OW versus higher levels and other new diver questions

[cmp0028]

I am currently enrolled in a class at my college for SCUBA diving. When I finish (in December), I will have my Open Water certification with SSI. We meet for "lecture" once a week, and I did five three-hour pool sessions for my confined water experience. We did the first two weeks in shallow water, and the next three in the diving well (16 ft). I felt reasonably comfortable with my pool experience, other than a bad experience with mask clearing/retrieval in the second week. My amazing instructor worked with me until we realized that my issue was that I would try to breathe through my nose when my mask was entirely off causing me to swallow water and choke. Thankfully, we were able to fix that problem that week and I was able to catch up with the rest of my group.

I have logged all the dives necessary to get my certification. I did my snorkel dive and three open water dives one day in a local lake, and I did four additional open water dives this past weekend, two in Vortex Springs (cold!) and two in Panama City. I was incredibly underweighted for my first dive in Panama City (I was using 6 lbs), but my second dive went much better (11 lbs). I feel comfortable with the basics of diving, but I have realized that I don't have great buoyancy control and while I know what to do in emergency situations (like running out of air or air sharing, etc.) I am worried that I would not actually be able to do this in a real emergency situation. I'm also worried that there is somewhat of a gap in my education when it comes to the basics of planning a dive (I know how to work a dive table, but I could some practice) and diving without an instructor by my side.

I won't be able to dive again (unfortunately) until next spring when I am going back to the Springs and Panama City to get the specialties in Night and Nitrox and complete my Specialty Diver certification. While I feel comfortable diving, I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on how to fix my worries about possible gaps in my education. I may not be able to do any more training courses and will probably not dive too much outside of vacations (like cruises), and I want to make sure that I have sufficient experience for this.

Also, I do not own my own equipment, other than fins, snorkel, mask, and weight belt (with 6 lbs, but I am buying 6 more in a few days). Is this okay? I know it is recommended that you but your own equipment, but as a freshman in college, I am not at a point where that kind of expense is feasible. Hopefully when I graduate and have an actual job I will be able to afford it (and I do intend to make that investment eventually), just not now.

Lastly, what are the essential differences between an Open Water certification (what I have now) and a Specialty Diver certification (what I will get in the spring). I know for the specialty, you need seven additional logged dives plus two specializations, but are there any differences in how deep you are able to dive? How deep can you dive with an OW cert? How long are the certifications good for (do you ever need to be recertified)? I have tried asking some divers that I know (all SSI trained), but everyone gives me different answers.

Thank you so much, and sorry for the long post!

 

[walrus2]

Open Water is the standard entry level certification that scuba businesses normally ask for for rentals or charters etc. SSI's is pretty comparable to PADI's. For endless reading there are threads on scubaboard that discuss in detail what's wrong with Open Water courses in general, but coming out of OW with similar doubts you have is common. My solution was to dive with more experienced divers for a while, with as important condition that you stay in control of what you want to do/limit yourself to (depth, conditions).

Specialty Diver is an SSI-specific card that is not recognized as useful by anyone else and does not open any additional opportunities. Advanced Open Water is sometimes required by boat operators for more challenging conditions (e.g. deeper than 60 ft but sometimes also challenging in other ways, e.g. current sensitive or dark) and is widely recognized and useful as card. SSI's AOW is different from PADI. It requires 24 dives experience and 4 specialties, whereas PADI's is much easier to get. I actually got a PADI AOW card because I went on a club dive trip after getting SSI AOW to dive with people with more experience and they basically threw in an AOW card because the trip leader was an instructor. We did do the required AOW dives but the only 'unusual' one is navigation, the rest can be normal dives (e.g. night, deep, drysuit, nitrox). Other agencies have more thorough (much more thorough, in some cases) requirements. It doesn't matter for the card in terms of dive operators.

When I did SSI courses the flow between courses was all over their textbooks, did you have a look at the figure with their full program?

I rented equipment for a while, then bought a regulator and computer, then the rest of what I needed (tanks, weights and drysuit last). I think this is fine. SSI has a weird hangup about the 'total dive system' or something like that and a strong link to dive shops but buying gear by bits and pieces is not bad, and buying expensive gear like regulators and BCs actually benefits from having more experience.

 

[Tigerman]

Mask, fins, snorkel is basic gear that most classes require you to buy. When it comes to weights, its not really a necessary to own them as long as you don't own the rest of the gear, its usually included when renting gear.

When it comes to your worries about being able to perform the basic skills in RL situations theres really only one way to "get there" and thats to dive, practice, dive, practice and then do it some more. The fact that you get certified should mean that you will be able to do the skills as long as you keep cool, so should you need it in a RL situation its much about the mantra stop, think, act.
If you do practice your drills and by that build confidence in them, youll be surprised how automatic you do them if/when needed.

