The Freedom Of Choice

By Erika-Leigh Haley

"The Freedom of Choice." Never before have those words rung so true as they do in the world today, and never before have people had so many options. The type of cars we drive, the make of computers we buy, the model of cellular phone we use, even when it comes to long distance providers for our hard line telephones we have a choice. In today's world diver training is no exception, whether a person is looking for a basic open water course or advanced technical training they are faced with so many options it can be overwhelming and sometimes down right confusing.

When shopping for a scuba course regardless of whether it's a beginner's course or an advanced mixed gas course a person should be prepared to do just that: shop around. In today's world where time equals money, many people would argue that they just don't have the time, however there are a few guidelines that a person can use when choosing a diving instructor that not only saves time but also ensures that the choice they finally make is the right one.

The first and most obvious is the need to establish what, exactly, it is you are looking for. This can be done by reading a few diving magazines and calling around to a few of your local dive stores. Once that is done, now comes the hard part, actually deciding where and more importantly with whom you are going to take your training.

Some people's advice would be to pick a "training agency" and get an instructor who teaches that program. The truth is it's just not that easy, there are in excess of 20 training agencies around the world today and all of them are good. Some may be bigger, some may have been around longer, some may even specialize in the type of training you are looking for, but the fact is training agencies don't train divers, instructors do and while all training agency are good, and regardless of age, size or reputation, just like any education system, they all have good instructors and they all have bad instructors. The task that you have is to find the best instructor suited for the type of training you wish to take.

There are two places to start looking. The first is obviously the dive stores and while most dive stores offer diving instruction again, it is not the store that does the training it's the instructor. A second, less obvious way to find a good instructor is to ask around. Ask friends, co-workers and family members who may be scuba divers. Then find out what programs they took, who was their instructor, where they took their training and were they happy with the service.

Once you find an instructor who may have possibilities be prepared to interview them just as you would if you were hiring anyone for any service. While you may be out of line asking for a full resume, there are a few basic questions that you should ask.

First you should check to see that the instructor can actually teach the program you are requesting. All instructors should be able to provide you with a c-card that proves that they are able to teach to the level that you wish to be trained. Don't worry about offending them, most instructors are very proud of their achievements and have no problem showing them to all who ask. If they don't or can't show you their c-card, start to worry.

Most, but not all, instructor c-cards will also contain an expiration date, if they do not they will certainly contain the name of the training agency who issued the card, feel free to contact the training agency directly, they most likely won't give you any personal information or even a reference for the instructor you are calling about but they should be able to tell you if the instructor's teaching certificates are in good standing, and whether or not they are able to train you in the program you wish to take.

Another question to ask the instructor is what type of experience they have, don't settle for an answer like "X number of years" just because someone has been teaching "forever" doesn't mean they are any good at it. There are also a number of relatively new instructors who may be very good. So while general information like the number of years they have been diving, and the number of years they have been teaching is valuable information, get specific. How long have they been teaching the specific program you are taking, how many dives have they done in the past year, and how many programs have they taught in the past year.

Another thing to do is ask for references. Just like you would from any person you were hiring to do a job, they should be able to provide you with the names and contact information of some of their past students for you to contact, this may not be something that they can provide right away as they may need to check with the person first, but within a week or so they should be able to provide you with this information.

There is also the question of price, and that unfortunately seems to dictate everything these days. The saying "you get what you pay for" is valid in the diving industry like anywhere else, you need to decide whether it just might be worth paying a few extra dollars. A diving instructor is a professional and has the right to charge a fee for his or her services. Things to find out about the program before you sign up are; what does the course entail, how many hours of lectures, how many dives, what additional costs, additional equipment requirements, rental costs, books, and charter fees.

Be wary of any diving program where you don't actually go diving (unless of course it makes sense, like for example equipment maintenance or first aid course). It should seem odd to you that an instructor could teach you how to do something underwater without ever going there, or certify you to do something underwater without ever seeing you do it.

Once you've gone through all of that and you finally find the best instructor, good luck with your training and have fun, but remember, even with the best instructor possible you will only get out of the program what you put into it.