One of the best benefits I get from teaching scuba diving classes, is that I get to go diving. I’ve never understood why many instructors (and dive store owners) choose not to dive or just barely get in the water when required. I’m in the process of putting together one of my buoyancy courses for this summer and I’ve been looking over the standards. As I read through, I noticed that there are references to indirect supervision. I’ve never been a fan of this practice and let me tell you why. [Read more...]

I can still remember it like it was yesterday. My friend Roy’s first words to me were “This sucker could take your head off” as he held up his Rambo dive knife. I met Roy when he took his Advanced Open Water course. He had a quirky sense of humor. Probably why we hit it off right away. Roy loved diving. He continued his diving education and eventually became a scuba instructor. That was when his life took a turn for the worse. [Read more...]

I field a lot of questions from people who want to become certified scuba divers. Many of the questions they have are in regards to the structure of the class. Many of the people I have talked to feel frustrated by the dive stores and instructors who simply copy and paste the course outline from PADI’s web site onto their own. So for those of you who are thinking about becoming a certified diver, let me describe for you what a good open water course consists of. [Read more...]

I spend a lot of time discussing instructors and discussing what (and how) certain skills are taught. In the past, I’ve made comments about the fact that it was my observation that most instructors teach the mask removal and replacement or air share’s while the students are sitting or kneeling on a platform or sandy bottom. I was surprised at the firestorm that comment generated and the number of emails I received defending this practice. [Read more...]