PADI Specialties Explained

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RikRaeder

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Location
Oakland, Ca
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Can anyone direct me to where I can get some more detailed explanations of PADI's specialty programs please (ie: something more than a verbose rehash of the title).

You drift down and pass through a window into the past. As you near the bottom, a recognizable shape begins to form. First, you see a straight line, then a round window. Next, a ship materializes in front of you. As you look at the wreck, past and the present meet.

Whether sunk intentionally or tragically, whether a sunken ship, a plane or an automobile, the call of wrecks is nearly irresistible to divers. Through the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty course, you get the skills, knowledge and procedures you need to answer the call of wreck diving.



And those skills and procedures would be.....what exactly?
 
Which ones in particular did you have in mind? Give a bit more detail and folks will gladly help you out.

Ray
 
Get hold of an PADi Speciality Instructor's CD ROM.
 
I was thinking specifically of:
Multi-level Diver
Deep Diver
Navigation
Wreck
Cavern
Drift
Peak Performance Buoyancy

But would be happy to see what the classes entail for others.
Specialty Instructor's CD ROM sounds handy, but a bit troublesome to obtain although I'll start looking into it. Thanks folks.
 
RikRaeder:
Navigation

Learn how to find your way back to the exit point, something they should have taught you in the OW class.

RikRaeder:

Learn to let the current carry you along, something you learn in a 30 second briefing if you pass on the class.

RikRaeder:
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Learn buoyancy control, something they should have taught you in the OW class.
 
The open water classes used to be better, unfortunately the 'demand' for the quicker 2 weekend class has minimized what they taught you. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the agencies push to change that to a one weekend class....


As for PADI speciality descriptions, I think that many of them are taught like this from what some people have told me about the classes they took.

PADI Wreck Diver:
Do a 15 minute breifing on doing a wreck dive, then do required number of dives "with" a PADI instructor, pay your fee, get a card.

PADI Night Diver:
Do a 15 minute breifing on doing a Night dive, then do required number of dives "with" a PADI instructor, pay your fee, get a card.

And so on...

I think if they are going to charge $200 to $250 for a class, or more, plus the costs of the dives or LDS trip, you should at least get something out of it.

Often you've got a LDS trip that has one or two instructors doing many different classes underwater. they'll be several students from those doing AOW to wreck class on the same dive. It's not like you're really diving with the instructor at that point, much less getting instruction.
 
IMO, the value of a course depends in large part on the instructor. Properly conducted, and especially if tailored to challenge the individual student, I think any of the courses, including Buoyancy and Navigation can be worthwhile.

PADI course overviews for those you asked about follow. The learning objectives from each course would be a much longer list.

Multi-level Diver
1. the planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of multilevel diving.
2. definition and advantages of multilevel diving.
3. methods of calculating multilevel dives (The Wheel and/or dive computers).
4. review of decompression sickness theory.
5. review of emergency decompression procedures.
6. review of PADI’s S.A.F.E. campaign.
7. procedures for flying after diving.
8. guidelines, rules and procedures for multilevel diving with the Wheel and/or diving computers.
9. care and maintenance of dive computers.


Deep Diver
1. planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of deep diving
2. risk factors and decompression-tables review
3. safety stops and emergency decompression procedures
4. special equipment, descent lines and buoyancy-control considerations
5. procedures for flying after diving and high-altitude diving
6. orientation to recompression chambers


Navigation
1. the planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of underwater navigation.
2. methods of estimating distances underwater.
3. natural navigation techniques.
4. using underwater patterns.
5. dive site relocation techniques.
6. compass navigation techniques.


Wreck
1. the planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of wreck diving
2. the preparation and use of lights, air supplies, special equipment, penetration lines and reels
3. limited-visibility diving techniques and emergency procedures


Cavern
1. the planning, organization procedures, techniques, problems, and hazards of cavern diving
2. special equipment considerations including, but not limited to: lighting, guidelines, reel handling and redundant breathing systems
3. proper body position and buoyancy control, air-consumption management and emergency procedures
4. information that describes the specific hazards of cavern diving should include, but not be limited to: silting, line entanglement and breakage, disorientation from permanent lines and emergency situations unique to cavern diving

Drift:
1. the planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of drift diving.
2. special equipment -- floats, lines, reels.
3. proper procedures for buoyancy-control, navigation and communication.
4. site selection and overview of aquatic currents – causes and effects.
5. techniques for staying close to a buddy or together as a group.

Peak Performance Buoyancy:
1. Peak Performance Buoyancy fundamentals:
• Buoyancy check.
• Fine-tuning buoyancy underwater.
• Weight position and distribution.
• Streamlining.
• Visualization.
2. Use of PADI’s “Basic Weighting Guidelines.”
3. An opportunity to polish buoyancy control beyond the Open Water Diver level:
• Positioning and distributing weight for comfort and desired body position (trim in the water).
• Visualization techniques prior to dives.
• Buoyancy checks.
• Establishing neutral buoyancy during all segments of a dive.
• Fine-tuning neutral buoyancy underwater.
• Hovering.
 
knotical:
Drift:
1. the planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of drift diving.
2. special equipment -- floats, lines, reels.
3. proper procedures for buoyancy-control, navigation and communication.
4. site selection and overview of aquatic currents – causes and effects.
5. techniques for staying close to a buddy or together as a group.

You don't learn the difference between drift diving, float diving and live boating?
 
Great Knotical. That's the kind of info that I was after. Thanks so much.
 
Walter:
Learn how to find your way back to the exit point, something they should have taught you in the OW class.



Learn to let the current carry you along, something you learn in a 30 second briefing if you pass on the class.

Learn buoyancy control, something they should have taught you in the OW class.

Don't forget to sign your check at the end of each statement
 

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