Questionable OW Instruction at Resorts

[kabluton]

I was in Cozumel this past week with my mother and her husband. They decided to get OW certification while down there. I won't mention the resort or the dive operation but let's just say I was less than pleased with the instruction they received. Neither one of them got any classroom instruction or pool time before they were put in gear and plopped in the ocean. My mother was nervous and uncomfortable and obviously wasn't properly weigthed. She kept floating to the surface and couldn't stay down. After 2 days of this nonsense she told me she really wanted to quit. I told her not to dive if she wasn't 100% comfortable with it.

To make a long story short, she did a dive to 50 ft and may have bruised her eardrum on at least one of the dives. The instructor was so hell bent on getting them certified (probably because of compensation for it) that he clearly didn't take the time or the precautions that he should have. It frightens me to think that something could have happened to my mother and I really question the integrity of the instructor and the operation.

Has anyone else had similar experiences at resorts?

 

[angelfire13]

I had a similar situation with a "resort course" in Negril. We literally had about five minutes of pool time and maybe that getting acquainted with the equipment. Going into open water I had absolutely no idea whatsoever what I was doing. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, I had a very bad experience during the dive and have been fearful of diving ever since. Ten years later, I am finally ready to face my fears and move forward with certification with a QUALIFIED instructor here at home.

Sadly, I don't think your mother's experience is an isolated one. I'm sure there are bad instructors everywhere, but it seems that they are more concentrated in vacation spots.

I'm sorry your mom had such a bad experience.

 

[Xanthro]

What agency doesn't require pool dives?

 

[kabluton]

What agency doesn't require pool dives?

LOL. That's just it. I think they all do and this was a PADI operation.

 

[wreckchick]

PADI confined water is "pool like conditions with regard to depth, temp, water clarity and current" or something like that. You can do the confined water portion in a protected lagoon or other similar environment.

Rachel

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Most agencies don't require pools sessions. It's confined water that is required and that can be between some coral heads.

Get certified at a local dive shop. You can interview your instructor and see what he offers. We offer 6 pool sessions with our classes. It is usually overkill but you can't put a price on comfortable can you.

 

[Xanthro]

PADI confined water is "pool like conditions with regard to depth, temp, water clarity and current" or something like that. You can do the confined water portion in a protected lagoon or other similar environment.

Rachel

I'd hardly say that 50' is confined water.

Perhaps the first dives were in confined water and the 50' dive was later, but it sounded like they started out in 50' deep open water, and that's just plain scary.

 

[D_B]

Wow , sounds like your mom got the short end of the stick , totaly unsafe way to go , IMHO
I did my introductory scuba dive in Roatan and had over an hours worth of classroom time (Anthony's Key Resort) before ever setting fin in the water , then we sat in 3' untill everyone was comfortable breathing, then swam off, three to an instructor and no more than 40' ...

Talk to the LDS and to some of there instructors to get a feel for one that you like and get further training

DB

 

[lord1234]

even an hour is not enough. With my OW I had at least 6 hours of class room time. around 10 hours of pool time, and then 4 OW dives for skills practice.

 

[RICHinNC]

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