Training A Partner to Dive

Not sure if it would be a good idea anyway, but under BSAC instructor guidelines, should I be able to train my partner?

I guess that I am thinking of the possibility of being biased, and the chance that I may be lenient or more critical during skill assessments.

Interested to know if anyone has been in this position.

:-)

On a more practical basis, do you really want the grief???

When we first trained to dive I asked politely, and ended up virtually demanding that my wife and I should train together. Answering to the original DO from hell, the answer was always a resounding and not always polite "no". Since we are now both Instructors in our own right and perhaps have a little more insight into what diving is about, our answer, whenever the question comes up, is that under all normal circumstances, partners should always train separately, even if they anticipate nearly always diving tyogether.

Think of learning to drive, or rather teaching your partner to drive, and all the anecdotes, mostly true, about the problems thus caused, both as trainee driver, and within the parnership. It is always "better", read less stressful. read more inspirational, read faster or more efficient learning curve, if parnerships and instruction are kept separate.

Yes, you could undoubtedly do a first class job in Instructing your partner to dive, but, IMHO, your partner will learn more, and learn more, more quickly, and probably become a more rounded diver if you leave the training up to another trusted Instructor within your Club. Ask yourself the question if you yourself would be happy or recommend training a pair of divers in a relationship.

Just my 2p's worth

Neil Carter

DO

ISIS Divers

Not sure if it would be a good idea anyway, but under BSAC instructor guidelines, should I be able to train my partner?

I guess that I am thinking of the possibility of being biased, and the chance that I may be lenient or more critical during skill assessments.

Interested to know if anyone has been in this position.

:-)

Both myself and my wife learned to dive together in a BSAC branch. Neither of us had any problem with that, and neither did our branch.

I've gone on to become an NQI and Dive Leader, my wife's almost done all of her Dive Leader and is an Assistant Instructor. I could finish off her Dive Leader training, but won't. I think that somebody else doing it would be more objective and I wouldn't leave myself open to any critism of favoritism. I think the very occassional lesson is fine (especially if others in the class), but I personally think that it would be better if the bulk of the training was done by another instructor.


Bill

:=Not sure if it would be a good idea anyway, but under BSAC instructor guidelines, should I be able to train my partner?

Can anyone clarify the answer to the original question in respect of BSAC instructor guidelines?

What are the BSAC rules regarding the training and signing off (in QRB's) of close relations ie Wife, Son, Daughter.

David

:=:=Not sure if it would be a good idea anyway, but under BSAC instructor guidelines, should I be able to train my partner?

Can anyone clarify the answer to the original question in respect of BSAC instructor guidelines?

What are the BSAC rules regarding the training and signing off (in QRB's) of close relations ie Wife, Son, Daughter.

I don't know of any rules about this.
However, it is an ethical minefield as has been stated by several people already.
Perhaps in the average branch this doesn't really occur anyway, as the person teaching would be different from the person examining (or should be as it creates a quality control for the instructors) and the DO would be in overall control of checking that divers complete the exams correctly.
If someone teaches, examines and signs the same qualification book too, they are asking for trouble. IMO there should be as much input from as many instructors as possible for a diver to have a 'well rounded' education in diving.
There's nothing wrong with doing some of it, just not all of it.




.

Thanks for the replies, but I don't think the question has been answered...

I am a qualified Advanced Diver and ACI.

My wife is currently a sports diver with majority of Dive Leader completed. Can I instruct her?

My wife is a Dr and would not be allowed to treat me on ethical grounds and teachers and students (over 16) in education are discouraged from relationships.

What is the situation in diving?

Mike

Thanks for the replies, but I don't think the question has been answered...

I am a qualified Advanced Diver and ACI.

My wife is currently a sports diver with majority of Dive Leader completed. Can I instruct her?

My wife is a Dr and would not be allowed to treat me on ethical grounds and teachers and students (over 16) in education are discouraged from relationships.

What is the situation in diving?

But aren't you an ACI? If so you 'should' be teaching under supervision of an NQI anyway. You can't sign her QRB up for anything without an appropriate NQI number. And you can't sign her qualifications unless you're the DO.
I'd chat about it with your DO and training team, I see no problem with you doing 'some' of her training, but that's all.
If you're helping with the training in your branch it would just be a trade off, as your partner gets trained by someone else whilst you are helping with the training of other people.



.

I agree with the message and off-line replies that I have received, that whilst it is OK for me to complete lectures (which would normally be to a group anyway and not 1-2-1) and to assist on dives under supervision (underwater?), the important thing is for any assessments to be completed by an independent assessor.

This should apply to anyone under instruction regardless of any romantic involvement that the teacher should not be the examiner unless there is no other option and in this circumstance another diver (preferably an advanced diver) should oversee the skill demonstrations.

Thanks again for the replies.

Mike

I think that this idea of an independent assessor is a bit of a red herring. When you dive with a club most people are friends anyway (well most!). So having another instructor assess is not really adding any checks; who is to say they wouldn't be less independent that the instructor.

It really comes down to the integrety of the instructors. Either the instructor is honest enough to asses or they are not. If not they should not be an instructor. Quality control is surely from the D.O. who signs off the qualification.

On the other hand I think it's not a bad idea to have a different assessor for practical assessments, as they make them more stressful for the assessed - more realistic or maybe I am just sadistic!

Tim