Specialties

[Pinkpadigal]

I am curious...what (recreational) specialty classes are you interested in taking? What was your favorite specialty class you ever took? Was there a class that wasn't worth your time?

I am planning my teaching schedule for next year and I would love to hear what you all think.

[Seth T.]

I know my buddy is interested in an Advanced/Nitrox combo, especially if there's some kind of discount! Me personally, I'd kind of like to do the Search and Recovery speciality.

[spatman]

as a beginner, here's a few extra courses outside of my AOW i'd be interested in:

drift diver
underwater videographer
search and recovery

[Cold_H2O]

I am looking for an Advance Nitrox.

I have a few others I am looking at..

I still need that DM cert.

[Zen Diver]

I found Search and Recovery to be an invaluable class, and one I've used a lot. You come away with loads of great skills, and it complements Navigation and Rescue, both classes any diver should have, IMO.

-Valerie

[Tangfish]

Night Diver was a really great one for me.

[Aquanautchuck]

Well some of the worthless cert's I took were:
Boat Diver. Learn how to do the same giant stride you learn in OW or the optional back roll. Also learned in OW.

Dry Suit diver. I did not learn much more than what I was taught in the orientation when I bought my first Dry Suit.

Master Diver. Sorry Seth, just meant that I had paid for a bunch of certs and it is not held in very high esteem by divers.

Other than Rescue which in my opinion is the best non professional class you can take.

Deep, real handy for the NW.

Night because you may as well be diving at night all day up here sometimes.

I am split on Equipment Specialist. I learned a bunch about my regs and gear, and enough to do a field repair if needed. I learned that when it is my axx on the line I want the best technician servicing my gear. And that's not me.
Wreck diver. Most of the stuff I learned in this class is very usable in any overhead environment. Good stuff if taught by a good instructor and on real wrecks. Not the dry dock at Edmond's or little wrecks. We went up to Vancouver Isl and did some great dives.

[jeff98208]

i would like to get a specialty in underwater videography, how ever i don't think there will be a class for that here in the north for awhile. as the guy who used to do it here has moved. and to date i have not had a class that "was not woth my time".

[CaptnJack]

Navigation (part of my AOW) was fairly worthless. When's the last time you swam in a square?

Night used a whole bunch of kludge techniques which I have long since abandoned.

Wreck was good, but it was taught by a cave-trained instructor. We started on the Edmonds dry dock and progressed to the Cape Breton and the Saskatkewan. About 30 hours of instruction total. It wasn't a full overhead class by any means but good enough to swim inside the wheelhouse with a line on the Mackenzie and such. I don't think this specialty should be taught by Joe or Jane instructor though. You need to be doing lots of wrecks and lots of caves to have the proficiency and experience to teach this stuff. Otherwise you are giving your students just enough line to hang themselves with.

I have no real interest in any recreational specialties. I am looking to get full cave (GUE Cave2) in July though. Maybe take a DPV seminar sometime a few years hence once I have the experience to consider scootering caves.

Richard

[al NDOF]

got my first dry suit and need to learn how to dive with it?
al
I need to get wet!!

[Seth T.]

Master Diver. Sorry Seth, just meant that I had paid for a bunch of certs and it is not held in very high esteem by divers.

No worries! :occasion5: Once I get Advanced Trimix I'll have an enviable cert!

[Sea of Green]

I am curious...what (recreational) specialty classes are you interested in taking? What was your favorite specialty class you ever took? Was there a class that wasn't worth your time?

I am planning my teaching schedule for next year and I would love to hear what you all think.

Most useful I've taken: Rescue

Most useless: Equipment Specialty, because I keep my gear well maintained by professionals and never had a need to use anything they taught, hence I've forgotten all of it. I've heard they don't teach it anymore anyway due to liability reasons.

[bnboly]

I'd like:
Deep, advanced nitrox, DPV, altitude

Then I can echo most of the comments on the dry suit and equip repair classes.......

[Zen Diver]

Wow, I found my Equipment class to be very useful, but then it was taught by someone who'd been around for decades, worked as equipment repair tech and was thoroughly knowledgeable. I learned a lot and felt better informed.

-Valerie

[LCF]

The class I was most disappointed with was Peak Performance Buoyancy. During the two dives, we never even really decided how much weight I should be carrying, let alone where. Subsequently, I have learned so much about approaches and ideas for teaching a basic buoyancy class that I almost wish I were an instructor so I could do it. Instead, I just try to use some of the ideas to mentor new divers when I get a chance to go out with them.

Rescue was the best mainstream specialty class I've taken. It was well worth while, and I would recommend it to anybody.

Fundies was the single best class I've taken, hands down.

I'm trying to finish Rec Triox right now (may be hopeless). Cave 1 in April, but that's not recreational.

[Pinkpadigal]

It is interesting to hear everyone's perspective. I will be teaching PADI's specialty of the month, but I will be adding to that calendar.

Search and Recovery will be on the schedule. We are going to do Altitude again in August.

One of the tidbits I picked up at DEMA this year was the change to the boat specialty. There is a lot more "beef" to it now and not just "...lets do 2 dives off a boat and here is your card...". You actually have to tie knots and there is a book and KR you have to do. I am glad PADI decided to make this specialty into something worth taking.

