My friends and I started the Aquatic Explorers Society in order to promote the fun of diving through Stewardship, mentorship and practice of Good Dive Habits. “Train well, be safe and enjoy” is our motto. So where do we begin?
As a NAUI Course Director, SCUBA Instructor, Dive Master & Construction Diver I have dove with all walks of life in a lot of different environments, performing a multitude of activities. The good, the bad, and the just plain ugly could easily describe the knowledge and skills I have seen (and occasionally exemplified.) I’m not perfect by any stretch, but I do have confidence in my skills and knowledge, trusting my training and judgment to recognize and correct small mistakes before they escalate into life treating events. As to answer where to begin; it is easy for me to say all good diving starts with good training.
What does that mean? Does a NAUI certification guarantee you’ll be the best diver anyone has ever seen? If not, who then? How bout PADI, DIR, SSI, TDI, PDIC, BSC, or for that matter learning from your buddies the ole fashioned way - hop and hope, just don’t hold your breath!
I guess to start with my take on training agencies is simple. They exists to supply Dive professionals with the tools and support needed to safely train new divers by providing knowledge and skills standards, liability insurance and products to make training easier - products designed around the requests they receive from the Professional. If no one's buying it, they wouldn’t be selling it! They cannot possibly cover every variable the instructor may face; instead they can only establish a standard of performance that is in turn deciphered, taught and tested then accepted or rejected by the Pro. Instructors should not hide behind the agencies' standards they chose to buy and then shirk responsibility by saying “it’s within Standard”. They must honor their commitment to their student by providing value and insight to diving along with the products that they sell instead of relying on a DVD as a knowledge substitute. If short courses are bad, it’s the Pro who must step up and quit selling them to their customer.
It begins with the instructor, not the agency then, right? A well worn line that rings true, but in reality the first thing we teach is ultimately good diving is the responsibility of the Diver? This is after all the age of transparency – a person cannot be misled or lied to unless they simply want to be misled and lied to. “My instructor was a NAVY Seal that took the beach in Dessert Storm riding on a Great white shark's back throwing barracudas at the bad guys”…click….my instructor was in the Reserves stationed in Nebraska in the motor pool as a clerk…click… Information is a Web search away. New Divers can and will apply pressure to the Pro with “I only have so long, afford so much, or could you just this one time, down the street they offered me…” leading the instructor to pressure the agency: " I need (fill in the blank) in order to satisfy this one customer."
In short (after a full page rant) Where to begin I believe starts with an agreement that we all must accept our roles in learning and maintaining Good Diving habits; the Training agency, the Instructor and the Diver. The Aquatic Explorers Society will help bring an awareness and desire to learn more about our water world by becoming more aware of what it takes to Train well, be safe and enjoy.
A good beginning I think. Devin
Well said -- if more divers would take the responsibility of holding Instructors accountable and not offering the "quickie" certifications then our sport would grow. I have been thru numberous dive training facilities that specialize in training divers and the specializing they do is the bare min. and they do not aquaint with all environments only the one they are comfortable in....will your instructor take you some where besides a lake or a spring...after all where will you be doing your diving...the OCEAN! I always ask this question...What is the last thing you tell your student? What you would you say DEVIN?
ReplyDeleteYa know i like the drill sargent approach myself...and the fact that you have to keep something (a regulator or a snorkel) in your mouth at all times while in class...even when above water listening to the next briefing. Or let me rip your mask off while swimming to an open water student. But my all time favorite is all you need to know is how to use the computer it does all the work for you. Oh yea and how about "i can not provide that information but if you sign up for ______(blank) Class for a fee of blank i can tell you then". With some it is just about the money and the gear sales not about the experience.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing, informational & greatly appreciated. I think it shows the difference between a "true & dedicated" instructor, instead of the "get rich & get out" instructor. I know exactly where I will be going when I attend my 1st dive class. I need someone that knows what they are doing in all Elements & I trust that this diver/instructor/business owner, husband & father does. I want the person teaching me to be confident, but know their limits & mine. I have seen the comments of many paeople that you have taught how to dive properly, & never has there been one negative comment!!! As a matter of fact, they have all praised you & spoke of their experience with the highest regards. Thank You for your post!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments and complements. How do you all think we move forward to get the idea across that everyone is responsible for the way diving is taught & how it is performed?
ReplyDelete