17 replies to this topic

[CowboyDiver]

I wanted to see if others would be interested in having SCUBA diving classes, such as AOW, Rescue, Specialties, and Dive Master Classes offered during trips?

[WreckWench]

Hey Cowboydiver....great question and one that has been coming up recently.

We ALWAYS try to have an instructor on all our trips. They usually offer nitrox, AOW, boat, photography, night specialies and sometimes sea signs and other specialites.

I think that a trip designed to give single and buddyless divers a chance to mix and mingle with others in 'the same proverbial boat' would not be as conducive to certs that are far more time intensive like rescue, dm or instructor. (And trust me on our trips you barely have time to stop laughing so hard let alone do lots of cert work!)

However I've often wondered if people would be interested in having a trip that is DESIGNED to combine training and diving in a warm water destination. In our early days we often talked amongst the diving pros of offering trips around specialty training such as rebreather introductions or intro to tech diving etc.

I wonder if people are ready to have a trip set up where they get to dive great warm water and they do their rescue or their dm or even their instructor training? While not everyone on the trip would be in training...the primary focus COULD be training so that we could properly compensate the instructor so that they could still give the students a good deal but they weren't doing a ton of work for only one student or worse yet...working their entire dive vacation.

So what do you all think? Would you be interested in doing the professional side of diving in blue water someplace tropical with other SD members who have the same goal/objective???

[scubafanatic]

....hmm, I think it's an interesting concept......to offer something like intro-to-rebreathers or intro-to-tech and let that be a primary trip focus......I'm a little concerned that it might be hard to adequately fill a truely hard core tech cert, due to the extensive time / $ commitment, but I see more potential for assembling a group focusing on a middle-ground experience/certification at least.....I'd love to do a 'starter' tech experience/class at some of the dive locations I've been where I've seen some gorgeous walls plunging into the abyss and have always wanted to explore those beyond recreational depths.

Karl

[diverb0b]

Would love to teach on trips if I ever get the time to get away from my busy schedule

Edited by diverb0b, 05 April 2008 - 07:20 PM.

[WreckWench]

Are there any divers that would like to do more serious training on trips?

[SeaSeeker]

I think I need to get a lot more diving done to gain more experience. And I do want to do more training. I'm going to do the EAN course locally since it requires to water time (only cold water locally) For other training, I will be looking for it on trips. At some point, I will be very interested in doing the rescue training on a trip.

[NJBerserker]

Although I'd probably be up for a class or two on a trip. I doubt I would be up for any "serious" training during a warm water trip. Most of my diving is going to be local to my area. Thus, I would prefer all of my advanced (technical/dm) training be done here as the academic and diving aspects would be taylored to or in where I will spend most of my diving. For training of that level I find that very important. Although I wouldn't be opposed to doing some of my DM internship on a trip like that as where I live there are no guided tours or whatnot from DM's. It would be cool to learn that angle.

[WreckWench]

I think I need to get a lot more diving done to gain more experience. And I do want to do more training. I'm going to do the EAN course locally since it requires to water time (only cold water locally) For other training, I will be looking for it on trips. At some point, I will be very interested in doing the rescue training on a trip.

Thank you...this is EXACTLY the kind of feedback we are looking for!

[WreckWench]

Although I'd probably be up for a class or two on a trip. I doubt I would be up for any "serious" training during a warm water trip. Most of my diving is going to be local to my area. Thus, I would prefer all of my advanced (technical/dm) training be done here as the academic and diving aspects would be taylored to or in where I will spend most of my diving. For training of that level I find that very important. Although I wouldn't be opposed to doing some of my DM internship on a trip like that as where I live there are no guided tours or whatnot from DM's. It would be cool to learn that angle.

Sometimes learning the necessary skills with one element of difficulty removed (in this case cold water) allows you to perfect those skills in warm water and then practice them in cold. I can see the merit of both methods but knowing if there is a need/demand to do something different...get groups of divers together that want to do more serious training on a trip which then becomes the focus of the trip is valuable and perhaps something SingleDivers.com can offer people.

[Latitude Adjustment]

I should probably take rescue again and someplace warm this time would be nice, the last time was during my initial certification when rescue used to be part of the course and we did it in an iced over Pa. quarry. Brrr........

[finGrabber]

I wouldn't want to do the academic work on the trip but doing the dives for a cert is great!

I did most of my dives for Adv Nitrox/Deco Procedures on the 2 NC trips last year and I got to practice some techniques on the Grenada trip too. I'm hoping to get in some technical dives in Bonaire too

[ScubaDadMiami]

We have had successful SD trips with training (including tech training) before. Personally, I think it is a great idea because the best way to quickly gain proficiency with new skills is to reinforce them with the kind of constant practice that occurs on these trips. This is especially so when contrasted with a once per week kind of dive excursion that often occurs in many training courses. Depending on the course, some elements could occur before departure in order to allow the maximum time to be spent diving and having fun.

For example, I could conduct a rebreather certification course, conducting classroom sessions and confined water sessions before the formal start of a trip (such as the upcoming Tortugas live aboard trip). Then, we can board the boat and spend a lot of time diving and getting comfortable with the new equipment. There would be rapid progress by diving a lot within a short period of time, reinforcing newly acquired skills.

I like the idea.

[WreckWench]

We have had successful SD trips with training (including tech training) before. Personally, I think it is a great idea because the best way to quickly gain proficiency with new skills is to reinforce them with the kind of constant practice that occurs on these trips. This is especially so when contrasted with a once per week kind of dive excursion that often occurs in many training courses. Depending on the course, some elements could occur before departure in order to allow the maximum time to be spent diving and having fun.

For example, I could conduct a rebreather certification course, conducting classroom sessions and confined water sessions before the formal start of a trip (such as the upcoming Tortugas live aboard trip). Then, we can board the boat and spend a lot of time diving and getting comfortable with the new equipment. There would be rapid progress by diving a lot within a short period of time, reinforcing newly acquired skills.

I like the idea.

This is in fact a great idea and right up the alley we had a couple of years ago! I think the concept is still valid and hopefully others agree too.

I also think we are amassing a great group of like minded instructors which is certainly needed and some tremendous skill talent.

If we get enoght members on a trip that ONLY want training then we should/would only have training going on. If we have approx 25% or more (or whatever the instructor needs to make it worth their while) then we could combine it with a regular SD trip which would accomplish several things...

1. Students would be focused on training but could participate in regular SD activities when not in training
2. If the trip were not all students we would still have economy of scale by combining the two sub groups together.
3. Members NOT in the class may develop a desire to take the class by seeing what it entails and seeing others take the course. While they would not participate they would naturally ask questions and may decide they want that knowledge as well.
4. This might be a great way to entice fabulous instructors such as SDM to join our excursions!

[georoc01]

I'd like to see a trip devoted to marine life. Courses like Underwater Naturalist and Fish Id would be perfect in a warm water destination. I've seen programs at places like the Utila Dive College that combine the more biology type courses into a single week, including a whale shark specialty down there.

They also just offered a shark specialty class here, but you still need to get signed off on two shark dives in order to complete it.

Courses that take advantage of being in a tropical enviroment. The other classes like Nitrox and Rescue I can do here. These others are a challenge.

Edited by georoc01, 06 April 2008 - 03:17 PM.

[SeaSeeker]

I wouldn't want to do the academic work on the trip but doing the dives for a cert is great!

I did most of my dives for Adv Nitrox/Deco Procedures on the 2 NC trips last year and I got to practice some techniques on the Grenada trip too. I'm hoping to get in some technical dives in Bonaire too

I agree, finGrabber, I'd like to keep the book-worming at home and focus on the diving on the trips.