I try to take at least one specialty a year. I took Altitude last year with Seth and had a lot of fun. I think my next one is DPV.

My favorite specialty is my favorite to teach as well. Peak Performance Buoyancy. So many people dive overweighted...me included. I dropped 10 pounds after taking the class and I have seen people go from 50 to 30...it is amazing.

Thank you everyone! Please keep them coming!

[Peter Guy]

I've taken several different PADI specialty classes (and one NAUI class/Nitrox -- and I don't consider my PADI Rescue Class a "specialty class") and quite honestly, the only ones I thought had any substance were my UW Photography class and my Pacific NW Fish ID class taught by Laurel Lefever.

Interestingly, the only class I've ever "used" was my dry suit class. It got "used" last spring when, on a trip, my wife's dry suit ripped and we had to rent one for her -- but the shop wouldn't rent her a suit because she didn't have a "dry suit" specialty. So, I rented a suit that was a "tad too small" for me but, miraculously, fit her perfectly! She was happy, shop was happy, lawyers/insurance company was happy.

Most useless (and perhaps most dangerous) specialty class -- "deep" diving. The danger part of it relates to the total lack of information about gas planning and minimum gas reserves -- neither of which, as far as I can tell, PADI has as a part of its curriculum. IF you are going to "teach" divers to go deep, you really should also teach them how to calculate how much gas they need for the planned depth/time AND how much gas they need to get you and your buddy back to the surface safely.

IF you are going to teach "Peak Performance Buoyancy" I hope you don't just take lead off. PLEASE, if you teach it, at least also move the lead (and tank if need be) around so that the diver is actually balanced/trimmed as well as weighted properly. PPB should be more than weighting in my always and ever so humble of opinion.

[CaptnJack]

Do you have a curriculum or table of contents for the DPV class, curious what is included? Is this any scooter or any tow behind or must be a sea-doo?? I saw one of these offered up in Sidney once and it was limited to the two arm, hold on Sea Doos (which they rented).

[Dmitchell]

The DPV class is really basic intro to DPV type stuff geared toward the common scooters. There seems to be enough meat in it just looking at the manual that someone who knows scooters could make it a fun and a good learning experience. There are only 2 dives required to complete the course.

Here's the summary

COURSE OVERVIEW
This course covers the knowledge and techniques for diving with an underwater
propulsion vehicle. To conduct a DPV Diver course, include the
following:
1. The planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems,
and hazards of diving with a underwater propulsion
vehicle.
2. Equipment considerations including but not limited to battery
care, maintenance and precautions.
3. Proper procedures for: determining a turnaround point, vehicle
failure, runaway motor, descents and ascents and avoiding
propeller entanglements.
4. Techniques to avoid harming fragile aquatic life.
5. Techniques for entering and exiting the water with a DPV.

[Seth T.]

I agree, the DPV speciality is killer. By far the most fun one I have. Unfortunately, scooters are very expensive and impossible to find rentals. Thus, I've only done 4 or so scooter dives. I need to find a buddy with a pair of them!

[Pinkpadigal]

IF you are going to teach "Peak Performance Buoyancy" I hope you don't just take lead off. PLEASE, if you teach it, at least also move the lead (and tank if need be) around so that the diver is actually balanced/trimmed as well as weighted properly. PPB should be more than weighting in my always and ever so humble of opinion.

PPB is a lot more than taking lead off. It is about balanced weighting and movement in the water. I spend a lot of time on proper breathing techniques as well as trim and weighting. Students do hovering skills and swimming through hoops and over underwater outcroppings. It is a fun class for me to teach because I see the difference from the first dive and the last dive in how the diver moves and even in his/her air consumption.

Padi has just revised the DPV course and I am getting the new manual in next week. I just need a couple of DPVs and I am ready to take the class.

[Burntchef]

taking naui tech1 or phase 1 what ever they call it in january sometime. looking forward to it. be my first taste of helium :rr: in the mean time ive been spending a good amount of dollars on gear, o2 cleaning, extra this, one more of that.... allmost done, just a argon set up to go. oh and pay for class. then i can go back to saving up for a X

[TCWestby]

I'm planning on taking rescue then start working toward Dive Master

[Pez7378]

Best specialty? I haven't actually had a specialty course. I did the Deep dive (With Gas Management), Night dive, Navigation, Search and Recovery During Advanced Open Water. I did Boat dives on my own in the San Juans and in Nanaimo diving the Saskatchewan and the Cape Breton. Let's call that my Wreck Survey course (no penetration). I took Nitrox and Rescue but I view that as continuing education, not really specialty courses. I taught myself how to use my Dry suit by asking questions and DIVING. And Im unsuccessfully teaching myself photography. (yeah, I'm kinda hard on myself)

So far everything was worth every penny and I've used almost every piece of knowledge I have picked up along the way.

What do I want to do next? WRECK PENETRATION! Intro to Tech, Tech? I'm not really sure but I'm leaning in that direction.

[al NDOF]

I'm interested in Peak Performance Buoyancy and rescue; my immediate need is for dry suit training. I'm having a difficult time finding a class or instructor.