Posted by msblucow on July 09, 2001 at 15:44:35:
In Reply to: tell us about your GUE course Mike posted by CalAbDiver on July 09, 2001 at 13:53:01:
CalAbDiver wrote: "Most Joe and Sally Divers just want their OW1 certification so that they can go on their guided scuba vacation in the tropics. And their brains become task overloaded quickly in your basic PADI course. There is no way they would be ready for a GUE class. Horizontal descents and horizontal ascents because "all dives are deco dives" is out of the realm of Joe & Sally's abilities and would be for at least a year or more. They will be lucky if they can just manage to equalize their ears down to 20 fsw."
I agree that most folks are overwhelmed during their first experiences underwater. This is common and to be expected. Unfortunately, the way most classes are set up, a student doesn't get nearly enough pool time or one-on-one instruction to help them through this transitional period. It's not about making the courses "harder" or loading up students with more information, it's about spending enough time on skills (especially bouyancy control) and basic decompression theory to give students the confidence and knowledge to dive responsibly and within their limits. No one expects a new diver to be perfect, but as it stands now, training agencies are churning out divers who have too little confidence, knowledge and experience. As new divers, they are desperate to find someone of authority to show them the 'right' way to dive and they become dependent on the divemaster or more experienced divers for their safety. It's a bad habit that a lot of divers, especially ones who don't dive more than a few times a year, never grow out of.
I'm convinced that training agencies need to emphasise more pool time and drills before a student ever gets in to the open ocean for their check out dives. This would be a simple and effective way to help new divers be better, more self-reliant and confident.