Equipment Specialist Cert.

[RikRaeder]

I am interested in your informed opinions of the PADI equipment specialist classes. I'd like to get a DM certification in the next couple of years purely for my own benefit, but have been toying with the idea of attempting to enter the professional realm, ultimately, as an instructor or guide at some far-off date.
Currently, I'm trying to get in lots of practice and useful training that will make me a better diver, and PERHAPS a more attractive hire. To that end, I'm curious about the Equipment Specialist course. Some questions:
1) What SHOULD I learn from a well-taught course?
I'm not a mechanical whizz, but I can turn a screw and understand basic (and maybe even advanced) mechanical principals.
2) How practical is the knowledge that I SHOULD learn to instruction/guiding?
Is the proposed skillset something guides/instructors use often, or perhaps a good background to general equipment servicing?
3) What other agencies' courses would you recommend, if any?
Is there an SSI course, for example, that has much more practical material?

I've seen plenty of people bashing varoius and sundry "specialties." Personally, I scoff at "Boat Diver," but could honestly undrestand why SOME landlubber might benefit from such a course: theoretically speaking. Please inform me. I know there are plenty of engineers, etc. out there who would equally scoff at Equpment Specialist, but please take my question for what it is. Thanks.

 

[Freds@Aquanauts]

Like you said it depends who does the course for you, I've seen it taught where the student is shown how to service and maintain the diffent brands the shop carries. I have also seen the "most efficient way to pack your dive bag"...

Look into doing an ASSET course instead!

Freds

 

[BarryNL]

Well, my sole experience of this course is having someone who took it break my regulator while trying to lower the intermediate pressue. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, as they say. The most important lesson I learned is: don't let PADI equipment specialists near your equipment.

Personally, I've found the best way to learn a bit about equipment is to hang out with tec divers - mostly they seem to be able to do full regulator services in a car park if necessary.

 

[JanR]

When I purchased my kit from our LDS, the shop offered the PADI Equipment Specialty as a service, free-of-charge. Therefore, in my case I can not say it was not worth the money.

In my course, the instructor went through all of the equipment, describing the differences in styles/models, proper care and cleaning, demonstrations of how each piece mechanically operated, tips for on-site repairs, and suggestions for what we should have in our "save-a-dive" kit.

In all, it was about 3 hours or so. What was the real value? Hard to gauge. In my search for which BCD/regulator to buy, he had already discussed many of the issues/tips with me and much of the rest I have read on-line here at scubaboard. There were new things that I learned, so it wasn't completely re-hashed material.

What was nice was that 1: It was free; and 2: It presented all of the information in one forum and provided us a venue in which we could ask additional questions about the equipment.

I think it all comes down to a few factors which only you will be able to determine:

1. What do you want to get out of the course? If you want to be able to do your annual services, most courses will not answer the mail. If you want to be more knowledgable about your equipment and how to conduct user-level maintenance, it'll fullfill your expectations.

2. As with any course, who is your instructor and what is his reason for teaching the course. If it is simply to take in $80-90 in exchange for a piece of plastic, look elsewhere. If it is to impart his knowledge (presuming that it is a level of knowledge which you'd want to take a piece of), then you're probablly going to be alright. My instructor gave the class to develop goodwill with his customers and focused the class to that information which would enable us to better maintain our equipment. Better maintained equipment=longer lasting equipment=less complaints from customers saying that they were sold a bunch of crap.

3. What is the cost of the course? In my case, this made a ton of sense...free. If I was paying the traditional Specialty course rates, I am pretty sure I would have spent the money on either more diving and/or a Specialty course which taught me better diving skills: PPB, navigation, Nitrox, etc.

For what it is worth,

v/r

Jan

 

[DavidHickey]

The course was definitely not what I expected, it in know way qualifies you to even think about calling yourself an equipment specialist. My class consisted of showing you how to clean your BCD and wash out the bladder, "thought we learned that in OW training" they dissassembled a regulator and passed a few parts around but told you doing this yourself would void the warranty and it should never be attempted. Then preached about the dangers of buying off the internet, and the last part of the class was turned into an equipment sales class. They passed around all the new equipment and brochures for what they had coming in. Although I walked out with no more equipment knowledge than when I walked in, it was still something to do. And I got a shiny card with my picture on it!!
David

 

[Divin'Papaw]

It all depends upon the instructor. I took it right out of OW and it helped me a great deal to learn all of the basics about the various categories of gear. I didn't learn to service a reg, but I didn't expect to. I did learn the differences between a diaphragm v. piston and balanced v. unbalanced reg. I learned all about the different options in lights, exposure protection, computers/gauges and tanks. It helped to make me more knowledgeable so that I could then dig into the archives here on ScubaBoard to do my research before making my initial significant equipment purchases. For $65 the course paid for itself.

Now, I don't go flipping my fancy Equipment Specialist card out to make people think I'm some sort of equipment expert, because I'm far from it. But the course did help me to learn the lingo and become much more knowledgeable as I moved into diving. It helped me determine what type of gear I wanted to buy and in what order. I then used ScubaBoard as my primary research source. I am now about half way through my equipment purchases (on a cost basis) and feel the course was exactly what I needed at that point to fill in the significant knowledge deficit I had coming out of OW about scuba gear.

 

[Louma]

I think this is the type of training you're looking for -

http://www.scubaengineer.com/

not a course on how to wash your equipment after a dive.

 

[Walt1957]

Is there an SSI course, for example, that has much more practical material?

I didn't learn anything in the SSI course that I hadn't seen before in the OW course. Part of that may be that I had a good OW instructor, but the SSI course is more about knowing how to do a pre-dive inspection of equipment to make sure it is safe.

 

[DEEPLOU]

As indicated it depends on instructor. and if he/she only does the "PADI' course (or whatever agency).
When I did it, we walked into class, each student had a brand new reg sitting in front of him. We then tore them down, and put them together. Then adjusted and tested them so they were same (and in some cases) better than they were out of the box.

While the course gave me the knowelege to fix my reg, the instructor also cautioned us. DO NOT TOUCH ANYONE ELSES REGULATOR!

 

[james croft]

I had similar experience. The course is not what I had hoped for. I did pick up a few tidbits that proved useful. I have dozens of regs from vintage to tech. Some I send off to be overhauled. Most I work on myself. I've obtained the overhaul manuals, tools, magnahelic guages, etc. and only do the work I know I can do correctly. I also take care of my stuff so they need little work done to keep them operating correctly. Some people will say I will kill myself, but I have never had a problem with any of the regs I have worked on. I have had major problems with some I got back from a LDS such as having one rebuilt without the exhaust valve installed. Another one I got back I opened up the second stage and found the diaphram covered with silt. Obviously the tech never worked on it and I had been charged for my annual inspection.
After experiences such as those that made me take better care of my gear and learning to work on the stuff myself.
Certainly if you want to work in that field you need certifications. But I learned more taking regulators apart and studying them and talking to knowlegable folks and reading manuals. What works for me may not be good for other folks. My regs I dive tend to be rather idiot proof such as Conshelfs.