good instructors

[sam4498]

Hi,
I’m new to posting on here so any help that could be given would be much appreciated. I’m currently training for my ocean diver certificate. My open water dives are soon, however I am clearly not ready. I have past every thing with a good level of competence except the dry suit training. The club I am with is ok but we never get much time to practice (which I am hoping will help me), plus the practices are always with one instructor with a few people. I was wondering if anyone knows if any BSAC instructors do any one on one training? Or have any other information that might help, as I fell like giving up on the whole thing at the moment.

Thanks to any one who replies.

[Ben Panter]

Hi Sam,

First off, don't panic. Diving is remarkably simple, and modern kit is pretty damn reliable. Everybody is nervous before their first open water dive, it's only natural - the trick with diving is to relax, and with some people that happens sooner than others. The truth of it is that in all likelihood you will only be a smidgen deeper than in the pool and almost certainly one to one with an instructor.

You say that you have passed everything so far except for the dry suit - so why do you think you are 'clearly not ready'? If you've passed everything that the instructors ask of you then in my opinion you clearly are ready to take the next step! Nobody expects a fully capable diver on their first foray into the blue - that's why we send you in with a capable, experienced instructor.

In your post you mention your dry suit. It will feel immensely odd to begin with, especially in the 2m of water that the pool offers, even more so when in all probability you were overheating as well! It's far, far more comfortable in an open water environment, and especially when you have more than standing depth of water.

Presumably that is the biggest thing that you're concerned about, are there other things too? I'd suggest that you speak to your instructor about your concerns, or perhaps one of the other divers in your club - but if you feel that you can't do that for whatever reason then feel free to be more specific. Everyone here went through that first stage of uncertainty - and managed to come out the other end as (in most cases) well rounded, capable divers.

Best of luck,

Ben

PS: I'm removed your other post as we tend to discourage multiple threads on the same subject - it just gets confusing.

[sam4498]

Thanks for your advice. I have tried talking to my instructor with not much luck. I have one more session (hopefully one on one) before our open water dive. I am getting used to the feel of the suit under water. The only thing that I can’t do is to right myself when doing a hand stand (so the water is in my boots). Is there any techniques you could suggest to me? I think one of my problems is that I learn a lot slower then everyone else, and the instructors don’t appear to like this- so that knock my confidence and I become worse at things. It an evil cycle!

Thanks

P.S sorry for the double post – i didn’t know it was discouraged against and didn’t know where to post it.

[TerryH]

Thanks for your advice. I have tried talking to my instructor with not much luck. I have one more session (hopefully one on one) before our open water dive. I am getting used to the feel of the suit under water. The only thing that I can’t do is to right myself when doing a hand stand (so the water is in my boots). Is there any techniques you could suggest to me? I think one of my problems is that I learn a lot slower then everyone else, and the instructors don’t appear to like this- so that knock my confidence and I become worse at things. It an evil cycle!

Thanks


Hi Sam, difficult one this as we can advise, but dont know the exact
circumstances of the club.

What I'd say is that your appearance on here shows you have concerns
and these should be dealt with prior to you going open water.

I'd have another word with your Instructor and say all the above. Ask him
when the next open water session after the planned one is and if you can
wait until that one. See if you can use the extra time to do more one on one
in the pool.

Dont let him dismiss or placate you. You need to make sure you are happy
before the next step.

There is always another dive and another training session.

[Vic]

The only thing that I can’t do is to right myself when doing a hand stand (so the water is in my boots).

Firstly, it sounds like you're being a little hard on yourself.

Drysuits can be interesting when you first start - they're hardest to control near the surface, and inversion drills are one of the trickiest things you have to do. Don't expect to be an instant expert!

Having said that, this is something you do need to master. For that, you need a bit of technique, and enough practice...

Is there any techniques you could suggest to me?

Get your knees up to your chest as swiftly as you can - then start "windmilling" with your arms. This is the only way I've found to get upright...

Once upright, *stamp* down hard. Don't just straighten your legs - make a point of trying to get out through your boots.

Once you've got that sussed, the rest is easy :-)

I think one of my problems is that I learn a lot slower then everyone else, and the instructors don’t appear to like this- so that knock my confidence and I become worse at things.

Are you sure they're knocking you? Are they perhaps just trying (unsuccessfully) to convince you that you've got nothing to worry about?

Vic.

[Adrian Kelland]

Hi Sam,

You might get additional offers of help from local instructors if you enter you location in your profile.

Best of luck,

Adrian

[Ron Evans]

Lack of recorded location seems to be a common event with this type of post : are you system administrators able to geek the software so that you can't get on the forum without some mention of geography, even if that is just the BASC region?

Ron

[Ben Panter]

Possibly, but I don't think that we would want to.

People can reveal as much or as little about themselves as they want to as long as they don't post anything that we feel is unreasonable. If they seem to be trying to start some sort of ruckus we tend to probe a little further.

Ben

[Adrian Kelland]

Lack of recorded location seems to be a common event with this type of post : are you system administrators able to geek the software so that you can't get on the forum without some mention of geography, even if that is just the BASC region?

Ron
We can make the Location field compulsory, but it would be pointless - many people appear to live in cloud cuckoo land.

So the next stage would be to have a new field with a list of regions. This is probably better than nothing and could be made compulsory.

However I think we would lose potential users if this was made compulsory - how many even know the right answer.

