View Full Version : Best time to start instructor training
Following from the Scotsac Branch Instructor Course (http://www.congeralley.com/forum/showthread.php?t=968) thread. Dive Tramp made a good point about the rules being too strict that it will endanger smallwe clubs with few instructors. When do you feel is the right time for someone to start looking at becoming in instructor?
Should there be a certian number of dives?
Should these be a mix of types of diving and depth (i.e. someone with 100 dives in sheltered water in less than 18m might not be suitable)
Should it be up to your instructors/peers to say when you are ready based on your skills and competance?
Lizardland
26-09-07, 12:44
Should these be a mix of types of diving and depth (i.e. someone with 100 dives in sheltered water in less than 18m might not be suitable)
Should it be up to your instructors/peers to say when you are ready based on your skills and competance?
That's how it works in my club. Grades are only given out at quarterly meetings after a vote, logbooks have to be submitted and the applicant has to answer any questions from any member at the meeting. That's after the various in water and paper tests. Last meeting I was at we there were two applicants, both
Cheers,
Stuart
Thanks guys, confirmed my reasons for not joining a club!
Membership by committee, Grade award by committee, Decisions by committee.. No thanks!
Thanks guys, confirmed my reasons for not joining a club!
Membership by committee, Grade award by committee, Decisions by committee.. No thanks!
Agreed, diving is about diving - who cares about badges unless your diving pays a wage?
Dive Tramp
26-09-07, 14:58
Thanks guys, confirmed my reasons for not joining a club!
Membership by committee, Grade award by committee, Decisions by committee.. No thanks!
Oh, there seems to be a difference in the way Qualifications are achieved between SSAC and BSAC. In BSAC (my club , Cupar anyway), you attend the lecture series, sit and pass the exams, do the practical elements of your grade, get them signed off, (when they are of acceptable standard), fulfil the Nationally Accepted dive types, depths, etc, present your Dive log to the DO and he/she'll stamp your book for your new qualification and you've achieved your next grade! No committee! Committees are there to manage the day to day running of the club, not to sit in judgement over a divers suitability, many of whose members will probably not have dived with said candidate. If the governing bodies requirements have been met, there can be no question of the diver's abilities!:rolleyes:
I don't know which club he's in but Lizardland's comments don't refer to the ScotSAC system. Sounds from Dive Tramp's post that the ScotSAC & BSAC systems are quite similar. Certainly is no "committee" involved in accrediting Branch Instructors in ScotSAC. :cool:
That's how it works in my club. Grades are only given out at quarterly meetings after a vote, logbooks have to be submitted and the applicant has to answer any questions from any member at the meeting. That's after the various in water and paper tests. Last meeting I was at we there were two applicants, both
Cheers,
Stuart
Ah but is your club SSAC, BSAC or CDG?
Dive Tramp
26-09-07, 16:12
Mmm, confusion creeping in methinks. This thread was supposed to be asking " Who should decide when someone is "ready" to instruct?". It's been hijacked slightly off track by talking about how folk got their Diving qual's and the various rigmaroles they've been put thro to get them(Mmm, seems to be an uneven road here!). I know PerthScotSAC had/has the same system of trainee divers having to be accreditted by the committee even after doing all the drills etc(personal experience).
On the true subject of when are we ready to be put forward to be instructors,... in BSAC we can take the Two-day Instructor Foundation Course as soon as we wish to, after attaining Sport Diver grade, (rem, this is the second grade in diving, after Ocean Diver (who can dive to 20m with other OD's when being supervised from shore by a Dive Manager), we do not require the prior consent of the DO or RI or committee! From a successful IFC we are able to instruct theory, pool work, and openwater work under the supervision of any Nationally Qualified Instructor (These are Instructors who have been examined first for their Theory lesson delivery and knowledge ,taken part in an Open Water Instructors Course, then their Open water Practical lessons methods are examined). You can at any time, and for as long as you like, remain at any of the instructor levels you feel content with.
Hope this clarifies things re; the original question.
I do not think it should be up to a comitte to decide who is an instructor but i also think that in most cases a Sports diver is far too soon to start instructing.. most sports are still learning them selves.. i know some divers who would be very good instructors who have less than 50 dives.. i also know some with 100s of dives that i would never let be an instructor.. unfortunatly some are. the instructor assesment should be what decides. but i think there should be a minimum number of dives.. eg 50 dives in the last 3 years.. maybe even more although i know that some small clubs would suffer it would improve the instructor pool..
Lizardland
26-09-07, 20:08
I don't know which club he's in but Lizardland's comments don't refer to the ScotSAC system. Sounds from Dive Tramp's post that the ScotSAC & BSAC systems are quite similar. Certainly is no "committee" involved in accrediting Branch Instructors in ScotSAC. :cool:
Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning it, I don't even agree with it. There are situations where I'm voting on people I've never met purely because I'm a voting member. There are situations where divers who would be an asset to the club are turned down because some old fart doesn't agree with them. I agree with some sort of peer review but I do think the current structure is too stuffy, too out of date.
On the other hand, once you reach "Qualified Diver" status then the club has no say on what you do. You don't have to get approval of your DO for anything, you can use whatever gas or kit you want, you can dive solo (it's even encouraged) and do whatever depth you feel like.You can train other divers (but not qualify them), you can do just about anything you want. It might seem a bit liberal but in the last fifteen years there has been something like two accidents on a national level.
Nope it's not SSAC. Admittedly it is a fairly "specialist" club but it's still essentially a dive club.
Cheers,
Stuart
Best time to start is when you've had enough experiance to pass on to others, having dived with you, I'd say go for it.