After not diving for over 20 years, I enrolled in a refresher class. Christine was the instructor, and unfortunately I would not recommend taking a refresher course with her.
Throughout the class, she was short and curt, and became easily frustrated with both myself and the other student. At one point, the other student mentioned she was afraid to tell Christine that she had not turned on her regulator (which I also had not), because Christine had not instructed us to do so and had already created an intimidating environment. Several of the procedures Christine reviewed were not part of my original certification training, which made the experience even more stressful rather than educational. At one point, she told us that if she could, she would revoke our certifications--though she acknowledged she did not have the authority to do so.
When it came time for the buoyancy check, Christine became extremely frustrated with us. This skill was not required when I originally certified, so it was entirely new to me. By the time we descended, I was so panicked that I no longer felt safe continuing the class. I exited the water and left because I did not feel comfortable or supported as a student.
As a result, I lost the full amount I paid for the course. Overall, the experience was discouraging and left me feeling unsafe and disheartened. I would not recommend taking a refresher class with Christine. read more