PADI Deep Diver Specialty

[jaymal]

Sorry if this has been asked before but is there any value or new information to be gleamed from the PADI Deep Diver Specialty. I took the Deep adventure dive and have my AOW and then later on the Rescue card from NAUI.

I've been below 100 fsw 6 times and have an additional ~25 dives in the 60 to 100 fsw range.

Aside from the already learned skills of planning the dive and diving the plan and watching your gauges is there any value to getting the specialty. Aside from of course handing some money over to the LDS so they can watch me do what I normally do?

Thanks!!!

 

[paddler3d]

I did my Deep Cert with SDI, but I imagine they would be similar.

The first dive we went down to 65ft. I had to answer some questions that were given to me on a dive slate, one what about color. At the end of the SS, I had to blow a bag.

The second dive we went down to 125ft. I again had to answer some math questions. I had to switch to an alternate air source. At the beginning of the SS, I had to blow a bag.

I actually enjoyed the class.

I didn't get my advanced rating until I had somewhere around 130 dives. I got my advanced rating because I needed it for dive master. I had a lot of dives in the 100ft + range.

There is the security of having an instructor there with you, but there is always the opportunity to learn something new.

We'll see what others have to say.

 

[wjknobles]

It all depends on what you are looking for and what you hope to gain out of the class. Specialties such as night, deep, etc. do serve a purpose in guiding you through the experience and helping you learn techniques you may not have acquired yet.

Of course, what will make the course truly worthwhile is the instructor. There are quite a few things a great instructor can do in a deep class that will make it a great class to take ... the problem is finding that instructor. Find an instructor that will evaluate your skills and then build from there ... teaching you skills that you do not have yet, and making you practice those you have already learned. Find an instructor that is more concerned with what you get out of the class than how many cert cards they can sell you. Also, don't worry about the agency as much as you worry about the quality of the course.

From where you are in the world you might want to look into some of the courses offered by Unified Team Diving

 

[DevonDiver]

Depending on the instructor, you could expect to develop some much more precise dive planning skills - SAC rates, consumption calculations etc.

Also the dive skills should develop... more controlled ascents, deep stops, emergency decompression, redundant air sources etc etc etc

 

[AndrewA]

As has already been said it depends what you want from the course. However I think that if you realy plan to do deeper / longer dives you should consider an Advanced Nitrox & Deco Procedures course rather than the PADI Deep Spec. You will learn a lot more and I think progress your diving further.

 

[DevonDiver]

AndrewA...that's one big hell of a step up. The PADI Deep Spec can be run as a nice intro to that way of diving... but doesn't require such a substantial investment in time and money. Jumping up to the technical level is something that you need to plan in advance...and equip yourself for.

 

[Kingpatzer]

I took my deep dive specialty with a guy who does tech instruction as well as PADI stuff, and who is an active deep wreck diver. The course was of much greater value than the book could ever suggest.

Oddly, for all the emphasis placed on deep diving protocols in the book, I've yet to see a PADI dive shop hang a couple of tanks over the side of the boat when they know folks are diving deep

 

[bill22]

... Oddly, for all the emphasis placed on deep diving protocols in the book, I've yet to see a PADI dive shop hang a couple of tanks over the side of the boat when they know folks are diving deep

This was standard practice when I dived with Sea Dive Resort (a PADI 5 Star Resort) in Coron, Philippines. MDA (Micronesian Divers Association) in Guam (a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center) lowered a bar for divers to hang on for safety stop and also had air there when we dived the Blue Hole and The Crevice, both deep dives.

So there are two PADI dive shops (also two of the most professionally run ones I've dived with) who follow protocol

In reply to the OP, I think it depends on both you and the instructor. Everyone is different. If you feel like it's something you want to do, then why not? You likely will learn something and will get a chance to practice some skills with an instructor to critique and provide feedback. I'd subtract the cost of what the dives would normally cost anyway and see if you think it's something reasonable.

On the other hand, I likely have dozens of dives below a 100 feet (would have to go back and count) and never did the Deep Diver Specialty. My only specialties or Cavern, Wreck, and Nitrox. But I do have close to 400 dives now and should be completing Divemaster tomorrow... perhaps that makes up for it

 

[DevonDiver]

I took my deep dive specialty with a guy who does tech instruction as well as PADI stuff, and who is an active deep wreck diver. The course was of much greater value than the book could ever suggest.

Oddly, for all the emphasis placed on deep diving protocols in the book, I've yet to see a PADI dive shop hang a couple of tanks over the side of the boat when they know folks are diving deep

That's standard for us...on all dives, not just deep ones

 

[Tigerman]

Depending on the instructor, you could expect to develop some much more precise dive planning skills - SAC rates, consumption calculations etc.

Also the dive skills should develop... more controlled ascents, deep stops, emergency decompression, redundant air sources etc etc etc

Ascents, emergency decompression, hang tanks, sac rates, consumption calculations and dive planning was all covered in the deep part of AOW. Redundant "on-diver" air sources was one of the topics, but not practiced which would be the only part of what you mentioned that wasnt..
If thats the norm or just me getting lucky with the instructor I cant say for sure, but it was part of my AOW.

I took my deep dive specialty with a guy who does tech instruction as well as PADI stuff, and who is an active deep wreck diver. The course was of much greater value than the book could ever suggest.

Oddly, for all the emphasis placed on deep diving protocols in the book, I've yet to see a PADI dive shop hang a couple of tanks over the side of the boat when they know folks are diving deep

In april thats exactly what the dive shop Im unsing in Egypt did when we were diving the thistlegorm. Nobody needed it, but thats also kidna why theire there - not to be used :tongue:
(As in theire not supposed to be used unless an incident occurs - like bad gas management)