Scuba divers I need your help

[Darius11 12]

About 8 months ago I got me and my GF gift certificates to open water certification course.

We started it on Saturday or thought so.

Long story short these guys are so unorganized and the instruction is so unstructured both my Gf and me want to stop.

I feel like I am taking the Fandango version of the scuba course.

Please tell me if I am being a bitch.

Sat we showed up and they talked to us not much about scuba but more about social shit what they do and stuff like that.
Sunday we show up they have no pool so we go in to the bay after searching for a place to go for the swim test. We do the swim test and then go to another lake which one of the students suggested to do skin diving techniques. We get those done and meat with them yesterday.

We get a 10 Min. Briefing on all the equipment we get shown everything once and then told to gear up and go.

We get in the water I have some scuba Exp. So I was ok but my GF had a horrible first time experience and she not a girl who gets afraid easy, She has jumped hang-glided you name it. I have never seen a place that was so unorganized. From taking 30 min. to find gear to not knowing where we are going to go in.

My questions is this normal? What was your experience?

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[turtlespeed 212]

What was the certification organization?

Padi?

If so contact them -

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[narcimund 0]

Quote

My questions is this normal? What was your experience?

My experience was different but just as horrible.

In the end I decided to hold my breath and just deal with it through to the end.

It takes about 3 brain cells and 4 minutes of study to pass the test so you end up with the card and that's all you really need.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Darius11 12]

SDI

Scuba Diving International.

Yea i will if they give me a hard time

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[PsychoBob 0]

Was the course NAUI or PADI approved? Did the "dive shop" mention anything about either organization? From what you said this does not sound like a company I would want to do business with must less trust my life to.

I would sugggest you contact another company (one that is NAUI or PADI approved), explain to the divemaster what happened at the other place and hopefully they will instruct your GF so she doesn't have any fear. Nothing will ruin an ortherwise enjoyable hobby more than fear or intimidation.

"I'm not a gynecologist but I will take a look at it"
RB #1295, Smokey Sister #1, HellFish #658, Dirty Sanchez #194, Muff Brothers #3834, POPS #9614, Orfun Foster-Parent?"

[Darius11 12]

Quote

Was the course NAUI or PADI approved?

No i don't remeber it being mentioned.
I agree no matter what they say i am not going back to them not worth dieing.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[turtlespeed 212]

Quote

Was the course NAUI or PADI approved? Did the "dive shop" mention anything about either organization? From what you said this does not sound like a company I would want to do business with must less trust my life to.

I would sugggest you contact another company (one that is NAUI or PADI approved), explain to the divemaster what happened at the other place and hopefully they will instruct your GF so she doesn't have any fear. Nothing will ruin an ortherwise enjoyable hobby more than fear or intimidation.

That's what I was getting to.

SD just like SD is dangerous if not trained properly -

Look into PADI or NAUI
Those courses seem to be the most developed.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[Darius11 12]

Thank you now that i know i will do that.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[scrublink 0]

Darius, email me and let me know who you went through. We have some excellent instructors and shops in our area.
I would say it sounds like they haven't a clue about instructing and a professional image to say the very least. Might be worth trying to get you $$ back and going somewhere else.


Ed

[arai 0]

yeah I'd expect a more structured course teaching someone how to deal with breathing underwater. I have my padi advanced open water, and the courses I took were a lot more structured that what you seem to be describing. First was a lot of classroom and theory work so you can understand certain things about scuba; the gear, the types of calculation tables you use, why you become less bouyant as you descend, why you need to breath out slowly as you ascend, etc etc. then was the pool time with exersises such as regulator switching, rescues, getting in and out of gear underwater, clearing masks, dry suit training, understanding gear up procedures etc. Then we did a few dives in the ocean and got to dive a local wreck in fairly shallow water, and after that got my basic certification. I won a contest and went back for my advanced training and again enjoyed it very much with some open water boat dives.

I cringe a bit in some of the places I've dived as I see tourist places trying to tell people that they'll be safe and they will keep them in "only 40 feet of water, so no problems" and the course consists of paying your money and putting on your gear *scary*