PADI Drift Diver Course, private guide, neither, or both?

[gopbroek]

Does the drift dive speciality teach deployment of a SMB? Maybe a private DM can teach that on the side? Seems to me they could teach it well seeing as they do it so very often.

I know a pretty good number of DM’s from the various shops in Cozumel and believe all would take the time help you learn to deploy a SMB while acting as a PDM. It’s a skill that they wish every diver had. That being said it should be discussed prior to the dive so everyone knows what to expect. The caveat to this is to be realistic, your safety (and more importantly the safety of the DM, they normally have a family to feed) comes first, if you are a novice diver still working on your basic skills or the conditions are dangerous the opportunity may not present itself.

That being said I would be more worried about a paid instruction course in which the instructor felt obligated to teach SMB deployment in less than favorable conditions. Deploying a SMB is a very basic and a simple task, right up to the point it turns into an entanglement and rapidly goes south. Once the skill is learned please practice it in benign conditions, when it is not needed, so that when the sh!t hits the fan muscles memory takes over.

 

[CassieNYC]

2) DON’T get out ahead of your DM.

I'm a big fan of the private DM route. If you are with experienced divers and/or avid photographers who stop to focus on things, it is amazingly easy to violate DjDiverDan's guideline #2 as you are learning to deal with the current. I say that as someone who learned the part about the current being way different 5 feet off of the bottom than on the bottom (where my private DM was) by experience over Labor Day. After the dive, he was like "why were you going so fast?" Well, because that is how fast the current was going where I was. Still lots to learn.

 

[DjDiverDan]

This article from Scuba Diving Magazine just happened to show up in my inbox today:

Tips For Drift Diving

 

[kelemvor]

True, but a big difference imo between a DM guide for a group and a private DM that will be your buddy for the dives and focusing on you.

Not only that, but if you're with a group - invariably one guy will be either way out in front of the group or way behind. Then you've got to waste gas trying to get the group back together. It's a frustrating waste of time and air imo.

Since a DM is required in Coz, private DM is a far better option. He'll stick with you rather than you needing to stick with him (unless you screw up, I suppose).

 

[AdivingBel]

Given your level of experience (50 dives), I would say no to the drift diving course. You could certainly try the private DM route, but I suggest you just be upfront with your dive op about your experience and concerns. If they are a quality dive op (and there are lots in Coz), they will have insight into what would work best. That is their job and it won't be their first rodeo. All IMHO, YMMV. Have fun.