Video from a Training Dive with John Chatterton

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I can see no reason to post a course report other than with an eye toward helping other potential students make an informed decision whether to choose that course or instructor. As I said in a previous comment, I believe the OP succeeded in that.

I agree with those who believe the few comments alluding to the adequacy of the OP's preparation for the course, namely, the supposed quality of previous instruction, didn't belong here. I don't believe the OP has been directly criticized, but this is a form of indirect criticism. This thread was about the course and the instructor, not the student. However, I appreciate it can be a difficult line to toe; when you're talking about whether an instructor should take time out of the scheduled curriculum to remediate deficiencies, the implication is that there were deficiencies, yet you don't have enough information to be certain that what you saw in the video was due to deficiencies as opposed to something else.

If you post a course report, it is going to draw criticism--and it should! Criticism directed to the course content and/or quality of instruction, that is. Even assuming you could convey every nuance of every minute of the course, I have to believe no course is going to be considered perfect by the entire worldwide instructor corps. Although many instructors may hold their tongues (short of a standards violation in their agency, I suppose), every instructor is capable of critiquing others who teach a similar course. With few exceptions, we students all believed our instructor was the greatest, and the course addressed everything it needed to, because we had no frame of reference. Although it may deflate the exuberance we felt at the time we posted the report, we might keep in mind that the criticism may be helpful to others later. Erring on the side of too much information/opinion rather than too little appeals to me in general. However, I also realize that we students may not have the ability to process it all. What do I make of kneeling? Just how important is it to know when to avoid kneeling and when to deviate from the normal in-trim posture because in a particular situation it makes sense? Some students in an advanced course may be able to process that, while less experienced students may not. I am ambivalent about posting a report on the course I took recently because I know full well that different instructors teach things differently, and although the instructor is highly regarded, there would inevitably be room for criticism. Nobody enjoys the prospect of feeling that maybe they weren't taught all they could have been, or their instructor isn't the super-hero they imagined.

A pitfall with course reports is that it is impossible to convey the whole gestalt of a course, even with a day-by-day replay, and even with videos. (And kudos, OP, for the full-length video rather than a clip that could be interpreted even more out of context than the video may have been.) If you inadvertently omit some detail or leave out some context, someone often picks up on that and runs with it. I agree with those who have commented that a high-level overview of a course and instructor is best, in the sense that it helps avoid needless discussion while at the same time providing some information that would help a prospective student make decisions.

Chatterton, whose name is synonymous with wreck diving in the public's mind, is bound to draw more criticism than an instructor who is not as public a figure. He's controversial. If you have read Shadow Divers, you know he was a cowboy back in the wild west days of Northeast wreck diving, and although the mechanics of how that was done may be long behind him, I suspect he's the same person on the inside. Like any entity that is a giant of the relevant field--owing in part to his own self-promotion--Chatterton is naturally going to be a magnet (target?) for criticism. Although I lack the knowledge to be critical myself, the degree of criticism in this thread did not surprise me at all, as it seemed quite in line with the guy's stature. I did not, however, see the criticism as mere attempts to "knock him down a peg," though that may be a natural way to see it.

Although I don't believe there is enough information in this thread to make such judgments, if you kind of liked what you knew of Chatterton before, you probably like him even more now. If some of his tactics rattle the "figure skater" cave divers as they appear to, maybe you now believe he really is the maverick "hockey player" wreck diver you admired. If before this thread you thought his courses couldn't possibly live up to what you'd expect from such a famous figure in wreck diving, you probably feel affirmed in that belief. If you're like me, and had no feeling one way or the other, you may have actually gotten something out of this thread, despite the contentiousness.

If the OP reads this, I hope he understands that some of us appreciated his efforts. I'm unsure whether I will post course reports, but readings those of others sure is helpful. If you have the stomach for posting them, they can be helpful.
 
@kesuf I totally agree with you and after this mess I will be incharge of ANY video taken .....which will probably be never
 
Ugh. Where's your focus, your camera or your student?

I briefly got sucked into the video'ing my students for everything then I came back to my senses. Now, the only time I use a camera in classes is for video review of student performance and I only record in areas they have previously been certified for. That means for your typical cavern/intro to tech/AN/DP course - in open water while doing basic skills (buoyancy/trim/kicks). CCR, only after they have already spent a few days on the unit, and again it's just briefly to shoot video of buoyancy/trim for review.

The video I shoot also gets destroyed after the course is completed.

Easy to maintain focus on the student. @custureri produces some top quality videos of the training he conducts and I do not believe that his attention ever deviates from his students. I've seen the same from a couple RAID instructors as well. Same thing. They are not making pretty videos, but recording how the student is performing a skill.

I use a Parelenz mounted to my mask to provide feedback of my students conducting skills. I just turn it on as I get into the water, then upload to my laptop to show the student and discuss after the dive.
 
when I started civilian freefall sky diving air to air vid wasn't available then when it was it helped me a lot to fix mistakes faster so less jumps were needed , so I guess in THAT respect I could see its value in teaching scuba skills but as we see it can go very wrong , I could see JC and this students relationship be negatively affected , and I would not like to be in that position ....just my 2 cents Canadian ...........
 
when I started civilian freefall sky diving air to air vid wasn't available then when it was it helped me a lot to fix mistakes faster so less jumps were needed , so I guess in THAT respect I could see its value in teaching scuba skills but as we see it can go very wrong , I could see JC and this students relationship be negatively affected , and I would not like to be in that position ....just my 2 cents Canadian ...........

