Who would your instructor choices be and why?

[fjpatrum]

Something DevonDiver mentioned in another thread got me thinking. Scubaboard is perhaps famous for saying that it's not the agency, it's the instructor that counts. With that in mind, from you folks that have been around a while, do you have any particular people you'd go out of your way to train with, given a reasonable opportunity?

Can you say who they would be, what courses, and perhaps why you want to dive/train with them?

 

[boulderjohn]

If you are just talking about recreational instructors, then I have a number I would go out of my way to recommend, either because I met them in person or grew to know them via ScubaBoard. They are from different agencies. On the other hand, I rather believe there are many thousands of excellent instructors I have never met.

When you get into technical diving, it is easier to be selective, because there aren't nearly as many.

 

[fjpatrum]

I mean any instructor, any course. I'm actually looking for specifics as to who you would look to train under, not necessarily just recommend to other people.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

I've had a couple of recreational instructors I'd gladly train with for future courses. Just a few people I met through the local dive shop. Why?

They know their stuff very well, and they explain it well. They're very patient and will explain concepts and procedures in different ways so that you understand it completely. They are open to any type of question. They're very understanding of any fears/concerns and won't push you faster than your comfort level. They're extremely comfortable/calm in the water, and they have plenty of experience.

Not sure how you'd figure this out before choosing one, unless you wanted to do a full interview or just ask them how long they've been instructing and how many dives they have.

 

[RonFrank]

There are thousands of instructors nationwide, likely tens of thousand worldwide. What is the point of making a recommendation when the people reading this are not in the correct geographic area? Newbies generally find SB after they are trained.

I am unclear the point of making recommendations in such a general forum? If folks want recommendations in the Colorado area post the question in the Rocky Mtn Oysters area and you will get several responses. Same will hold true for any regional forum. GUE divers can get recommendations in the GUE forum, etc.

SB is a big board and its puzzling why these types of questions land in the basic discussion area.

 

[fjpatrum]

There are thousands of instructors nationwide, likely tens of thousand worldwide. What is the point of making a recommendation when the people reading this are not in the correct geographic area? Newbies generally find SB after they are trained.

I am unclear the point of making recommendations in such a general forum? If folks want recommendations in the Colorado area post the question in the Rocky Mtn Oysters area and you will get several responses. Same will hold true for any regional forum. GUE divers can get recommendations in the GUE forum, etc.

SB is a big board and its puzzling why these types of questions land in the basic discussion area.

I put it here because I specifically am looking for "people you'd go out of your way to train with" as I said in the original post. To my mind, training is a basic issue, no matter what level the training is.

To your point about local subforums, I disagree entirely. I keep hearing all this noise about how the instructor is more important than the agency but when I ask for local or even semi-local recommendations I get one name and it's usually from that person, not a recommendation from other people. There are people in every field that get so much respect that people travel thousands of miles to train with them. I'm looking for those kinds of names and discussion of what their expertise is.

Think of this as a discussion of "what's your dream scuba class and instructor and why".

Scubaboard is a big board and it's puzzling why complaints of where someone chooses to post or what they choose to post land anywhere. Isn't it just as easy to ignore it?

 

[tomfcrist]

id like a rebreather class from Richie Kohler, maybe even Chatterton......not because i know their teaching skills or instruction techniques, but because they have done some crazy ass dives and managed not to kill themselves. Must be doing something right, you dont get too many oh ****s at those depths.

 

[TSandM]

I don't think there is anything wrong with this topic. No, the specific recommendations may not be useful for everyone who reads the thread, but perhaps the reasons why people chose the folks they did to talk about might help others make decisions.

I know there is one instructor on this board I'd recommend people travel to work with, and that's NW Grateful Diver. Bob has over six years of teaching experience. He also has experience as a student from a wide variety of instructors and agencies. He's an excellent diver and also a very good teacher, and he loves doing it. He's flexible and tolerant and patient as all get-out. His goal is a safer, more comfortable and better educated diver, and he achieves that. His teaching style works for a wide variety of students, and he'll adapt to what the student's wants and needs are. And he still loves diving, and that come across clearly to his students. He makes you work for your "pass", but never makes you feel bad about not quite being there yet. Bob was my mentor as a new diver, and is still a role model for me in my activities mentoring Peter's students and other new divers today.

 

[boulderjohn]

Here is why I would not respond with specific names.

I have met many instructors over the years. Many are such that I would recommend. If I were to start naming them here, I would inevitably leave out some truly outstanding choices. It would be impossible to do otherwise. Doing so would no doubt hurt the feelings of those instructors, and it could hurt my relationship with them. I am therefore very reluctant to name people in a public forum like this.

On the other hand, if someone were to contact me privately for suggestions in a certain area, and if I know someone in that area, I would be inclined to help, with the understanding that there are probably outstanding choices in that area that I do not know.

 

[tomfcrist]

guys, the question isnt if you would reccomend an instructor, its would you go out of your way to get training from someone, and if so who?