 

[cmp0028]

My instructor made us do the skills multiple times each pool session (and I'm very happy he did!) and also during our first open water dive. Thank you; that does make me feel better. I guess I realized tonight after reading through some of the other threads that I know MUCH less than I thought I did about diving (which was definitely a good realization for me to have), and that while I feel comfortable with open water diving (in Panama City, we did one extra dive beyond what was necessary for our certifications, so I was allowed to go with a buddy and no instructor, and I wasn't nervous at all), I still need a lot of practice.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Once you are certified, you just need to go out and dive. You can't expect to improve as a diver if you aren't diving on a regular basis and practicing your skills.

If you don't feel comfortable doing dives without the instructor, you have a few different options:

1. Hire a divemaster or instructor to accompany you on dives outside of class. (Unfortunately, this costs money.)
2. Sign up for more classes. (Unfortunately, this requires formalized scheduling. You might not have the time.)
3. Dive with more experienced people. If your school has scuba instruction, it probably has a student-run scuba club. Join it. It will get you hooked into the local diving community. Expand your circle of potential dive buddies so that you have more opportunities to dive. The college club might also offer discounts to local dive shops. Take advantage of those deals if you can.
4. Take baby steps. Grab a buddy and dive the same sites you did for your OW training. The site should be quite familiar. Plan your bottom time conservatively.

After my OW certification, I gained experience by doing #3 and #4.

One glaring hole in some agencies' OW instruction is gas management. Bob Bailey (NWGratefulDiver here on ScubaBoard) wrote an excellent essay on this subject. Read through it a couple of times. You'll be glad you did. In fact, if you have the time, read the other articles on his website as well. It's time well spent.

 

[DevonDiver]

I have realized that I don't have great buoyancy control

That's a pretty normal situation at the end of an entry-level training course. There's lots of resources and information available here on SB about improving your buoyancy control - but you need to get into the water regularly to actually make those gains. To be honest, a good diver should never be satisfied with the quality of their buoyancy control; there's always improvements that can be made. After 20 years and 4500+ dives, I still strive to perfect my buoyancy on every dive.

while I know what to do in emergency situations (like running out of air or air sharing, etc.) I am worried that I would not actually be able to do this in a real emergency situation.

It's good to recognise that knowing a skill is different to ingraining that skill, so that you can rely upon it in a high-stress emergency situation.

Repetition is the key. Practice, practice and more practice. As you improve, make that practice progressively more realistic and demanding. This is something you can do ideally in a swimming pool or other confined water environment.

I'm also worried that there is somewhat of a gap in my education when it comes to the basics of planning a dive (I know how to work a dive table, but I could some practice) and diving without an instructor by my side.

You don't need to actually do the dive, in order to practice planning them. Again, there's lots of resources here on SB that will increase your dive planning ability. Pay particular regard to exercises on gas management - this is often something neglected on entry-level training courses.

I won't be able to dive again (unfortunately) until next spring when I am going back to the Springs and Panama City

Why not? Where are you? Unless you're registered at Kabul University, then there's a high likelihood of there being local diving clubs in your area. Money might be an issue, but you should investigate whether there are other things you can provide in return for diving. For instance, providing help at a shop, designing websites, helping out with website SEO... if you ask around, you might find you have a skillset and/or time that can be exchanged for some freebie diving with a club or shop.

I do not own my own equipment, other than fins, snorkel, mask, and weight belt (with 6 lbs, but I am buying 6 more in a few days). Is this okay?

Rental is always an option. From a 'return on investment' perspective, you need to balance the frequency and cost of using rental against the long-term benefits of buying your own gear.

I know it is recommended that you but your own equipment, but as a freshman in college, I am not at a point where that kind of expense is feasible. Hopefully when I graduate and have an actual job I will be able to afford it (and I do intend to make that investment eventually), just not now.

If time is not a pressing issue, then just collect equipment when a bargain comes along. Keep your eyes on Ebay and Craigslist - there's lots of affordable stuff on there if you have the patience and time to wait for the occasional super-bargain to happen. Also, keep your eyes on the local thrift and second-hand shops - occasionally you get decent scuba kit available for amazing prices.

Do a lot of research on scuba kit - so when a bargain comes along you will be educated about whether to snatch it up, or not.

Lastly, what are the essential differences between an Open Water certification (what I have now) and a Specialty Diver certification (what I will get in the spring). I know for the specialty, you need seven additional logged dives plus two specializations, but are there any differences in how deep you are able to dive? How deep can you dive with an OW cert?

This should have been explained to you during the course. Depth limitations are only ever 'recommended limits' from the agency. However, many scuba operations will impose those recommendations as mandatory limits within their business operating policies. It's normally 18m/60ft for OW certification.

