Is Your Intructor the Best Diver Alive?

[Vercingetorix]

During a recent discussion with an instructor (to remain nameless) on a dive boat, she mentioned that a key quality among instructors is that they must believe in their heart-of-hearts that they are the BEST diver on the planet. Not one of the top 10 divers. Not in the Top 3. Nope...the BEST diver alive. Only by exuding this confidence, will their students have absolute faith to keep them alive in the hostile environment that is underwater. The student views the instructor as some god-like figure imbued with papal infallitability.

DM's, on the other hand, are viewed by the students as "one of us" and a regular guy. If a student has a question, they'll go to the DM before approaching the instructor.

What has been your experience as a student, DM, or instructor?

This not an invitation to say things like "My instructor was the most egotistical SOB on the planet." Rather, did your instructor exude that kind of confidence? As a USAF officer, I saw this attitude in our fighter pilots; they had to believe they were the best of the best and that NOBODY flew a hotter stick than they did. If a pilot believed he was less than the best, he was useless.

[Defman]

My instructors from ST (Woody L & Steve K) did a good job and I felt like they were knowledgeable without being arrogant. I really felt like they did exactly what they were supposed to do.. teach me how to properly deal with problems that arise while diving.

[CrzyJay456]

Originally Posted by Defman

My instructors from ST (Woody L & Steve K) did a good job and I felt like they were knowledgeable without being arrogant. I really felt like they did exactly what they were supposed to do.. teach me how to properly deal with problems that arise while diving.

knowledge without being arrogant is good. thats how my instructor was. and not too young, takes time to gain knowledge

[somewhereinla]

I think thinking you are the best is a very dangerous thing, because you tend to stop questioning yourself and stop refelecting on how to improve what you do. To me, experience is not how much time you spend doing something it is how much time you have spent reflecting in how you can do it better.

I would rather dive with someone that show me he or her is the best rather than diving with someone that tell me he/she is the best.

[PlatypusMan]

Originally Posted by Vercingetorix

...The student views the instructor as some god-like figure imbued with papal infallitability.

DM's, on the other hand, are viewed by the students as "one of us" and a regular guy. If a student has a question, they'll go to the DM before approaching the instructor.

What has been your experience as a student, DM, or instructor?

You pretty much nailed it with your 'one of us' comment above.

I suspect that it's a mindset of not wanting to 'bother' the instructor with what may be considered an inconvenient or potentially dumb question concerning the dive class or skills to be learned. It was always easier to talk to a perceived peer than the teacher in school, after all--we didn't want to appear silly or foolish then, either.

[subsur]

this altitude is very scary to me. i would not even come close to people who think they are the best in whatever without showing some credentials for that. and by credentials, i mean proof of world recognition. people who claim they are the best can do a lot of damage.

[ScubaToys Larry]

Originally Posted by Defman

My instructors from ST (Woody L & Steve K)

Well if you had Woody - you definitely didn't have the best diver in the world!

When I'm teaching instructor classes, I point out that we are just teaching basic open water students most the time. I don't care if they are the "best diver" I care that they strive to be the "best instructor". Big difference!

There are guys with great skills, but cannot relate to students having problems, can't explain things so they will grasp the concept. It does those students no good whatsoever that the guy is a great diver... they'd be better served with a great instructor.

And I'd like to think that we have some of the best ones around.... but I might be a bit prejudiced!

[Zenagirl]

I can't imagine that my OW instructor thought he was the best diver alive, but he certainly knew what he was teaching, had a lot of confidence in himself (and us), and had the perfect balance of helping us learn and letting us try ourselves.

I agree with Larry, I'd rather have a great instructor teaching me than a great diver who doesn't know how to teach or support a student.

[Vercingetorix]

Originally Posted by ScubaToys Larry

And I'd like to think that we have some of the best ones around.... but I might be a bit prejudiced!

I've worked with Mac, Jeff, Woody, and Ken. They all convey competence, confidence, and knowledge wthout being egotistical about it. No, you're not being prejudiced.

[Disneymom]

wow, interesting question, Rick.

If my instructor had that attitude, I think I'd have to find another instructor. Mine have the philosophy that as a diver you're always learning. They are very confident, but at the same time very thorough, patient, kind, competent and knowledgeable. There's not a single instructor in the local organization that I used who has a "better than thou" ego. I think that's when maybe it gets dangerous.