Is the PADI Underwater Naturalist specialty worth a damn?

[ScubaSarus]

I favor the underwater naturalist course. When I did mine, I gave my instructor a great lesson on the invertabrates and vertabrates here in the CT Lakes which he didn't know much about. I came away feeling good with knowing I educated someone in an area that I enjoy.

 

[mfalco]

I think that the whole AOW is nothing more than a way for them to take your hard-earned and give you nothing in return except a plastic card which is worthless.

Did you take the course? your profile only says OW.
My AOW course was ver beneficial, and improved my diving.


To answer the original question, I would save your money. They dive might be enjoyable, and you might learn something, but I think it would be getting a certification just to have the certification. If you plan on advancing through PADI to master diver, than it would be worth the money. They require you to have several specialty certifications.

 

[Notso_Ken]

Alright, so here's the sitrep. My instructor has given us the option of doing a sixth dive when we go down to do our AOW dives which will count as an underwater naturalist dive, which in combination with the other one, will allow us to get our PADI Underwater Naturalist specialty. Now, I'm all about getting one extra dive in, and having another cert card is probably cool and all, but is that specialty worth the $100 for the cert fees and course materials cost?

I'm just honestly wary about paying that much for one dive, because if the specialty isn't worth it, well hell I can go dive channel islands for the day with $85 and I'll have $15 leftover for a tip....plenty of other specialties to get such as PPB, Cave diving, etc. that seem actually useful and will still count toward PADI Master Diver.

It depends. What do you REALLY want to get out of the U/W Naturalist class? I think that, for the diving I do anyways, it is worth while to get the AOW card, and Nitrox and dry suit. That way, when I travel I don't have to worry about being restricted to diving air if I would prefer nitrox for a dive, and if I go somewhere like visiting my son in Oregon, I can rent a dry suit to do dives there. So, those 3 cvards have value to me. I also see a good benefit to rescue training. Beyond those . . .

Save up for Nitrox or Deep. Wreck is interesting if that's your type of thing.

I'll agree with Nitrox. Not sure what the reason for a deep or wreck card is. I dive deep, and I dive wrecks. Don't got no deep or wreck cards. (Deep was part of my NAUI AOW training)

I think that the whole AOW is nothing more than a way for them to take your hard-earned and give you nothing in return except a plastic card which is worthless.

Except that there are dive operations that will check for an advanced or higher card for some dives, and reserve the right to check log books as well. I have had cards checked multiple times and log book once so far.

Other than the handful of cards I mentioned earlier, and for specific reasons, I tend to agree with you.


Ken

 

[tedtim]

Short answer: No. It's not worth a damn.

Long answer: There are a VERY FEW instructors that teach wonderful, dedicated UW Naturalist classes. These are almost always taught as standalone specialties, not bundled up with other specialties or certs

How you can tell if you have one of the really good UW Naturalist classes? Ask for a summary of the specific tasks and learning involved. If it looks like the vague, canned crap straight from the manuals, odds are it's a lame class. But if you get this synopsis that's beautifully personalized with site-specific chores, individual animal/plant species you'll be seeing, and exact run-downs of what goes on during each dive, then you probably have a winner.

Agree totally here!

When we went on vacation to Bonaire we did the "dive with the naturalist." I know that this is not in your area, but does illustrate the point archman is making. The session was about three hours during the morning in the classroom focused on the life on the reef using some excellent references including Reef Fish Identification books and software, plus an introduction to the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. Then we did the dive where the instructor led us through the same things he showed us in the classroom. This was a most educational session for us and well worth the $60 each.

Of course, we then bought the software, but that is a separate concern.

The proof of the value for me was watching my wife find all sorts of new things on the reef and her reaction after the dives we did.

No card issued, no card wanted. This was for the educational benefit.

 

[DiveMaven]

We're doing the same thing as Ted, diving with Jerry Ligon of Bonaire Dive and Adventure. However, we're going to do it as a specialty for a few extra dollars. Jerry is the naturalist there and I've only heard great things about him and his course. Since my husband is a photographer and I'm his spotter, we feel that the naturalist course taken from someone like Jerry will only enhance our critter finding abilities.

 

[pir8]

We're doing the same thing as Ted, diving with Jerry Ligon of Bonaire Dive and Adventure. However, we're going to do it as a specialty for a few extra dollars. Jerry is the naturalist there and I've only heard great things about him and his course. Since my husband is a photographer and I'm his spotter, we feel that the naturalist course taken from someone like Jerry will only enhance our critter finding abilities.

Now thats a good reason for taking the class!!!

 

[spectrum]

I have never taken the course but based on a lot of my dive instruction (as a student) experience in general I'd say buy a book and just go diving.

Than being said we were at a shop not long ago and my wife was looking at the sylabus for their PADI Underwater naturalist course. It included 2 evening class sessions and 2 dives as well as some locally pertinent printed matter. If you can get your hooks into a course of that caliber then I would consider it.

Pete

 

[fisherdvm]

I always thought that the specialty is to learn how to dive in the buff. Avoid environmental injuries, etc., and what type of sunscreen to use on the sensitive parts?

 

[ronbeau]

Alright, so here's the sitrep. My instructor has given us the option of doing a sixth dive when we go down to do our AOW dives which will count as an underwater naturalist dive, which in combination with the other one, will allow us to get our PADI Underwater Naturalist specialty. Now, I'm all about getting one extra dive in, and having another cert card is probably cool and all, but is that specialty worth the $100 for the cert fees and course materials cost?

I'm just honestly wary about paying that much for one dive, because if the specialty isn't worth it, well hell I can go dive channel islands for the day with $85 and I'll have $15 leftover for a tip....plenty of other specialties to get such as PPB, Cave diving, etc. that seem actually useful and will still count toward PADI Master Diver.

I agree with Burnsie. Save the money and use it for a rescue course. That $100 would probably pay for most of the cost of a Nitrox course.

 

[bfisher]

I've gt my own thought on most of PADI's specialties, and it mirrors what some others think. Most are just some way of lining somebody's pockets (who prints the books).

Continuing education is one thing. Getting good diving expereience is down by, well, diving and getting experience. Like going on a trip and booking a dive op. You go out roughly 15-20 times a week and do a giant stride from a boat. Now why in the civilized world would you think you need to give somebody good money to take PADI's boat specialty for a plastic card. I think the same analogy fits most of the other so-called specialties.

Boat dive, underwater photo, peak performance bouyancy, and most others are things you can learn just by "doing". Night, deep and navigation should be part of AOW so they're already paid for.

About the only Specialty that I think should be a specialty, and required as part of AOW, is Rescue Diver.

A couple others that I think might be useful are Wreck and Cave, if only for the knowledge of what we should not be doing till we get a lot of training other than just reading a book, taking a knowledge review, and making a simulated dive or two. I believe they call it "Technical Diving".