Are specialty courses practical after aow certification?

[TMHeimer]

Rescue is the only requirement for the PADI DM course (other than AOW of course, a certain number of logged dives--40 I think to begin the DM course-- and EFR (or CPR/ First Aid equivalent accepted by PADI &/or your LDS- it is a requirement for Rescue anyway). No other specialties are required to take DM. Rescue is not considered a Specialty course. But most say it is the most important course and all should take it. I have read/heard that courses vary quite a bit according to instructor.
The only real benefit of doing full specialties is IMO getting training in something you want to do while diving. Like taking the Underwater Nav course if you plan to do a lot of checking out specific sites during one dive and not get lost.
I have 7 specialties from years ago and don't make use of much of the training I got, not that it wasn't a good education. I had more money then so I collected some cards--what the heck.

 

[boulderjohn]

Dive instruction is like all instruction. Take a course if what you will learn in the course will help you achieve what you want to achieve.

Take your time and figure out where you are as a diver now and where you want o be as a diver in the future. Then figure out how to get from the first point to the second. Don't worry if you change your mind along the way--most people do.

Earlier today I talked with a former student of mine who was in the same place as you only a couple of years ago. We talked things through and started down a path. That path changed for him several times. He is now a scuba instructor, a cave diver, and a technical diver, but he doesn't spend much time dong any of those things. He is a commercial diver working on the inspection and repair of bridge supports. We sure didn't predict that one when we started talking.

 

[driftwood]

I figured that out aswell. Will still be keeping my day job if ever i pursuit DM course. Atleast I can earn abit while on vacation or atleast dive for free. Anyway thank you for your insight. Very much appreciated.

If I recall correctly, you will be considered a "professional" when you pass your DM course. I looked long and hard at becoming a DM and rejected it due to potential liability issues. In the real estate world, once a professional, always a professional. I just didn't want an eager young attorney looking to me for another's mistake. You also need to consider the cost of insurance while maintaining your DM status.

 

[TMHeimer]

If I recall correctly, you will be considered a "professional" when you pass your DM course. I looked long and hard at becoming a DM and rejected it due to potential liability issues. In the real estate world, once a professional, always a professional. I just didn't want an eager young attorney looking to me for another's mistake. You also need to consider the cost of insurance while maintaining your DM status.

I don't disagree, but this is a simplification of a quite complex issue of liability--including such situations as being retired from DMing and "not active" (like me), being on vacation but still having DM status, and probably several other situations. The costs to work are maybe $250/$400 a year covering liability insurance and agency membership. With PADI, you can opt for full insurance or only to assist courses, which is a little more than half the premium. Rather than getting into all the specifics here, it has been discussed at length in the Going Pro subforum under Basic--including a few folks who are lawyers. Though some of those threads may be a few years old.

 

[driftwood]

I looked at the "complexities" and made my own decision. I realize that my post was over simplified and just wanted to bring up the liability issue to the OP.

Thank you for expanding on my original post.

 

[Storker]

Take your time and figure out where you are as a diver now and where you want o be as a diver in the future. Then figure out how to get from the first point to the second. Don't worry if you change your mind along the way--most people do.

This is very good advice. When I first got certified, I figured I'd wait a while before I progressed. After learning what the AOW course entails, and that some operators may put restrictions on what an OW certified diver could be allowed to do, I took my AOW the same year. After that, I just went diving, and took my nitrox card when I got access to cheap nitrox. Last year, I wanted to progress further and took Rescue.

With a Rescue card in my wallet I really don't see any advantage for me to progress further in PADI's system because there's no way I'll ever get involved in commercial diving. I do, however, recognize that dive leadership training can be very useful, so I'm crossing over to CMAS to take their 3* cert. Why CMAS? Because they're big in Europe, second only to PADI, and their system is built on non-commercial clubs. So their 3* cert is more directed toward dive leadership in a club setting rather than in a commercial setting.

So, choose the courses that you think is appropriate for you, your diving and your ambitions, and don't worry about "cheating" on your first agency. Sometimes the right course for you is given by someone else than the one you had your first affair with

 

[Diving Dubai]

Regarding Specialties. The only "must have" is of course Nitrox.

As others have stated speciality courses are only as good as the instructor.

I chose a Drysuit course, purely because I had no mentors locally who could teach me the basics (Not because I needed the card as I'd just brought a D/S. I found this course invaluable for the basic information, and skills practice. But it was in reality nothing more that a beginners guide to get you started. My point is, Some course can be good if you have no other way of learning from others with that experience.

On the much maligned PADI Boat diver speciality there is an option module

"VII. Basic Seamanship and Small Boat Handling (optional module intended to be personalized for local boating situations)"

The suggested topics (tailored to local conditions are as follows:

A. Local boating laws and regulations
B. Basic rules of the road
C. Basic seamanship.
D. Basic anchoring techniques
E. Basic boating navigation
F. Basic piloting
G. Tides and currents
H. Basic guides to boating safety.

Items D through G in my opinion should be part of the DM course. My point here being stand out as a DM (or as an instructor) you need additional skills, Boats is one, equipment servicing is another. These aren't available as speciality courses, but are one's people should seek out

 

[boulderjohn]

There are many, many choices available to you in scuba. I don't like the way PADI charts your options, because it leaves too many out. You get the feeling that the only choice you have is specialties or DM. They don't mention technical diving. They don't mention cave diving.

I am a PADI instructor, both for recreational and technical diving, and I have tons of certification cards for teaching their courses. If I took those cards out of my stack, I would still have a very large number of certification cards related to my technical diving and my cave diving, and those cards represent years of training and practice. The reason I am saying this is that despite all that training, I do not have enough specialty certifications (5) to qualify for the Master Scuba Diver certification. In other words, there is a whole lot of training you can get, even without leaving the PADI system, that does not include their list of specialties.

 

[DevonDiver]

Courses shouldn't be viewed from the perspective of getting 'licenses'.

What you're paying for (and should be receiving) are skills and knowledge).

If considering further training, you can be guided by what you (1) need and (2) want.

As a beginner, analyze your weaknesses as a diver and select further training to solidify your skill set and fundamental competencies.

As you progress in experience, you might choose training that enables a greater range of diving, or that provides you with competencies that allow you to enjoy specialist activities or equipment.

When considering training, your choice of instructor is of paramount importance to the level and quality of skills you'll develop.

Look for true subject matter experts, in whatever course interests you. Research them online and via interview (email questions etc).

 

[onepio]

Courses shouldn't be viewed from the perspective of getting 'licenses'.

What you're paying for (and should be receiving) are skills and knowledge).

If considering further training, you can be guided by what you (1) need and (2) want.

As a beginner, analyze your weaknesses as a diver and select further training to solidify your skill set and fundamental competencies.

As you progress in experience, you might choose training that enables a greater range of diving, or that provides you with competencies that allow you to enjoy specialist activities or equipment.

When considering training, your choice of instructor is of paramount importance to the level and quality of skills you'll develop.

Look for true subject matter experts, in whatever course interests you. Research them online and via interview (email questions etc).

Thank you Sir. Will keep that in mind.