What to Consider as a New Student to Diving?

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Air On:
Unless your taking NAUI dive classes and the instructor is teaching you to trouble shoot and problem solve...:confused:

Regulators... we don't need no stinking regulators...
Here... suck on this tank through your teeth! :D


Yep, back when I got my NAUI Basic, our Instructor put a tank at the bottom of the pool and we all had to dive down and breath off of it. Never did understand out why, but that was one of his requirements. :palmtree: Bob
 
Regulators... we don't need no stinking regulators...
Here... suck on this tank through your teeth! :D


Yep, back when I got my NAUI Basic, our Instructor put a tank at the bottom of the pool and we all had to dive down and breath off of it. Never did understand out why, but that was one of his requirements. :palmtree: Bob[/quote]


That is so stupid sounds like the old military way of teaching along with harassment. If he had a student mouth the valve and crank the wheel it might not been so cool.

Neither was being in a pool with the lights turned out and having a taped over mask and being told don't surface work things out on the bottom. Then swimming in a circle with my partner there goes my left fin, there goes buddies fins, his air is turned off my air turned off then (believe it) my first stage was was loosened, along with my weight belt drooped. I turned his air on and we started buddy breathing as I retrieved my weights. Now clearing my mask and he his, he started putting my first stage back on puts it on backwards cranks the wheel and big time bubbles. Aha mistake he turned it around and turns it on again now the O rind was gone from the backward portion. As all this is going on we were buddy breathing he was behind me and we wasn't so together sharing air. All at once he wasn't sharing anymore. I was thinking what's up with that? While almost drowning! I started making alot of noise and was turning around which was hard because he was holding on to me. When I was about half way around he stuck a hose in my hand it was a hose alright but an inflater hose! I bailed ... I was swimming to the surface with 1 fin on dragging him he still had my 2nd in his mouth. Once at the surface the Instructor and his DM was crying from laughter.

Well I guess that was great perpetration. But in 30 years of diving I never have lost a fin, my air turned off, mask pulled off my face, my regulator loosen to the point that it disconnected from the tank valve. Plus neither has anyone diving with me. But I'm still waiting!!!

........ Why show anyone stupid things? Why dive with just a tank to prove you can? Silly isn't it? :lotsalove::dork2::rofl3::no:shakehead:
 
Air On:
Unless your taking NAUI dive classes and the instructor is teaching you to trouble shoot and problem solve...:confused:

Regulators... we don't need no stinking regulators...
Here... suck on this tank through your teeth! :D


Yep, back when I got my NAUI Basic, our Instructor put a tank at the bottom of the pool and we all had to dive down and breath off of it. Never did understand out why, but that was one of his requirements. :palmtree: Bob



The quote
 
... kind of depends on what you seek. There are different types of instructors, instructors with different levels of certification, some good, some bad, some who really care about you as an individual and some who work for shops that are pushing things on you only for the almighty dollar.

First thing I'd do is go to a local shop and meet the staff working inside. nevermind the Instructor... the person you meet may or may not be the instructor. They may or may not be the owner... but they will be the first impression you get of the shop.

Is the person friendly, knowledgable and able to answer your questions? Is the shop well maintained, is there a decent amount of stock on hand and do they have a board up listing classes and trips?

This may all sound a bit unimportant - especially since there are some excellent independent instructors out there who aren't even affiliated with a shop, but I believe new divers are better off getting involved with an active shop. Active shops breed active divers - not just c-card holders.

If the overall feeling you get from the shop is good, you're more than half-way to finding an excellent instructor. Good shops are run by good people who do good things. you can feel it when you walk in the front door. Most good shops breed good instructors - meaning they are competent.

The next question is personality. You may or may not like the individual personality of the instructor - but you may want to lay that aside and listen to what they're saying. In other words, there are some gruff old instructors who aren't so politically correct and aren't always the friendliest guys out there... but you'd want them to be the person by your side in a true diving emergency. They'll teach you to ber just like them when it comes to diving... and that's what you should want.

Too often I hear students say they "don't like" this instructor or that instructor, but it's never because they weren't learning... it's almost always because they don't like their personality. Yes, diving should be fun - but your training doesn't necessarily have to be. In training, you should knuckle down and hone your skills and make the decision that like the instructor or not, you're going to listen, watch and learn from his or her experience. The fun part comes when you start your diving career... as a competent and well trained diver.

Don't get me wrong, there are some very friendly, polite and downright fun instructors out there and they're great. All I'm saying is there are some other types as well that should be heard. There are also some who have no business teaching. So draw the line where it needs to be drawn. If an instructor is downright abusive (verbally or even physically,) if they use vulgar or inappropriate language, if they can't demonstrate skills effectively, if they can't do what they're asking you to do, if they demonstrate any behaviour you feel is inappropriate, then it's time to look for a new instructor.

I've had all kinds of instructors in my diving career... and I gave them all a chance. I learned from the nice and I learned from the nasty... and now I'm a diver... and I actually go diving. - Happy diving!
 
If the overall feeling you get from the shop is good, you're more than half-way to finding an excellent instructor. Good shops are run by good people who do good things. you can feel it when you walk in the front door. Most good shops breed good instructors - meaning they are competent.

I don't in any way want to dilute the value of Rick's original post.

But the shop where I learned to dive is a happy one, and I had a good feeling going in there, and frankly, I still do. But I wasn't taught very well, and I was certified when my skills weren't safe and didn't meet standards.

It's not enough to make somebody feel welcome and cheerful and that diving is fun. It IS important that the shop and instructors do those things. But it is also important that they have their eyes focused on the importance of imparting a certain basic level of skill to someone who wants to go spend time underwater, where none of us can survive without equipment and a certain basic level of skill. JHMO.
 
whats a C card ? Bob

That is short for "certification" card, friend.

