Like many people, I like to waste my non-diving time by going on various scuba on-line forums and reading scuba diving blogs. As I try to evolve as a scuba diving instructor, I like to read about what other instructors are doing. You never know, someone may have some good ideas about how to run specific drills or how to handle students in a particular way. When I read through a lot of this, much of what people advertise about their classes is that they go above and beyond what the training agency standards say. Heck, I’ve even said this about my own classes and I’m sure it’s written somewhere on my web site. As I’ve grown as an instructor, one thing has become obviously clear, going above the training standards just isn’t enough. [Read more...]
Going Above the Standards: The Fallacy
Suicide by Scuba
I recently got back from a scuba diving vacation. While I was there, I was waiting to sign up for some charters at the resort we were staying. One of the lines was for people to sign up for courses while they were on vacation. As I was patiently waiting, I overheard one of the instructors talking to a non-diving customer about signing up for an open water class. If you have been a reader of mine, you’d know that I’m not a big fan of these resort “courses”, but what I overheard scared the tar balls out of me. [Read more...]





