Advanced OWD or Peak Performancy Bouyancy?

[rstofer]

OK, I have seen two folks go through AOW in the very recent past. I was not impressed.

The most complex of the dives is the deep dive. Particularly if the instructor decides to make it the maximum 100'. Lots of things happen on 100' dives that need to be thoroughly discussed before the dive. Particularly the bit where, due to the combination of depth, current, cold water, surge and stress, that tank is going to empty out pretty quick. A short filled HP 100 is no better than an 80 cf tank and it won't last long for a new diver and those conditions.

The other 4 dives are supervised training of one thing or another and they're just fine. You probably won't get a lot out of the PPB dive as part of AOW. It's just a dive. Not a lot of time spent getting things just right.

I would recommend taking AOW as soon as possible just to get more supervised dives. If nothing else, the deep dive, if done to 100', will show you what can go wrong in a hurry. It's better to do this dive with an instructor than by yourself.

As to the PPB specialty: I don't know anything about the course but it would seem that all of the dives would be working toward PPB. Not navigation, deep, search and recovery or any of the other possibilities of AOW. It would be good to have done PPB before AOW but I am more convinced that AOW should come first. Even if buoyancy isn't perfect.

Have fun!

Richard

 

[TheScubaBOB]

I have to agree that PPB is often overlooked & undervalued. I decided to take it, can't really say why, and am glad I did.

I went from 22 lbs in 7mm down to 14lbs! That was dive # 1 which is basically figure your needed weight and then drop down to hover in different positions.

Well I have trouble staying horizontal, was going head down so before dive 2 we moved weights. I went from 3 lbs in each trim pouch to 2 lbs in each trim pouch (but didn't change the overall weight).

On dive number 2 I was so spot on that at 40 ft I had no air in my BC and was hovering horizontal just 6 inches off the wreck.

I was able to move up & down by simply adjusting my breathing. When the DMC handed me a 3lb weight I wasn't able to completely adjust for it at first by simply taking a deep breath.

So I shallowed my breathing and added a little bit of air to my BC.

This time as the DMC was placing the weight in my hand I took a deeper breath and maintained my hover! when she removed the weight I simply shallowed my breathing and stayed where I was.

Of the specialties I've done so far I think this may be the most useful in the long run!

 

[bharucha]

If you want to improve your diving skills, and if you can do some local diving, then I suggest you find a patient instructor who loves to dive(not so common), and tell them that you would like to do a three dive buoyancy workshop.

Ask your instructor to show you breathing technique, finning technique, and buoyancy skills(upside down, hovering, non finning ascent, correct weighting) do all your dives in 6-10 m will give you longer bottom time to practice and remember that you are paying for this so tell your instructor exactly what you want out of this.

 

[Greendiver]

From a students perspective I can say that my buddy and I went pretty much straight from OW to AOW. In no way do I believe that either of us are advanced divers, I would be more comfortable with OWII. What we are though is more experienced divers. I am confident that we learned more in those 5 sessions than we could have learned in 10 or 15, or more, dives without an instructor present to teach and critique. Would I go to AOW immediately again, yes, but... If I were in a situation where truly advanced divers were in our group, diving with much more experienced buddies, a mentor so to speak, I would rethink that.