Are Deep Dive and/or Wreck Dive specialties necessary?
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Blackcrusader
Contributor
just asking what happen if you go at 31m ? does the scuba police show up ?
The staff on the boat write down your time of entry and exit, gas at start and end of dive, and max depth was always written at 30m regardless if you exceeded that. Its not like anyone comes to check your dive computer or the guides computer.
I didn't read this entire thread but my take is that some of the recreational wreck specialties are kinda useless. On LC last May, there was a couple on our boat that was doing a PADI advanced course and did "Wreck" as one of their "specialties". It was just a shallow muck dive on an oversized row boat with a couple of swim throughs called the Sodo Trader.....and to call it a wreck dive was kinda cheezy . The couple were actually excellent OW divers and we enjoyed diving with them the rest of the week. LC had a max depth limit of 110 when we were there so the couple knocked that "Deep specialty" off the list the next morning at Randy's Gazebo... (one of my favorite dives at LC)
LOL, maybe you should have read the thread....
To prevent confusion....they were not doing any "specialties," they were doing Adventure Dives for their AOW, which typically are only the first dive of a full Specialty. What you are describing for AOW were just the first dive of of a 4-dive course for Wreck and a -4-dive course for Deep.
This thread is about the full specialties, not just the first dive of a specialty.
Oh, and it is Soto Trader, not Sodo, and it is at about 50 ft.
The AOW wreck dive is not a specialty. It is the first of four dives in the wreck specialty. It is intended to be just an introduction.
@LI-er I’ll say it this way:
For most divers, no. Not necessary.
If you want to dive deep or penetrate wrecks yes. Especially wrecks. I also recommend advanced wreck as well.
I absolutely love wreck diving. It’s far and away my favorite diving. Wrecks can get REALLY sketchy, especially for a diver who doesn’t know where to look for hazards.
You need to learn how to navigate environments that can go from good to zero vis with a single errant fin stroke, have suction and really dicey current effects, potentially degraded structures that can come apart, pockets of hazardous materials, etc. Not only do you have all the regular issues associated with diving, but you’re now doing it in a potentially unstable environment with no easy path to the surface. even the way you plan the dive and interact with your dive buddy is different.
Not only do I recommend a wreck course, but I recommend that if you want to penetrate wrecks, you go to a place with A LOT of wrecks and learn from someone with solid experience.
In AOW, you went deeper than before. If you’re cool with AOW limits, there’s no deep requirement. If you’re looking to be more proficient at your deep skills and planning, or to go past those limits, take a Deep Diver course. AOW was required to take you down past 60 once (we did 100ft in mine but that’s because we had a place that could get us that deep). In Deep Diver, you’re going down to narcosis depths, learning about drop tanks, shooting an SMB from depth, learning more about currents, dive planning, NDL and multi-level dives.
For most divers, no. Not necessary.
If you want to dive deep or penetrate wrecks yes. Especially wrecks. I also recommend advanced wreck as well.
I absolutely love wreck diving. It’s far and away my favorite diving. Wrecks can get REALLY sketchy, especially for a diver who doesn’t know where to look for hazards.
You need to learn how to navigate environments that can go from good to zero vis with a single errant fin stroke, have suction and really dicey current effects, potentially degraded structures that can come apart, pockets of hazardous materials, etc. Not only do you have all the regular issues associated with diving, but you’re now doing it in a potentially unstable environment with no easy path to the surface. even the way you plan the dive and interact with your dive buddy is different.
Not only do I recommend a wreck course, but I recommend that if you want to penetrate wrecks, you go to a place with A LOT of wrecks and learn from someone with solid experience.
In AOW, you went deeper than before. If you’re cool with AOW limits, there’s no deep requirement. If you’re looking to be more proficient at your deep skills and planning, or to go past those limits, take a Deep Diver course. AOW was required to take you down past 60 once (we did 100ft in mine but that’s because we had a place that could get us that deep). In Deep Diver, you’re going down to narcosis depths, learning about drop tanks, shooting an SMB from depth, learning more about currents, dive planning, NDL and multi-level dives.
Blackcrusader
Contributor
As discussed here and in other threads. OW is already certified to the recreational depth of 40m. AOW makes no difference nor does the deep diving certificate for diving. They are of course useful training courses and certificates to have. I would recommend the TDI ANDP Course over the Padi Deep diver course if you want to be better trained. Or for those with time BSAC Sports diving courses.
So you’ve taken the PADI, TDI, and BSAC Deep Diver courses?
I haven’t I’ve only taken one. I can’t think of anything I’d really ad to it. The rest is covered in Tech diving. It was a pretty solid expansion to dive planning and skills for me so I still recommend it. Not as much as wreck, but I’d still recommend it.
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