Questions to ask to help you chose the right Scuba instructor for you.
Cozmo Neiger Apr 26, 2023
Choosing a scuba instructor will be your single most important decision for success and safety in your scuba journey. It does not mater which agency the instructor teaches through and evaluating your instructor before signing up is crucial. The following are some questions you should ask a potential instructor before starting a class.
What kind of diving do you do outside of teaching?
You want to make sure the instructor is an active diver and working on their skills regularly and also a role model for the kind of diving you want to do.
What is their dive history?
It is always good to know where someone came from. What was their path and what environments they have been diving in. How long have they been diving and how many dives have they done? How long have they been teaching? The more you know will give you a better understanding of them as a diver.
How many students are in each class?
Depending on the instructor and sometimes the agency, the number of students enrolled in a class will vary. It is important to know this in advance. Lower priced courses will generally have more students per class. The more students the less one-on-one time you will have and the longer you will have to wait for your turn. Generally a class with 4 or less is a good place to start.
What can you expect over the course timeline?
Find out how much in-water time you will get versus how much time will be spent in the classroom doing theory. Is there a online portion in that needs to be done in advance? What is the start time and duration of each day. Will there be consecutive days? Essentially, what are the time commitments?
What equipment do you need?
Regardless if you want to rent or buy gear for the course you will need to know what gear is expected. Do you need rental gear during the class? Are you familiar with the equipment? Are there any resources available to help you prepare? The more you know in advance the smoother the class will go. (required Beginner Equipment)
What will you get out of the course?
When you have completed the course what will you be able to do? What skills will you be taught and what gasses or depth limits will you have? What happens if you do not pass?
Ask about a coaching day or to audit a class.
A great way to get the feel for someone’s diving is to actually go diving with them. One way to get a feel for an instructor is to watch them teach. See if you can schedule a coaching day in advance of a class to work on skills that you need to brush up on (if you are already certified). Be aware that there may be a fee for this. If you are not a diver yet, see if you can watch them teach part of a class to give you an idea of their teaching style.
How does the instructor look in the water?
If you get to dive with them, evaluate what they look like underwater; are they neutrally buoyant and relaxed? A good instructor is in complete control of their body position in the water at all times.
