On Saturday, June 21, 2003 4:58 PM, Jeff Kell wrote - in response to Brad's
post:

> Brad wrote:
>  > I almost didn't write this letter because I thought it would bore all
>  > you divers of exotic places - you lucky bastards! <G> ...But I'm
>  > writing it anyway, because there is a strange thing happening, which
>  > I suspect has a lot to do with the quality of SCUBA instruction, and
>  > maybe that will interest some of you.

(snip)

> This is in no way meant to offend any instructors/DMs/SOBs on the list
> as I know there are meny dedicated ones here, some of whom I owe
> personal thanks for their advice, company, or SOB'ing.  Just a reality
> check on the expectations we have of newbies (or even oldies in a new
> environment, it works both ways; was the drysuit incident a hot-shot
> diver who had never been in a drysuit before?).

G'Day, Jeff!  It seems to me that you've hit the nail on the head when you
talk about expectations coupled with new environments.  Attitude is the
lynch-pin that holds every other aspect of diving together, and all too
often it's easy to forget that all of us were once novices who - despite our
own opinions of our initial abilities - made the same mistakes and errors of
judgement that divers continue to make today.  :-)

That there are comparatively few incidents when compared with the increased
numbers of people now diving has to say something for the overall quality of
training being delivered.  That's not to suggest that there isn't room for
improvement, or that incidents during training should be accepted as
something that's inevitable.

All too often any incident - regardless of the level of training or
experience - has its genesis in the attitude of the individual.  Teaching
anybody the rudimentary techniques of diving is relatively easy.  Convincing
them of the need for the right attitude towards it is a different kettle of
kippers entirely!  In that regard teaching the appropriate level of
apprehension is well nigh impossible to do - and the reason that, all too
often, incidents occur during training.  (That applies as much to the
instructor as it does to the person receiving training!)  :-)

All too often 'experience' over-rules common-sense when it comes to training
for a new environment.  It's usually then, when people forget that the right
level of apprehension is an essential element in all dives, that 'attitude'
takes a wrong turn.  :-))

Strike