Is Master Scuba Diver "worth it" in your opinion

[The Chairman]

As I've said on the many past threads about this, your MSD means something because these specialties improve either your diving or safety. As opposed to some others you could also take and still get the MSD.

If you want to go "Deep", take a tech class on deco procedures.
"Drift" is a pretty useless cert in my eyes. Same with "Boat". "Shore" might have some merit if you encounter lots of surf.
"Multi-Level" is no longer being offered as there is no wheel. Again, Deco procedures cover all of this.
"NitrOx" is always a good class.
"Underwater Navigator" can be good depending on the instructor. Often, it's the blind leading the blind. Find a Boy Scout to teach you how to use a compass. Join an orienteering club to really learn it.
A great class would be "Rescue Diver", which is a misnomer.
Others would be "First Aid" and "Oxygen Provider", though they won't improve your diving.
If you really want to improve your diving, adding huge amounts of added safety and fun, please, please, please take a cavern course. You might never get into cave diving, but the principles, the trim, the buoyancy, and the mindset are a real gamechanger for most any diver. Best part? They have cookies!

I'm not trying to put dampers on people getting out and diving or even taking training. Join a local club. Find a good dive buddy, maybe even one that can mentor you. Better, if they can dementor you. But, if you're going to do training, then consider doing training that really counts. Be sure to pad those classes with lots and lots of diving. Train to dive, not the other way around.

 

[Ukmc]

I want a hard card, not a phone. I have one, but for the most part, I won't carry it.

I think you are on to something - one card to rule them all. I may have one etched with all the certs and cert numbers on a single card. Maybe titanium…

 

[TMHeimer]

I want a hard card, not a phone. I have one, but for the most part, I won't carry it.

I never carry my plastic cards, just photo copies. I heard that a replacement card from PADI was like $45 many years ago.

 

[TMHeimer]

If you want to go "Deep", take a tech class on deco procedures.
"Drift" is a pretty useless cert in my eyes. Same with "Boat". "Shore" might have some merit if you encounter lots of surf.
"Multi-Level" is no longer being offered as there is no wheel. Again, Deco procedures cover all of this.
"NitrOx" is always a good class.
"Underwater Navigator" can be good depending on the instructor. Often, it's the blind leading the blind. Find a Boy Scout to teach you how to use a compass. Join an orienteering club to really learn it.
A great class would be "Rescue Diver", which is a misnomer.
Others would be "First Aid" and "Oxygen Provider", though they won't improve your diving.
If you really want to improve your diving, adding huge amounts of added safety and fun, please, please, please take a cavern course. You might never get into cave diving, but the principles, the trim, the buoyancy, and the mindset are a real gamechanger for most any diver. Best part? They have cookies!

I'm not trying to put dampers on people getting out and diving or even taking training. Join a local club. Find a good dive buddy, maybe even one that can mentor you. Better, if they can dementor you. But, if you're going to do training, then consider doing training that really counts. Be sure to pad those classes with lots and lots of diving. Train to dive, not the other way around.

Agree on some of your assessments. I'm just saying that you do get SOME skill benefit out of a Deep course, Nav, Search & Rescue, Wreck (if you penetrate) even Drift, I suppose. (Boat, no-- shore, no-- just use your noggin' doing that...). As opposed to Fish ID, UW Photog/Vidiographer, Zombie Apocolypse, Nitrox (no dives), National Geographic Diver (the still have that?).

 

[LewCrew]

With the ability to keep diving and learning I have never understood the Master Diver route. Aside from going to Rescue for obvious reasons I don't think paying for a route like that makes sense unless I were to go the instructor route.

 

[TMHeimer]

With the ability to keep diving and learning I have never understood the Master Diver route. Aside from going to Rescue for obvious reasons I don't think paying for a route like that makes sense unless I were to go the instructor route.

It really has nothing to do with the steps toward PADI instructor, except for the requirement of Rescue Diver.

 

[Diver-Drex]

Not everyone wants to or should be doing deco dives. And not everyone needs to take intro to cave or fundies to become better divers with good buoyancy control. If they don’t have ready access to diving and a buddy or group, training with an instructor is their alternative.

 

[MtnDiverColorado]

I am SSI and there is not a specific certification course you take there to be a master diver; if you qualify via number of dives and other certifications, the designation is automatic.

Many of the certifications I've done I think have been sort of "meh" in value delivered. I do think the 'rescue ready' (rescue diver) certification (required to for master diver recognition) was worth it though, and one I would recommend.

 

[The Chairman]

Not everyone wants to or should be doing deco dives.

If you want to do deep, you're going into deco. It's best to know more than you need, than to get bent due to ignorance.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

If you want to do deep, you're going into deco. It's best to know more than you need, than to get bent due to ignorance.

My NAUI tabes say I can do 8 minutes at 130 without deco, but it puts me in group C ... CMMV (computer mileage may vary). Yeah, phucups may drive one to deco but I consider that a failure in the planning/execution. And not likely taking deco bottle with me (outside a 17 pony that's not really a deco bottle) so it would be up to my computer and maybe an extended stop at 15 ft so long as the bottle holds out if all of the computers schited upon my brow.

Actually when doing my deep dive for the deep cert, we stayed within limits at depth, but because the instructor was soooooo slow on the ascent from about 10-14 minutes around 100 ft we continued to tissue load N2 and went into deco en route to the surface. It was a 1:00 obligation at like 10 ft. It washed out though before getting to the safety stop.