I first learned about the use of video for teaching from taking an extreme skiing 8 week course. The only time it has been used in my scuba training was during GUE fundies. And it was extremely effective. I'm not a technical diving instructor, just recreational. I would not allow a student to record a session. Only an assistant, not a friend or family member of any of my students.

To ensure effectiveness and more importantly, safety, it is a teaching tool and that's it. No taking of cool video for student's friends or the student themselves. I don't care if we come across a six gill or orca. I'm not filming it.
 
Ugh. Where's your focus, your camera or your student?

I briefly got sucked into the video'ing my students for everything then I came back to my senses. Now, the only time I use a camera in classes is for video review of student performance and I only record in areas they have previously been certified for. That means for your typical cavern/intro to tech/AN/DP course - in open water while doing basic skills (buoyancy/trim/kicks). CCR, only after they have already spent a few days on the unit, and again it's just briefly to shoot video of buoyancy/trim for review.

The video I shoot also gets destroyed after the course is completed.
When I DMed for some UTD classes I videoed on behalf of the instructor. It was a full time job - especially when students were making "unique" or "interesting" decisions and there was a lot going on. They frequently tend to forget the sequence of events or how a specific decision snowballed into a colossal mess. The video was helpful - and always combusted right after debrief ala mission impossible.
 
When I DMed for some UTD classes I videoed on behalf of the instructor. It was a full time job - especially when students were making "unique" or "interesting" decisions and there was a lot going on. They frequently tend to forget the sequence of events or how a specific decision snowballed into a colossal mess. The video was helpful - and always combusted right after debrief ala mission impossible.

I had my RAID Deco 50 Trimix course (Taught by a UTD IE who is also a RAID IE) recorded with video and I agree with all of the above. We would get out of the water and would be asked things such as "What time during the did Diver 1 have the first failure and what was that failure" We were supposed to be able to tell the runtime at which it happened, etc. We were often wrong and the video showed that. It also allowed us to see things we thought we did but in reality did not do! It was an invaluable learning tool and was a major help in all three of improving on the course.

I would say that without the video, we would have never made it with any lives remaining. Maybe I should clarify that. At the start of the course we were told we had 9 lives like a cat and we needed to finish the course with at least one life remaining to pass. On the very first two dives, we "died" four times with three of those on dive two. The video review allowed us to study what we did, discuss with the team and go over better solutions on land and with dry dives. Once back in the water, your comfort level rises much quicker as does your situational awareness.

I would love to record all my students but this would mean a mask mount or hand mounted camera so that in case of an emergency I could still control my students and I hate wearing anything on my hand other than a can light. I would also never allow my students to record and take video home. Anything on the course would stay with me.
 
WOW! what a **** show this topic tuned into after 38 pages of comments, with the second post setting the tone for the rest of the discussion with the "propaganda" comment and soon the Scubabaord vultures swooped in picking on what ever they could find to feed their own fragile egos and try and cut a tall poppy down, I just shake my head.
 
Say an instructor (or skilled diver) sees a video of a student (and their instructor), with issues that raise concerns, say deco gas procedures, or trim issues, or kneeling issues, or any of several issues often debated here.

How would you suggest that the instructor/diver raise those issues to a student that felt no issues existed?
Or do you suggest not raising them?
As general collective critique and improvement of practice is rather a theme of the board, even a reason for existence.
And the OP posted in the advanced (ETA: technical) not basic forum.
(ETA: also collective education of current, hopefully best, practice is a reason for existence. Presumably)

(On the camera, the video is from the right side of the OPs head. They mention on video it was a recently bought Paralenz, of which their buddy had one as well. 4.5 x 1.4 x 1.5, goes on the mask strap. Paralenz Action Dive Camera+ | Dive Gear Express®. )
Say a fashion expert, a instructor at the Fashion Institute goes to a cafe and has a coffee. It turns out another instructor students displaying a fall project. The clothes are pretty ugly, poorly made. You weren’t part of the instructional team and the professor isn’t there.... the student doesn’t know you, never heard of you. A) how seriously should he take your criticism and B) how much criticism is the right amount for this situation? Even if you are blaming the professor, how will the student be impacted by your comments?

Offering feedback is fine, but I would suggest that if you want to to help the student, offer it in the same tone you would if he was your student that had sent you the video asking for you feedback. Trim was a shortcoming the OP was aware of, if you read his extensive notes.

The dogpile on the instructor didn’t help the student. Did any of the critics send JC a note asking about the instruction? Not that I could see. Nope, they went straight to “let’s write the agency”, which, of course helped the OP how?

I am with @chillyinCanada, despite this being the Internet, a certain level of consideration to to the real person on the other end of the comments should kept.
 
When I DMed for some UTD classes I videoed on behalf of the instructor. It was a full time job - especially when students were making "unique" or "interesting" decisions and there was a lot going on. They frequently tend to forget the sequence of events or how a specific decision snowballed into a colossal mess. The video was helpful - and always combusted right after debrief ala mission impossible.

But three posts above this someone says it's wickedly easy to video student performance while maintaining control of a class.
 
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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