PADI ReActivate or Dive Theory?

[FirasR]

Hello all. I completed my YMCA Open Water (converted to PADI) & PADI Advanced Open Water certs quite some time ago (1994 & 1998) and only dove a handful of times the last of which was in 2005 up until recently. Last month I went on a family vacation to the Maldives where I did a one-day pool refresher and went on 2 single dives (which were amazing). It rekindled my love of scuba diving, and I signed up for a combo EFR and Rescue Diver course upon returning home. I completed the EFR exam last week, I'm done with the Rescue Diver knowledge component and am just waiting to schedule my pool skills sessions and open water rescue scenarios with my instructor. I've also been on a few boat dives locally which I plan on doing more of to get more diving experience as I pursue more dive certifications before our next vacation (hoping to work my way up to Divemaster eventually).

So with that long winded intro, I'd like to brush up on my basic dive theory knowledge from the Open Water course. Which PADI eLearning course would be the best way to do this: ReActivate or Dive Theory? They can both be done as a self-study course via eLearning which is extremely convenient for me to do in my free time in the evenings after work. I can brush up on my practical skills while diving with my local dive center and attending other certification courses. Appreciating folks' thoughts on this.

 

[mmerriman]

if you want t brush up on dive theory - dive theory. If you want to brush up on practial in water skills - reactivate

 

[oly5050user]

Dive theory. Will most likely be required by your instructor during DM class and if you go on to an IDC as well. Instructor can opt to do class presentations or require online learning during DM course. That said, being "old school" I prefer class presentations. It's not that one method is better than the other, all depends on how well the instructor can relay the information.

 

[FirasR]

Thank you both for the info. Seems like Dive Theory will fit the bill then. Will check with my instructor if taking that now as an eLearning course is ok or not.

@oly I prefer the eLearning option as it let's me save days /evenings away from home & the family for dive trips. Don't want to use up what little leeway my wife gives me with my newfound love/obsession of diving

 

[TMHeimer]

I'm assuming you no longer have or prefer not to just re-read your OW manual? How detailed is the theory you want to review?
Just curious as to what you would have to review from the OW course if your diving is good enough to take Rescue. Perhaps the 20 pool skills (I believe someone said there are 24 now)? If it's those skills, I think there are quite a few videos the last 10 years or so that you can google.

 

[FirasR]

I'm assuming you no longer have or prefer not to just re-read your OW manual? How detailed is the theory you want to review?
Just curious as to what you would have to review from the OW course if your diving is good enough to take Rescue.

I do have an old manual from the 90s that I was thinking of rereading but I'm curious if there's been any new info or changes in certain procedures in the course material since then. Dive computer usage is a new thing for one. I'd like to brush up on navigation. I'd also like to review the basics of diving physics theory to see if there's anything I've forgotten (I'm sure there is). Basic diving skill wise I'm OK with from the 6 dives I've done in the past month.

Basically I'm looking for something to pass the time by with in between certification courses and diving trips The Dive Theory course seems like a good one as I'd get the theory refresh I'm looking for, along with more advanced topics not covered in OW and AOW while also contributing to a future DM course prerequisites.

 

[TMHeimer]

I guess brushing up on theory can't hurt. When I took DM (2009) there was a ton of that--they (PADI) cut some of it out as of 2010.
As far as computers go, I think it's mostly a matter of reading the manual.

 

[FirasR]

As far as computers go, I think it's mostly a matter of reading the manual.

That's good to know, I'll just stick with that for now and reread my old OW manual in between the speciality courses I'll be doing. Might keep dive theory for a bit later then.

 

[rsingler]

You might consider the Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving. Much of the Diving Theory eLearning mirrors this book. An easy read and a nice reference.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DYV1C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MacOBb36HPWCY

And a cool toy to actually "dive your computer" and watch its display in real time is this $50 do-it-yourself pressure pot. I built one and used it to compare the performance and alarms of my and my wife's computers. It puts all the theory of the manual into play, so that you'll actually remember it.
DIY dive computer pressure test chamber. Under $80 | ScubaBoard
DIY dive computer pressure test chamber. Under $80

 

[FirasR]

You might consider the Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving. Much of the Diving Theory eLearning mirrors this book. An easy read and a nice reference.

Thanks for the great recommendations, I'll look into them.