CCR Myth #21

lizardland said:
The gurus did their best to wipe out informal mentoring so they could line their pockets and protect their arses in court. Now instructors are moaning that others won't pass the knowledge on for free.

So you build the pyramid scheme then complain it's been too successful. The reach-around-merry-go-round just turned another circle.
Click to expand...

In addition to this, mentoring can put you in a position that you don't want to be in when a diver is making a mess of their unit or how they are going about doing something after you gave them the info/advice they were looking for. Especially so when that person does not listen to your advice and just ploughs ahead in the direction they were already going in beforehand as they did not want to hear the advice they got from you.

Cathal
 
diverklondike said:
Randy,

My take is that an instructor is insane if they don't take the time to do this since it's a "best practice" to build and grow a business... To this day I still dive with my original CCR instructor who certified me over 13 years ago. Through him I met many divers that I still dive with today.

Mike... I would suggest that an instructor that "continues to invest" in their students gets is back 10 fold in referrals and other business...

Dive Safe!

M
Click to expand...

Hi Mark,

May I ask what instructor are you talking about. Your right about an instructor that continues to invest.

Best regards,
Chett
 
Great thread about Mentoring, Randy!

The way I see it, a true Mentor is someone who cares about the other person, regardless of whether or not they made any money off of them as an Instructor. We ALL have a duty to Mentor the new divers in our sport, and even EACH OTHER from time to time.

Perfect example was when Randy, Pawel and I were diving in the Caymans. Me and Pawel had Mix in our rigs, and were at something like 180 or so. We wanted to descend deeper. We suddenly heard Randy going "ooohh! OOOH!" through his mouthpiece. He was looking at me and moving his finger indicating to me that I wasn't to go any deeper... lol... Randy knew that it had been a while since I was deep, and wasn't about to let me kill myself on his watch...

Now, most guys with my experience and "reputation" (whatever that is) would be pissed - but I was actually kinda happy. Randy cared about me, and it didn't matter to him who I was (or how cool I may have thought I was), and so sheepishly, I ascended and joined him for the balance of our dive. My point being that "acceptance" of Mentoring by others - even when you are somewhat of a "guru" yourself is not a sign of weakness, it is actually a sign of strength and acceptance that you are part of a collective - a group of people who participate in a dangerous sport (and make no mistake, this sport IS dangerous on so many levels), and who look out for each other when they can.

That is why, as a Manufacturer, it really pains me to see the massive Ego's that some people have in this industry. We all know them - guys who Do No Wrong. Instructors who are the Smartest People Alive, etc. If you accept that we are, all of us, Eternal Students of this sport, then you can let go of the ego long enough to accept the advice of others, or give your own advice freely and without a sense of superiority.

There are lots of folks on this forum who started diving way after I did, but I still enjoy learning from them. And I hope that I keep learning long enough that Randy lets me break 200 again... :hehehm:

Kevin Juergensen
Juergensen Marine, Inc.
 
cathal said:
In addition to this, mentoring can put you in a position that you don't want to be in when a diver is making a mess of their unit or how they are going about doing something after you gave them the info/advice they were looking for. Especially so when that person does not listen to your advice and just ploughs ahead in the direction they were already going in beforehand as they did not want to hear the advice they got from you.

Cathal
Click to expand...

It's a fine line between mentor and instructor. Thinking back to my own experience, instructors gave me the "what" and the "why", it was the people I was diving with that showed me the "how". Instructors teach you everything you need to know, mentors teach you not to be a smart arse.

It's like learning to drive, you learn via an instructor but it's sitting in the seat next to a shaven headed 19 year old in a Vauxhall Nova with a 2 litre engine shoe-horned into it that really teaches you how to drive.

Er... ok... that was maybe not the best example :D
 
cferrar said:
Interestingly I have found that the divers that I have trained and continue to mentor are the ones that have continued diving. Those who went on to do their own thing after class and have had no interest in diving with an instructor have not stuck with diving. I'm always willing to dive with anyone and help them improve even if they are never my student.

As far as mentors for me particularly in the types of diving I do not currently teach, CCR and cave, I have found 3 great mentors. I enjoy diving with them and they are not afraid to tell me when I do something stupid or if they just have a better way. None of them are instructors but they have a huge amount of experience. And no Garth is not one of them, he is a former student that has continued to dive with me, although he doesn't listen very well. ;-)
Click to expand...

CCR Myth #35
Myth #35 - Garth doesn't listen well.

In reality Garth listens really well however requires a considerable amount of evidence, research, and data to acknowledge and/or support the cockamamie ideas of his dive buddy.

Cheers,
Garth


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The NSS-CDS has started a mentor program but it's too early to say how it's working out. The mentors have to be sighed off by the NSS-CDS and you don't have to be an instructor to participate. Say you have a new cave you want to dive and would like to go with somebody that knows the system. Just go to the NSS-CDS web site and the mentors are listed.
Now I know this is for cave diving but I see no reason why it couldn't be worked into deep or wreck diving. I know different parts of the world dive different. For example in South Florida to dive the wrecks close to the Gulf Stream most often you have to "Hot Drop" with no attachment to the wreck. This is one case if you are a visitor or first time doing this to have somebody that familiar with the protocol. Now I know nothin about this Jersey Reel method for the Northern waters so I will need a mentor if I make it up North.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Then go to myth 21A: search for an instructor who is not only teaching, but makes dives for fun too over his teaching level.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top