Is the PADI SMB specialty a waste of money?

[buiszie]

PADI SMB Specialty

Since a few years PADI has a SMB specialty. Not a lot people new this but after introducing the revised Advanced Open Water Diver Manual people became aware of it. There is a SMB adventure dive!

Now i like have a discussion about the need of this Specialy, or is it a waste of money for the students? And if you think it is an underrated specialty when is the best time to introduce student divers with the SMB. And how should you do it?

San

 

[Patoux01]

It's ********, and divers should be taught properly launching an SMB from OW.

 

[scubadada]

It's been a long time since I took AOW, 2004. PADI does not teach DSMB in OW. Personally, I think it is a perfectly fine dive to include as one of the 5 for AOW, more valuable than many of the alternatives.

 

[chrisch]

It really depends. Does the course include teaching you to deploy a dSMB from mid water with good buoyancy? If so it is not a waste of money. I do not think this is a core part of the course and so it is up to the instructor. An SMB (as opposed to a dSMB) is probably something you can learn without a lot of help and if that is all there is in it then yes it is a waste of time and money.

 

[RainPilot]

I teach SMB on the AOW course in the pool then after that every student deploys an SMB on every dive after that. If they do fine with that I teach them how to deploy one and then recover it while remaining at depth as a challenge.

I can't imagine how I would even begin to do an SMB course that wouldn't feel like I was ripping them off.

 

[Patoux01]

PADI does not teach DSMB in OW.

I think it is mandatory to have that done at least once in OW now. At least that's what I read a few times, and what my instructor told me 4 years ago.

 

[RainPilot]

On OW course with RAID a SMB deployment on the surface is taught. I believe PADI is the same (RSTC standards)

 

[Patoux01]

So y'all are literally blowing in a tube on the surface and call it "something to be taught"?

 

[RainPilot]

Yep. Same as taking a reg out your mouth and putting it back in needs to be "taught".

Since none of my students have ever seen an SMB before their course, it is a skill that needs to be taught. Takes all of 30 seconds but still needs to be covered.

I don't charge them extra for it though...

 

[Wookie]

RAID teaches it as an open water skill. Included in the price of admission. So to answer your initial question with a question, why pay extra for something that should be included in the price. Of course, RAID and NASE teach buoyancy and trim, and PADI has an extra class for that too, so I guess if you can get them to pay more for basic skillz......