That said, limits should always be set by the individual diver. Know your own limitations and stay at depths where you are absolutely confident to ensure your own safety. Depth is only one small part of the 'risk equation' - consider other issues like current, water temperature, site topography, visibility etc.

By staying shallow, you maintain the option to ascend easily and quickly to the surface should you encounter a problem that you'd otherwise struggle to deal with. As a novice diver, most problems would be a struggle to deal with...

A plastic card means nothing, when it comes to your own, personal limitations.

How long are the certifications good for (do you ever need to be recertified)?

Valid for life, although you should always respect (and acknowledge) the 'skill fade' that occurs during periods on inactivity. Most dive operations offer refresher training... and some (the responsible ones) will insist on it, if you haven't dived in a while. That 'skill fade' is very relevant to your overall training and experience - if you have ingrained skills with experience, then the fade will be much slower. An inexperienced diver, without ingrained skills, will lose their capability very quickly.

You shouldn't ever need to take a full training course again - but just be realistic about your limitations and capability - seek refresher training of an appropriate intensity when you need to. It's about your personal safety, and that's not worth taking decisions on a financial cost basis.

 

[TMHeimer]

All good info. I might add that if you have to go long periods without diving review all the stuff from class--re-read the manual, review the skills by doing what you can on land and mentally picture doing some. Memorize stuff. I know doing this is like 2% as good as actually diving, but it does help--at least you'll have a lot of stuff in the right order in your mind. I've taken this approach a lot and it has helped me. Example: There's nothing hard about assisting an out-of-air diver--but if you haven't memorized the several steps thoroughly I can be confusing. Same thing with taking the scuba unit off and back on.

 

[drrich2]

...but are there any differences in how deep you are able to dive? How deep can you dive with an OW cert?

There are usually no 'Scuba Police' patrolling the 60 foot mark, but from what I've seen on the forum, and given that my experience is with PADI (I suspect SSI is similar):

1.) It's often recommended a basic OW diver set a 60 foot depth ceiling, or less based on comfort level & the conditions at hand, of course. That said, many people with 'just' an OW cert. are experienced & skilled divers who go much deeper. The value of advanced training varied with the Instructor quite a bit. And the student, of course.

2.) It's my understanding with PADI Advanced OW it's recommended not to get over 100 feet deep, and with the Deep Diver Specialty, not to get over 130 feet deep.

On a practical level, there have been reports of some charter boats not wanting to let people with 'only' an OW cert. dive over 60' deep. It's my understanding from this forum that is not the majority of cases, but it can come up.

Also, I do not own my own equipment, other than fins, snorkel, mask, and weight belt (with 6 lbs, but I am buying 6 more in a few days). Is this okay?

Sure. And maybe you'll learn what you like so you can get (buy) it right the first time when you get your stuff. Rental fees can get bad, of course. If you will dive often locally, you'll eventually want your own gear. If you'll mainly dive on distant trips, well, some people prefer to rent anyway.

Richard.

 

[tstormdiver]

Lastly, what are the essential differences between an Open Water certification (what I have now) and a Specialty Diver certification (what I will get in the spring). I know for the specialty, you need seven additional logged dives plus two specializations, but are there any differences in how deep you are able to dive? How deep can you dive with an OW cert? How long are the certifications good for (do you ever need to be recertified)? I have tried asking some divers that I know (all SSI trained), but everyone gives me different answers.

The other have answered your questions above. I agree that these differences should have been explained during your course. You can find most of it in Ch. 6 of your manual. To earn a specialty diver rating, you must have 2 full specialty courses & at total of 12 logged dives. How you are able to dive depends on the specialties taken & the quality of education given you by the instructor. As for how deep you would be qualified to go, it depends on if any of the specialties is a deep diver course. If a deep diver course has been taken, then you are qualified to dive to the recreational maximum of 130 ft,.... however SSI recommends that divers not go below 100ft. If you do not have a deep specialty, it is recommended that you not go below 60ft with out professional supervision (instructor). Certifications are good for life,... However, if it has been an extended amount of time since you have dove (a year or so or if you feel uncomfortable with any skills) it is recommended to do a refresher course before diving in open water. Hope that helps.

 

[AfterDark]

My take is we don't learn to dive in courses these get us ready to learn. The real learning like anything else comes with the doing. The gap in your education is the long lapses between dives, You need to find place(s) to dive where you live. You can't work on your bouyancy control in your living room. I never got anything beyond OW because it was long ago I was able to learn by doing. Almost two thousands dives later I've learned more then I would ever learn in classes. These days one can't take that as far as it was able to be years ago, without the means to do the dives one wants to do, mostly a boat and of course a mentor or two. Find a dive shop or club near you join / get a buddy and dive!