Wanting to dive in Fiji after OW, but want an instructor with me

[TMHeimer]

Not retrieving a reg as it is hanging below you, but clearing a mask, I tend to see a loss of depth control..

A bit of both. General buoyancy sucks. I can summarize it as students on their first dive after a course, if they were taught on their knees, tend to cork/crater. If taught midwater, they don't.

Thanks. I can't figure why mask clearing would cause loss of depth control, but you've seen it. Maybe with students who are not completely comfortable in water?
I will say that in the last year I assisted OW (2015), there was a fair bit more pool time just swimming around. Don't know for sure where that time came from (we rented the pool). But I believe the students were better buoyancy-wise on the first OW checkout dive than were previous classes. The 4-5 skills were still taught "kneeling".
Maybe even doing those 4-5 appropriate skills neutrally means the rest of the class is neutral all those minutes when watching one person complete the said skill. 4,5 skills--that may mean the whole class is hovering for an additional 15-20 minutes in the pool. The "neutral is best" advocates don't seem to mention this. You always read "Teach all the skills neutrally and your students will be great". I still think this affects "non-water" students more than others.

 

[diverintheflesh]

I think most instruction is fine. Where the differences in training present themselves is understanding the nuances of the skills one just learned and how to avoid having to use them.

For example; why do the lean and sweep or reach method instead of going straight to your octo that's clipped to youryour chest; don't let your mask get kicked off your face by knowing where the fins of your dive buddy are; not losing your dive buddy by keeping each other within in arms reach; understanding that gauges confirm the details of your dive plan and if you follow your dive plan, you'll know how deep, long, and where you are during your dive; gas management starts before you enter the water...

If every instructor had certain skills repeated a logical number of times as you do, there would be more safe divers.
Am curious about your remedial neutral training. Do you find that knee-trained divers are substandard when it comes to say, retrieving a reg. or mask clearing while horizontal? Or do you find that it's general buoyancy/trim that may suck? Or a bit of both?

 

[diverintheflesh]

Fiji is great diving. Brie will have a fantastic time. In regards to my perspectives on diving and skills, they're only to keep an open dialog about the importance of great training.

 

[jnocerin]

I just dove in Fiji with a dive shop within the Marriott Momi Bay. I had not dove since 2013 and only had 4 dives under my belt. They were awesome and very calming. It was a wonderful experience and the diver masters truly made the dive.