YOUR OW course: What would you have changed?

[otterdive]

I did my OWD course in Thailand 10 years ago. I was thrilled with the training. I was lucky to take my course from a very small school on Koh Phangan (Chaloklum Diving), and they had time to really make sure I mastered all of the skills. I'm now a PADI Instructor, and I make sure to teach every skill thoroughly, taking the time needed until my students get it right.

I'm sick of the PADI bashing folks. The PADI system works for training recreational divers, but it's REALLY important to find a great instructor.

The only thing I might have changed, in answer to the original post, is the dive school, at that time, did too much formal classroom teaching. Other than that, I am thrilled with my training.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I would have liked to had the skills I now teach in my OW class. Things like doff and don, bailout, bringing an unconscious diver up from depth. I would also have liked to have done skills in a horizontal position in mid water, while swimming, and had buddy training truly emphasized. I have a new student now and in his second pool session tuesday night he was removing and replacing the bc while horizontal 3 feet off the bottom. ANd that is because the very first skill we worked on when we got on scuba was buoyancy control.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

The only thing I would change would be the weather. I froze my last day of OW. 75 day one and 45 with wind day two :depressed:. I have had the pleasure of having a great group of instructors for all my classes. Tom Smedley, Rick Murchison, May May cook and Kenny Paramore were nothing short of awesome to me.

Like Otterdive said, I am tired of hearing the PADI bashing. There are bad instructors all over the place, I have seen many. Really made me happy with the instructors I had. If you have a problem then call PADI and complain. I have yet to hear of anyone doing this. They don't mention it in their post if they do.

 

[jobsinscuba]

The Location Warm clear water instead of A cold pond in the UK

 

[TMHeimer]

The only specific thing I'd change would be spending some time--in the ocean--on getting your weighting close to exact. This would take a good bit of time with a large class. I learned it in PPB class. I agree that at least some form of basic rescue should be taught--maybe not the specifics in the Rescue course, but at least stuff about establishing surface buoyancy, one way to tow, and some basics about bringing an unresponsive diver up without giving him AGE. I did the OW
for 6 nights before the checkout dives and found this just right. I question the one weekend of class/pool then checkouts--I know that at least for me, it would be an awful lot to digest all at once. Though for my convenience, if I successfully complete DM, I hope to DM some of those "neat" weekend courses.

 

[KingOfTheGeeks]

I have only so far been a vacation diver, i did both my OW and AOW in Mexico. If i could change one thing i would have done both courses in Canada or the U.S. I truly believe that the training would have been better, and my skills challenged more had i done this. I am not bashing foreign instructors, but there must be significant pressure on the instructors in vacation destinations to not disapoint training divers by failing them, this i believe runs contrary to the point of making sure someone has the skillset to dive safely.

I have played many sports and i believe am very athletic, however i only spent 1 1/2 hours in the pool doing skills before being sent out for dives. My instructor indicated that i would have no problems and spending any more time in the pool would be a waste. What i considered to not be wasting my time initially, i now consider a missed opportunity at the start of my diving career to become better at boyouncy, mask replacement etc.

 

[Diver0001]

I would have liked a few more dives in OW (we had 6). After certification I didn't feel overly confident coming out of the gate. As for skills I thought I was more or less ok.

R..

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I would have liked to had the skills I now teach in my OW class. Things like doff and don, bailout, bringing an unconscious diver up from depth. I would also have liked to have done skills in a horizontal position in mid water, while swimming, and had buddy training truly emphasized. I have a new student now and in his second pool session tuesday night he was removing and replacing the bc while horizontal 3 feet off the bottom. ANd that is because the very first skill we worked on when we got on scuba was buoyancy control.

You're a good man, Mr. Lap! :cheerleader:

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I would have preferred to do my 5 OW dives with a dive in each of the following:
- lake
- river
- quarry
- beach/wave entry
- boat

Other than that I learned to tank valve breathe, buddy breathe, perform a buddy breathing BCD assisted ascent, ascend with no mask, ascend with no mask while sharing an octo, share gas with an additional second stage, ascend with no mask while sharing air with an additional second stage, and do emergency ascents. I learned rescue, but would like to have had more rescues from depth.

After reading this thread, I think I'll build a coaching day into all my courses for doing whatever the student wants to learn, practice or experience.

 

[Sas]

I would not have passed me.

Yea I would not have passed me either. And I wouldn't have argued either. I was too nervous about mask clears and I was still freaking out about the idea for the next 10 dives or so. In the end I just made myself continuously do them and I got over it, but more practice on that skill for me would have been good.

The major thing that could have made my diving MUCH easier earlier on was for the instructors to do a proper weight check. I was 10lb overweighted after OW and whenever I struggled to get under they would add more weight. Mostly, I was just finning or holding my breath but not realising it.

I would have prefered they did not do all the skills with us kneeling on the bottom of the pool or the ocean.

Few other skills here and there such as buddy breathing, ascending without a mask on, more air sharing drills, etc would not have gone astray either.