Course recommendations? Advanced recreational diver.

[rduquesnoy]

GUE Fundamentals might appeal to you:

GUE Fundamentals

Wishing you success with your future training.

Agree 100%.

After fundamentals you can always proceed with other courses like cave or technical.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

So far I have Rescue, plus O2, Equipment, Ice, Nitrox and Deep certifications.

My plan after seeing all the responses is to simply dive a lot, There are a few skills I want to work on, helicopter turns, back up fining and improve my frog kick fining. I have a tendency to revert to scissor style kicking since that is what I do on surface swims when not wearing gear.

I will watch the YouTube videos ( although some of those are pretty bad.) and read whatever I can get my hands on.

I may take a dive master course, as much because it can work out to be cheap diving ans for the training as the teaching part does not interest me too much.

Well, spending money on diving is always better than spending it on courses!

 

[ontdiver]

SDI Solo was my last course. It reinforced fundamentals, dive planning and, of course, redundancies. The bonus for me was being able to dive solo on LOB trips and not getting paired up with an inexperienced DB.

 

[Bob DBF]

Most of his courses are tech diving which is not what I am looking for but he does offer a performance skills course that could be very helpful as part of what I am looking for.

Talk to Andy, l’m sure he could put together the training you want. Unless you are more interested in a card than the training.



Good luck

Bob

 

[Rickk]

....Unless you are more interested in a card than the training.

...

I have all the cards I need to do the dives I want to do, with the exception of wreck.

I just want to be on the list when the dive shop staff talks about the 10 best divers that had all year at their Xmas party.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

+1 for GUE fundies or UTD Essentials (depends on what is more convenient for you). You already know about Andy Davis, who is a niche instructor, focusing on more tech and sidemount. You seem to fall into the category of customers that seek him out: highly motivated in improving skills, so that may work out. I hope to one day take an advanced wreck with him, and possibly some remedial sidemount training for any shortcomings he sees I may have.

 

[Rickk]

I will be seeking him out, he is in Subic and my current plans are to go from Puerto Galera to Moalboal for a month or so. It may be into the summer when I can get to Subic.

There are GUE courses in Moalboal so I will look into that when I get there

 

[NootFish]

Curious about what you ended up doing, and how you are doing now. Maybe we'll end up in one of Andy's classes together!

 

[tursiops]

I can always practice my skills and just get an instructor or DM on a fun dive to critique them to help me improve.

It sounds like you expect a professional to give you free training because it is a "fun" dive.

I know I can self study, I have no problems with any academics, but what I observed in my non-diving professional life is that many people who were self taught had a huge hole in their knowledge and/or a fundamental misunderstanding of how it all fits together.

Agree completely.

Most of his courses are tech diving which is not what I am looking for but he does offer a performance skills course that could be very helpful as part of what I am looking for. At $US 150 and 240 minutes under water or at least 4 dives that is not much more than just guided fun dives in that area.

I was looking for something more on the academic side.

And, yet, you are looking for something academic; doesn't this conflict with the previous quote?

I may take a dive master course, as much because it can work out to be cheap diving ans for the training as the teaching part does not interest me too much.

The DM course is definitely NOT what you are looking for. You don't really improve as a diver from the DM course, and you don't really learn how to teach. You mostly learn how to help an instructor and a bit on how to guide a dive.

I just want to be on the list when the dive shop staff talks about the 10 best divers that had all year at their Xmas party.

I hope you are joking.

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

I am experienced diver in several environments (Ice, dry suit, tropical waters, cold/hot, salt/fresh etc). All my training has been PADI.

I don't knock PADI, they are very good at what they intended to do. Some people misunderstand them and think that they are a diving organization dedicated to making safe divers. They are a commercial organization that intends to get as many people as possible certified and paying into their revenue stream, by buying books, courses, multi media content, paying for c cards etc, as possible to maximize their profits while just being safe enough to avoid being sued.


What I want to be is the best diver I can be. That is a combination of knowledge and practical skills.


I am generally happy with my skill level but would really like some advanced knowledge of diving. I can always practice my skills and just get an instructor or DM on a fun dive to critique them to help me improve.

I have read through a lot of the posts on the different agencies rating of master scuba diver, and dive master ratings.

I don't think that a DM rating is what I need or want as they focus on developing pro's to teach. All I want to do is get wet blow bubbles and look at the pretty fishes. I just want to do it safely and competently.

I know I can self study, I have no problems with any academics, but what I observed in my non-diving professional life is that many people who were self taught had a huge hole in their knowledge and/or a fundamental misunderstanding of how it all fits together.

Is there any course out there that would cover what I need to know? For obvious reasons if this was through university or community college then it would have to be offered on line or at least by distance education. I am looking for a university level course of study in recreational diving.

I don't care about getting another c card or a piece of paper to hang on my :"I love me wall". I want the knowledge.

Have you thought about SDI Solo?