In the end, I think it fair to expect that anyone asking for help realises that the locality may affect the availability of help.

Adrian

[JimW]

would it be possible if the template for a new message started with a prompt within the text box to say "please state your location"?

Jim

[Nigel Hewitt]

However I think we would lose potential users if this was made compulsory - how many even know the right answer.I must admit you are using my most hated word.
If somebody says 'compulsory' about bits of my life I start feel very uncharitable towards them.

'Compulsory' smacks of everything I don't like.
I have to accept that civil law and order means it is 'compulsory' for me not to kill people who obviously need it, it is 'compulsory' for me not to liberate my neighbours possessions when they evidently would be better off as mine but this is only a silly forum where we chatter about hobby diving. Where they are is their business. They might just be embarrassed - which is why, I assume, people use often silly names on forums. They might be a member of the only club for 25 miles and they just want a nice whinge without being identified. Anonymous might be good.

Please don't even think 'compulsory' - it gives me headaches.

[Adrian Kelland]

Please don't even think 'compulsory' - it gives me headaches.
I'm quite happy to leave it out Nigel, I have enough headaches of my own. If a user loses out because they don't provide info that might help, that is their lookout.

I have modified the block at the top of this forum to drop the hint.

Adrian

[Vic]

are you system administrators able to geek the software so that you can't get on the forum without some mention of geography, even if that is just the BASC region?

Not only is this undesireable, as others have said, but it's also completely unworkable.

Many people are (rightly) concerned about their privacy, and will deliberately enter false information[1] into such systems. Such pollution of the database renders it useless (huzzah!)

Vic.


[1] Were this to be introduced, I would claim to be either in Chicago or in Sheffield - and a check on the IP address I'm using would show that my posts came from one of those areas. But I'm not...

[garethwoodruff]

Hi Sam,

I'm an instructor with Stafford BSAC, have a chat with your instructors in your club, see what happens if you have no joy, send me a private message, we train quite a few of the students from Staffs Uni and might be able to help out if your struggling......

[Badders (Dave)]

Sam

I have sent you a Personal message.

Badders

[Andy Wade]

Not only is this undesireable, as others have said, but it's also completely unworkable.

Many people are (rightly) concerned about their privacy, and will deliberately enter false information[1] into such systems. Such pollution of the database renders it useless (huzzah!)

Vic.


[1] Were this to be introduced, I would claim to be either in Chicago or in Sheffield - and a check on the IP address I'm using would show that my posts came from one of those areas. But I'm not...

I think it should be made compulsory that everyone on here is called Nigel.
This would be really inconvenient for everyone else and Nigel wouldn't be too upset as he's called Nigel anyway, so it wouldn't actually be compulsory for him. Actually I'd rename him Nigel 1 because he's by far the best Nigel on here, and a very clever guy to boot.
There, I've said it. :cool:
H'actually my older brother is also called Nigel and strangely enough he's a pretty clever guy too. :eek: Spooky that.

And just to put the cat amongst the pigeons a bit more, anyone from Chicago or Sheffield should be banned as a matter of course. Chicago because that's where Al Capone was from and Sheffield because at least one of their football teams has a daft name. 'Wednesday for goodness sakes, what's that all about...?
(I do know the answer to that question - actually)

Gosh, I'm rambling today, must be time for a beer... :D

Look, someone on here has to be silly occasionally, and it's my turn, OK?

[Nick Argue]

I
Gosh, I'm rambling today, must be time for a beer... :D



Sounds like you've had a few already :D and as I'm originally from Sheffield I'll get my coat.

[Ron Evans]

I'm quite happy to leave it out Nigel, I have enough headaches of my own. If a user loses out because they don't provide info that might help, that is their lookout.

I have modified the block at the top of this forum to drop the hint.

Adrian

Good rapid reaction that I hope works.

Strange thing is I have a brother called Nigel as well....

Where are these coats kept again????

Ron

[Andy Wade]

I think it should be made compulsory that everyone on here is called Nigel.
This would be really inconvenient for everyone else and Nigel wouldn't be too upset as he's called Nigel anyway, so it wouldn't actually be compulsory for him. Actually I'd rename him Nigel 1 because he's by far the best Nigel on here, and a very clever guy to boot.
There, I've said it. :cool:
H'actually my older brother is also called Nigel and strangely enough he's a pretty clever guy too. :eek: Spooky that.

And just to put the cat amongst the pigeons a bit more, anyone from Chicago or Sheffield should be banned as a matter of course. Chicago because that's where Al Capone was from and Sheffield because at least one of their football teams has a daft name. 'Wednesday for goodness sakes, what's that all about...?
(I do know the answer to that question - actually)

Gosh, I'm rambling today, must be time for a beer... :D

Look, someone on here has to be silly occasionally, and it's my turn, OK?

Cat amongst the pigeons? :eek:
I didn't write that bit!
OK, which one of you sys admins has been meddling with my ramblings?
I'm shocked. :eek:

No-one apparently.
I'm puzzled. I just don't remember writing that. But the logs are clear so it must be me that's cracking up. No change there then.
I apologise for that. Unreservedly.

[Steve Grrr]

Many people are (rightly) concerned about their privacy, and will deliberately enter false information[1] into such systems. Such pollution of the database renders it useless (huzzah!)
We know a song about that (http://www.priva-c.com/includes/mp3/The_Privacy_Song.mp3).

Steve