Question for all of you PADI guys

[seantk]

I am enrolled to take the PADI Open Water Diver class and I plan on taking the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver class also.

I am interested in several of the specialty courses including:

Deep Diver
Enriched Air Diver (nitrox)

What PADI speciality courses have you taken? Are there any other PADI specialty courses that you would recommend? If so, why?

This is something I have wanted to do for sometime - I am looking forward to it!

Thanks

Sean

[mfer]

OT: I didn't know what PADI was, except a moderator!!!

[seantk]

Originally Posted by mfer

OT: I didn't know what PADI was, except a moderator!!!

PADI = Professional Association of Dive Instructors

Sean

[Dan Pierce]

ANOTHER TRF learning moment.
dP

[CoopJr]

Originally Posted by mfer

OT: I didn't know what PADI was, except a moderator!!!

I was thinking the same thing!

Originally Posted by seantk

PADI = Professional Association of Dive Instructors

Sean

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

ANOTHER TRF learning moment.
dP

Yes it is...I love these.

I sit on PADIo Furniture...does that count?

[Markg]

Originally Posted by CoopJr

I sit on PADIo Furniture...does that count?

sure, if its 80ft underwater!

[jasonbellevue]

Right after OW, Advanced OW -> I took Cave, Night and Wreck Diver specialty courses before proceeding to Divemaster. I received my DM certification in 1985.

I chose Night because it's a totally different world down there when it's pitch dark and only your flashlight illuminates your way, you have to try it to know what I mean. Wreck and Cave diving brings out the explorer in me, that's why I took it.

Best of luck in whatever you choose. Just remember, be serious in learning safe diving methods, it WILL save your life or somebody's life someday.

[HYDROMAROC]

Just open water cert for me...

[seantk]

Thanks for the advice and suggestion guys. It is funny (or maybe not) that I was born and raised in Florida and have been around water my entire life and have never been diving. I guess I am trying to overcome certain fears (JAWS) and it may be part of the reason why I am heading to Isla Guadalupe to see the great white sharks first hand... plus I think it is more cool to wear a dive watch when you actually dive.

Mark - While reading about sharks and the Farallones (Devil's teeth), I read alot about the urchin diver Ron Elliot - WOW!! and also an incident a few years with an abalone dive Randy (I am omitting the last name out of respect). I was curious if you know/knew about these guys. I remember that you mentioned abalone diving and the Farallones in my post about cage diving

Thanks

Sean

[Markg]

Originally Posted by seantk

Thanks for the advice and suggestion guys. It is funny (or maybe not) that I was born and raised in Florida and have been around water my entire life and have never been diving. I guess I am trying to overcome certain fears (JAWS) and it may be part of the reason why I am heading to Isla Guadalupe to see the great white sharks first hand... plus I think it is more cool to wear a dive watch when you actually dive.

Mark - While reading about sharks and the Farallones (Devil's teeth), I read alot about the urchin diver Ron Elliot - WOW!! and also an incident a few years with an abalone dive Randy (I am omitting the last name out of respect). I was curious if you know/knew about these guys. I remember that you mentioned abalone diving and the Farallones in my post about cage diving

Thanks

Sean

not them by name, but....if you enter the water in the farallones, you are entering the food chain.

but you can abalone dive (or even urchin dive, but not many do that) up north along the coast; very few shark bites there since the abalone/urchins are mostly in kelp fields, and the sharks dont go there.

[Markg]

Originally Posted by seantk

I am enrolled to take the PADI Open Water Diver class and I plan on taking the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver class also.

I am interested in several of the specialty courses including:

Deep Diver
Enriched Air Diver (nitrox)

What PADI speciality courses have you taken? Are there any other PADI specialty courses that you would recommend? If so, why?

This is something I have wanted to do for sometime - I am looking forward to it!

Thanks

Sean

nitrox is good if you are going on a dive vacation; extends your bottom time as long as you arent diving too deep.

deep is good just to get a preview of how you react to depth (under supervision). most people react much more than they think (like drinking and driving) and a good instructor will demonstrate that to you via tests, puzzles, etc.

cavern (padi doesnt certify for cave) is good IF you are planning on going into any overhead environment. however, i wouldnt necessarily recommend padi for this, but rather the NACD or NSS-CDS (pm for info) since they are the two cave instruction organizations and will get you on the correct path for this. (unless the padi instructor is also nacd/nss associated).

wreck is good for wrecks, but IF you are planning on doing this, i would suggest cavern as well if you are planning penetration. (another overhead environment)

night is also good if you havent done it before; good to get a bit of supervision your first times (or you can just go with an experienced friend).

the last one i would suggest is equipment specialist; you will become familiarized with different stuff you dive with, some simple repair demos, etc. This helps when you are on vacation and something minor breaks.

good luck!

mark

[Letsgodiving]

Sean, some sage advice from everyone here. I think you have a great start in the works and that will take you through 90% of any diving you will encounter. When I started diving I got every magazine I could get my hands on and read as much as I could on the topic. That along with your training will give you many options as far as the direction you want to take your diving. PADI is great and I got my open water and advanced through them but there are many other organizations out there that also offer a wide variety of training and some of it is much more specialized than PADI.

My preference is wreck diving. I enjoy reading the history of the wrecks and then diving them. The east coast is full of amazing wrecks and many of them are easily accessible. Most people don't realize that just a few miles off the coast are German U-boats sunk in action during WWII. Many ships that were sunk by the U-boats are there also. There are supply ships that were on their way to Britain that still have the tanks and shells on board but are now at the bottom of the atlantic. There are also many vessels from the 19th century that still have a lot to see and discover that are regularly and easily dived.

I've never seen a Great White though so that might send me in a different direction.

[Chappy]

just have my open water , has served me well , for those times that i am on vacation
good luck with your classes

[adambmi]

Hi there -- I haven't seen anyone else mention it yet, but my own two cents is that the Peak Performance Buoyancy module is an absolute must-do as part of the AOWD... maybe doesn't sound as exciting as some of the other specialties, but as a new diver, I think you'll find the skills you gain there will really have a much more far-reaching practical impact on your diving abilities (and your enjoyment) than some of the others. It really drills down on the relationship between breathing and depth control; for me it was the first time I really "got" that 99% of your buoyancy is controlled by your lungs, not the BC. Found it about 1000% easier to manouver afterwards.

You can always do a night dive or a wreck dive later on, and with what you pick up in the Peak Perfomance Buoyancy class, I think you'll enjoy them both much more!

Cheers,
Adam

[seantk]

Thanks for the input guys. I was not aware of the NACD. My course is not until June and I will let you know what other courses I take.

Sean