Is the PADI SMB specialty a waste of money?

[Bob DBF]

Depends on how much you need the skill and how good a diver you are. When I needed to learn I bought a bag and practiced, but I had used lift bags and floats for some time. A new diver might need some help, depending on their abilities, but it seems to me a mentor would work as well as a class.



Bob

 

[stuartv]

I think SMB deployment from depth should be taught as part of the Deep specialty, the Wreck specialty, and the Boat Diver specialty (at least). As Deep is one of the required dives in AOW, I think it should also be taught in any AOW course.

I think it's a total rip-off to have a separate specialty cert just for SMB deployment.

 

[Diver0001]

DSMB use is in the OW standard now. It was added a couple of years ago.

R..

 

[RainPilot]

I suspect it's to cover a gap where someone with OW doesn't want to do AOW but still wants to learn dSMB skills.

 

[Scott]

I won't apply to teach the specialty.

As for the best time to teach (D)SMB, Open Water course. I know PADI requires it, SDI does not, but it can be done. Not sure about any other agency or the RSTC standard.

I don't use it as an adventure dive but include DSMB as part of a number of dives. Any adventure dive could have the skill inserted into it.

 

[Diver0001]

I suspect it's to cover a gap where someone with OW doesn't want to do AOW but still wants to learn dSMB skills.

That's the way I imagine PADI sees it.

Personally, I'm with Scott. I don't think there is enough meat on the bone to justify a specialty.

R..

 

[Aanderson81]

Interesting. I didnt know that dSMB was a skill that was part of the OW or AOW course for PADI. Outside what I have self taught I have never come across it in my cert course. My OW instructor made a point of having you watch him as he deployed but i never actually laid hands on one before I bought my own for practice.

 

[Diver0001]

Interesting. I didnt know that dSMB was a skill that was part of the OW or AOW course for PADI. Outside what I have self taught I have never come across it in my cert course. My OW instructor made a point of having you watch him as he deployed but i never actually laid hands on one before I bought my own for practice.

It depends on when you had your course, if it was recently, it was in the standard. It's a dive-flexible skill, which means the instructor can do it during any of the check out dives, and the standard is explicit that the student is required to demonstrate the skill, either on the surface (which imo is pointless) or underwater.

What I do is brief it and demonstrate it during the first check out dive at the end of the dive and then the students have a go during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th dives so they at least get some experience with it.

R..

 

[TMHeimer]

I would think a course is not necessary. Depends maybe on the type of diving you do. The only time I've ever used one was taking courses or demonstrating it to students. On a boat/deep dive it always goes with me of course.

 

[Aanderson81]

It depends on when you had your course, if it was recently, it was in the standard. It's a dive-flexible skill, which means the instructor can do it during any of the check out dives, and the standard is explicit that the student is required to demonstrate the skill, either on the surface (which imo is pointless) or underwater.

What I do is brief it and demonstrate it during the first check out dive at the end of the dive and then the students have a go during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th dives so they at least get some experience with it.

R..

AOW was last year. Interesting.