The State of Diving

[ScubaFeenD]

I understand the value of such classes NOW. I think I MIGHT be able to talk someone who was pretty darned sure they were going to be an active diver into such a class. But someone who's going on a cruise to the South Pacific and wants to do a few dives? Not so much.

We're not going to transform the diving education industry into GUE classes. So what we have to do is try to educate consumers and instructors that it is possible to deliver a better quality OW class under CURRENT conditions. And it is. At the very least, someone like me should have come out of her OW class inspired by superb role models.

I feel like it is all smoke an mirrors though. I am biased though, because I feel like if people aren't willing to spend a little extra up front to get the kills necessary to keep themselves, me, and the reef safe then why are we certifying them and giving them false senses of security.

I certainly dont think GUE is the only way to go; it certainly isn't for everyone. UTD isn't either, although they seem to spread a much more mainstream high quality message. What I would like to see is instructors holding people to a higher standard and at least exposing them to the concepts that every diver should have. No need for a 1500 dollar OW class, but skimping on education while worrying about the profit margin on a set of fins seems ridiculous. The dive industry is really its worst enemy, and while we can CHOSE our buddies, the reefs have no choice regarding who gets to play on it.

I have been lucky though, and on the internet, on SB, and in the real world I have been able to find some AMAZING mentors. It wasn't easy though, and I feel for all those potentially amazing divers drowning in the business model of large scale diver certification factories.

 

[Thalassamania]

... I totally agree with the third paragraph, even knowing what I know now it would be tough sell to someone who doesn't know how involved they want to get with scuba to commit to the longer course. There is no way I ever would have gotten my warm water vacation diving only wife to take weeks and $1,500 for a different OW course. And I think this is a fairly common situation with new divers.

From what seems to be "common knowledge" it appears that for each diver who goes through an O/W course, decides to keep diving and seeks out the training that needed to become comfortable and capable divers, there are nine (or more) people who do not. The question in my mind is would these people (or a significant percentage of these people) stick with it if the entry bar, both in terms of water skills and training commitment were significantly raised? Clearly one of the problems is that some people who now, perhaps precisely because they do not know what they are getting into, do go on to dive long term, might not if any of the bars were raised. It is an optimizing equation problem featuring a model that we have no data for. My personal experiences, since I teach out on the right edge of selective watermanship and comprehensive courses, suggest with higher bars there is a longer term commitment to diving.

I have to wonder about both the efficiency and the morality of basing on industry on financing provided by the purchasing of a huge majority that are expected to "fail" without doing anything significant and just concluding, without any evidence, that lots of people, "just want to try it out once or twice."

The shop I did my OW with (a quick two weekend course) also teaches GUE courses with a very well respected instructor on staff. I've never asked them but from the emails they put out on new students I'm guessing it's at least 20 - 1 if not more of their students take the two weekend course versus GUE class. There is no simple answer to getting new divers trained better, definitely better instructors, DM's not just being tour guides but being mentors to improve diver skill, emphasis on continued diver education but with real training not just 5 more dives with an instructor, OP's enforcing no touching the reef or wildlife policies, etc.

Sounds to me like you found some rather simple solutions that cover most of the bases.

 

[FireInMyBones]

First of all, wow. Another long thread I agree with overall. I experience situations like that in the video by the OP at the lake every time I go diving locally.
Not everyone wants to move on, I think, like [user]drdrdiver[/user], out of lack of information. I frequent my LDS even though they sold me the same BS: Only Tech divers use BP/Ws and long hoses and use any kind of diving style that makes sense. I had to study hard to find others in my area with a similar mentality. We dive as a team and seek out as much training to become better. Others are beginning to follow suit. I am thankful that there are others on here that see things this way as well.
I will let my previous posts on the The Philosophy of Diver Training thread speak for me now as to save space. That thread too is a good discussion.

For the back kick: The best way to learn it is from someone who knows how it's done. But you can work on it yourself in a pool. Study the videos of back kicking that are on You Tube (5thD-X videos). The motion is an extension of the knees with the soles of the feet facing each other, followed by a "scooping" motion of the top of the feet out to the side. Get in a pool with a bathing suit, no fins. Play with this motion until you begin to feel yourself move backwards. (I've seen students get this in less than five minutes.) Then start swimming laps backwards until it's pretty effortless to produce the necessary motion.

Now get in the pool with fins (still on the surface) and do the same thing, until you can swim a full lap backwards without losing the motion.

Now put on scuba gear and go diving, and try it -- I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! (One caveat: back kicking is extremely trim-dependent. If you are feet up, you'll pull yourself back and UP (the shrimp dance). If you are feet down, you'll kick up silt and you won't go much of anywhere.)

This is how I taught myself. A few hours in the pool face up/ no fins first and then face down with a snorkel/ no fins and then with a snorkel/ fins. When I then tried it in SCUBA gear, a breeze.

 

[aquaregia]

My local pool has a "no fun" rule, so I won't be able to go past step 1 until the end of the summer, but thanks for the tips!

 

[FrogManMike]

Don't snorkel with 10 year old snobs... Problem fixed.

it was the adults that were the problem not the kids

 

[Pullmyfinger]

.. he's been in the water three times since his daughter was born in January 2007 ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

That's too bad. Having kids can limit your diving, if you let it. When they're in the infant and toddler stage it's all about having a baby sitter. My kids are now 5 and 7, we've been taking them on dive boats with us for the past couple of years ( easier on a private chartered 6 pack boat).
Our kids have been on dive boats with us in Yap, Palau, and Chuuk. Most dive operators don't have a problem with this at all. My kids know to stay out of the way and not ask a bunch of questions while divers are gearing up. During the surface intervals, they get to snorkle and swim, or go to jelly fish lake in Palau on non dive days. They loved the surface intervals in Yap (Banana bread and hot tea), and Palau ( playing on the beach and bento box lunches).
We still use a baby sitter at times, depending on the type of boat we're diving from. It's too bad that people stop diving when they have kids....it's just a matter of making some adjustments. Your kids can get some positive exposure to fun experiences.
My kids are growing up around diving, they're constantly asking when they can dive. In the mean time, they've both been swimming since they were toddlers and snorkling since they were about 4.
Sorry to derail things.

-Mitch