About the older woman in the hotdog's class - a lot of classes move too fast for some trainees. If a person does not come into a basic open water class with a high degree of comfort in the water already, they are probably going to feel very rushed in some of the modern classes that certify in a couple weekends. Newbies often consider the speed of the class a selling point and try to schedule their last dive class too close to a trip they have planned, sometimes as part of a honeymoon or other very involved project. Consider scuba a totally separate aspect of life - not just a part of one trip that has to be taken at a certain time. It is worth taking your time in a class that includes lots of conditioning and trouble-shooting if you are older, not comfortable in lakes/oceans, and need more one-on-one attention to acclimate to the conditions of the water. IOW, don't box yourself into a time frame to learn a sport that takes a long time for most of us to master.
 
For the new divers or those concerned about safety I thought this would help when I ran across it!

Medical Problems of Recreational Scuba Diving

What is recreational scuba diving?

Recreational scuba diving is defined as pleasure diving to a depth of up to 130 feet without decompression stops. Recreational scuba diving has become very popular in the past 20 years. There are almost 9 million certified divers in the United States alone.

Several scuba certifying agencies offer training for divers, from beginners to experts. Three of these agencies are the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and Scuba Schools International (SSI). Basic classes involve classroom instruction and training in a pool and in open water settings. The most popular courses last from 4 to 8 weeks.

What are the common medical problems of scuba diving?

The most common medical problems are simple "squeezes." These can affect your middle ear or face mask during descent. Squeezes cause pain in your ears. The pain is caused by the difference in pressure between the air spaces of your ears and mask, and higher water pressure as you go deeper in the water. Squeezes that affect the inner ear or sinuses are less common.

Cuts, scrapes and other injuries to the arms and legs can be caused by contact with fish and other marine animals, certain species of coral and hazards such as exposed sharp metal on wrecks or fishing line.

Can I be seriously hurt while scuba diving?

Yes. The most dangerous medical problems are barotrauma to the lungs and decompression sickness, also called "the bends."

Barotrauma occurs when you are rising to the surface of the water (ascent) and gas inside the lungs expands, hurting surrounding body tissues. In some divers, these lung injuries can be bad enough to cause lung collapse (pneumothorax). The injuries may also allow free air bubbles to escape into the blood stream. This is called arterial gas embolism. Arterial gas embolism often causes chest pain, breathing trouble and neurologic problems such as stroke.

Decompression sickness occurs during ascent and on the surface of the water. Inert nitrogen gas that is dissolved in body tissues and blood comes out of solution and forms bubbles in the blood. The bubbles can injure various body tissues and may block blood vessels. The most common signs of severe decompression sickness are dysfunction of the spinal cord, brain and lungs.

How common are medical problems in scuba diving?

Fortunately, serious medical problems are not common in recreational scuba divers. While there are millions of dives each year in the United States, only about 90 deaths are reported each year worldwide. In addition, fewer than 1,000 divers worldwide require recompression therapy to treat severe dive-related health problems.

How can I lower my risk of medical problems?

Most severe dive-related injuries and deaths happen to beginning divers. To be safe, you must dive within the limits of your experience and level of training.

NEVER try any dive you're not comfortable with. During descent, you should gently equalize your ears and mask. At depth, never dive outside the parameters of the dive tables or your dive computer.

NEVER hold your breath while ascending. You should always ascend slowly while breathing normally.

Become familiar with the underwater area and its dangers. Learn which fish, coral and other hazards to avoid so that injuries do not occur.

NEVER panic underwater. If you become confused or afraid during a dive, stop, try to relax and think the problem through. You can also get help from your dive buddy or dive master.

What should I do in a scuba diving emergency?

If you or one of your dive buddies has had an accident while diving, or if you would like to discuss a potential diving-related health problem, call the Divers Alert Network (DAN) emergency telephone line (1-919-684-8111). DAN is located at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Doctors, emergency medical technicians and nurses are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions. If needed, they will direct you to the nearest hyperbaric chamber or other appropriate medical facility. A hyperbaric chamber is a facility where they can place you under increased pressure, similar to being underwater. This can often help injury from arterial gas embolism or decompression sickness by shrinking bubbles and allowing them to pass through your blood vessels.

Where can I get more information about recreational scuba diving and dive medicine?

Several Web sites and e-mail addresses offer information about recreational scuba diving, dive medicine and dive-related health issues:

Web sites:

DAN: DAN Divers Alert Network - Scuba Diving and Dive Safety Association

Scubamed, sponsored by Underwater Medicine Associates: Underwater Medicine Associates

Diving Medicine Online: http://www.gulftel.com/~scubadoc

Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society: UHMS > Home ( DNN 3.2.2 )

Association of Commercial Diving Educators: http://www.diveweb.com/acde/

National Association of Underwater Instructors: NAUI Worldwide :: Information for Serious Divers

PADI: PADI. The Way The World Learns to Dive

Scuba Schools International: CSI Instructor System

E-mail addresses:

DAN: dan@diversalertnetwork.org

NAUI: nauihq@nauiww.org

PADI: TNE@padi.com

SSI: admin@ssiusa.com
 
After a few thousand dives and hundreds of Students many Instructors forget that breathing underwater for the first time is so cool. I try to remember this every time I teach. :D
 
Glad to see that your wife came back and took the class over again. I am an instructor all to often there are individuals that are not able to go at the same pace as the rest of the class. As for me I am more than willing to give that student some one on one. That way they are not embarrassed in the class and it doesn't slow the class down.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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