My personal experience: I didn't pick my instructor...he just became it cos there was no other choice. So not considered as picking right?

But now I know you. I'd definitely recommend you but I wouldn't pick you...TAKUT WEI. Hehe  

if i tell you all how i chose my instructor, will my license get revoked?  :

sapa yg murah la kot..cool..tak garang..wahaha!

ada instructor yang dapat geli-geli sket pun boleh bagi pree je ow apadaaa.. :'(

tu lerrr... sometimes, jeles oso kito bukan kaum pompuan.

my fren siap dapat offer to do her DMT for free - and she was only AOW masa tu.



 :-/


going back to the topic, i didnt choose my instructor masa buat OW dulu. I was merely"going with the flow". Fortunately, the instructors and DMs we had were reassuring and patient.

Not to mention, thorough too.

Having done that, my AOW was organised by a KL-based DC.

I didnt even know who my instructor was until we met him at the jetty prior to boarding the boat.
(Basically, i trusted the person who organised the AOQ certification trip and details).

It all boils down to the relationship you have between the DC you frequent and the instructors - whether you trust them or not (you are, after all, placing your life in their good hands)

Of course, with more experience, you will eventually know what to ask the instructors when 'shopping' for a course - be it AOW, Rescue, DMT etc.

My 2 sen worth.

I'd say try asking around. Any friends u know of that have learnt diving recently, just ask them. Also it's not always 'cheap packages' that you want - it's the quality of teaching. You want someone with patience. Good instructors usually gain some popularity by word of mouth. So...that's pretty much it. Hope that helps.

About continuing education, I'd say both. Your confidence and the amount of experience. Is you buoyancy good? Do u feel natural breathing from a reg and just being underwater?

It probably sounds wise to choose your instructor carefully when you've decided to get certified as an open water diver, considering the fact that scuba diving is an activity/sport that involves risks. However, I think that in reality, checking the credentials of individual instructors before deciding on your ultimate choice of instructor, is generally overlooked unless you know exactly what you're getting yourself into in terms of risks to personal safety. Personally, when I was certified as an Open Water Diver, I gave very little thought to it. If I could do it all over again, would I do more research into individual instructors before choosing? Possibly, but only because I now know more about the inherent risks.

Prospective entry level divers are like any other prospective students where you go to an institution, enrol in your field of study and learn. In most cases, you don't get to choose your teacher/lecturer/instructor. Instead, you are relying on the institution's reputation and expertise rather than the individual teacher's. I think this is somewhat true for diving as well - more so for entry level certification. You don't get to pick your instructor - one is picked for you (by the dive centre).

In all fairness, instructors with years of experience and hundreds of certifications would be a great selling point, but it does not necessarily mean that newer instructors are far less capable of the job. The important point here is whether the instructor will be able to teach you more than what is just in the books and according to standards laid out by the certifying agency, in order to be a safer diver and also to make diving a more enjoyable experience.

If you had to pick an instructor, I would say that reputation is important because it encompasses experience, adherence to safety standards, and the fun factor. So to me, asking around would be very helpful in determining instructors' and dive centres' reputations, so you can make a more informed decision rather than using a shotgun approach.