Posted by Ken Kurtis on July 08, 2002 at 22:19:14:
John Moore wrote (further down): "Ken... though you didn't state it directly, the implication is that you don't beach dive in your basic OW class?!?! . . . Do you really certify people who've never made it through the surf??"
Yes . . . on all counts. Let me explain why and then open the floor up for discussion. (And please participate in the poll in the thread above this one.)
First of all, since when is beach diving the end-all-be-all measure of the competency of a diver? Now bear in mind, I'm NOT saying that beach diving doesn't teach you valuable skills. But since when did it become the Gold Standard?
As an instructor, I think I have two jobs. One is to teach people to dive safely. The second is to get them excited about this sport, so they'll CONTINUE to participate. I think beach diving works at a cross-purpose to that end.
I've yet to run into anyone who said, "The beach dive in my basic class was GREAT!!!! Much better than that crappy bvoat dive they made us do."
Don't forget that we have a limited amount of time (and even more so if you're involved in a "home study" or "quickie" course) to interact with our new divers. Relatively speaking . . . just about everyone's going to do boat dives once they're cettified but just about no one (relatively speaking) is a going to do beach dives.
I'd even offer this challenge to those of you who are avid beach divers: On a given day when you're diving, how many other divers are there at the beach? Of that number . . . how many are students in a class (basic or otherwise)?
Now I'm NOT saying that beach diving doesn't teach you valuable skills. But what I AM saying is that I don't think they're BASIC skills. I view them more as advanced training.
We already know, on that first dive of a certification class, that our students are a little anxious. We already know that there's some trepidation. So let's see . . . what can we do???? Here's a brillaint idea!!!!! Let's march them down to a high-anxiety situation . . . and let'smake it physically demanding . . . and see how many of them are willing to come back again.
We take already-anxious people and put them in an anxiety-producing situation. We swaddle them in too-tight (so they think) wetsuits, laden them with too heavy (so think) weights, strap on a enormous (so they think) tank, and then say . . . "Have fun - have a good time!!!" And we wonder why so many of them eventaully driop out? Am I the ONLY one who seems a logical disconnect here?
In short, we at Reef Seekers don't teach beach diving. I do cover it in my personal basic classes (as do our other instructors) and tell pepeople why it's a good thing - cheap, convenient, doesn't take a lot of time. And I add that if you're going to try this, you need to get additional training.
But I think the idea of teaching beach diving as a required part of the basic course is somewhat akin to teaching cave diving. Not a lot of our students are going to do it, (see poll above to see if I'm right), so are we shooting ourselves in the collective foot by requiring them to do something which stand a good chance of turning them off to the sport?
And the reality is that you CAN create safe and competent divers WITHOUT beach dives. If you don't believe that, then we'd better de-certify all the instructors in Kansas, Chicago, Denver, New York, and all the other places where beach diving is simply NOT an option.
Okay, floor's open to both instructors and non-instructors. If you're NOT an instructor, what was your basic class beach diving experience like? If you're an instructor, why do you still teach beach diving . . . or . . .why do you not?
Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, CA