistant Instructor), it does not look so smooth and easy that anybody should be able to do it, then it would concern me. Thinking back to my OW, I remember the guy was so fluid in every motion he made that there was never any question.

 

[BDSC]

I am thinking that the fat gal that the OP was describing looked nothing like Rhone Man's Avatar!!!!

 

[Rhone Man]

I am thinking that the fat gal that the OP was describing looked nothing like Rhone Man's Avatar!!!!

I am guessing not... it is part of an experiment that came out of another thread: if you have a hot looking avatar, do you get more "looks" on your profile page. I suspect it works better if you don't have an obviously male user name...