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Much of what passes for “open water” training isn’t open-water training at all. It’s a repetition of pool training masquerading as open-water dives. The bottom line: It’s only an open-water training dive if you actually go diving. Anything else just creates certified non-divers.

A store owner recently asked me to watch one of his instructors conduct a weekend of open-water training dives. The instructor in question was a conscientious individual who followed standards and provided good control and supervision — but he was also relatively new to teaching. What he had not had the opportunity to learn through experience led to frustrations for both himself and his students.

The sad part is, there is information available that could have led to a more positive experience for everyone involved. Unfortunately, that information is not being covered in many instructor courses. That’s why we decided to make it available here.

This information comes from a variety of sources. Some of it is a result of having had the opportunity to work as both a dive boat captain and a resort dive instructor. Other information comes from sharing information with some of diving’s most experienced dive educators. All of it can not only help you teach better, but also help you get students to stay involved in diving on a more long-term basis.

Your Job Description

Your primary responsibility as a diving educator is to keep students safe and follow standards…right? If that’s all you do, you’ve failed. Find out why…

The Best Way to Learn to Dive Is…?

This one should be obvious. Unfortunately, it’s not. Once you discover its importance, however, it will change the way you teach. More…

You Can’t Have Fun if You Can’t See

Have you ever had students who go through class in a fog? The ability to see clearly is critical to both learning and enjoyment. Yet far too many instructors seem indifferent to their students’ unnecessary vision impairment. No wonder so many students get certified then never dive again! More…

Build Better Habits. Save the Reef. Save Lives.

Building better, safer dive habits means more than just getting students to not put their masks on their foreheads, or leave tanks standing upright. The critical habits you want students to develop involve issues such as gas management, buoyancy control, slow ascents and safety stops, and intelligent dive planning. More…

Limit Ascents and Descents

Would you knowingly teach students that it's okay to make bounce dives, follow sawtooth profiles or set themselves up for a lifetime of ear-related pain and misery? Guess what? It’s possible you already do. More…

How Many Students Can You Guide at One Time?

Fewer than you may think. This issue is not about what standards may allow. It’s about your students’ safety, learning and enjoyment. More…

Don’t Knock Your Local Dive Site

Instructors and stores that succeed understand the importance of promoting local diving. What you say to students about your local dive site may have more impact than you realize. More…

Better Gear, Better Divers

There’s a direct relationship between the quality of the equipment your students use, how well they learn and how much they enjoy diving. This is true of both your students’ personal equipment and the gear you supply or rent them. More…

Imagination, Adventure, Discovery, Fun

What makes a good open-water training dive? What makes a great one? We’ll give you a hint: These four words have a lot to do with it. More…

A copy of all of the articloes contained in this section is available for download in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). 25 Pages; 216k.

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DiveRetailing.com’s “TeachDifferent, Teach Better” Library