PADI Wreck, Deep and Boat specialties in one trip?

[MtnPlayVA]

I am going to SC to do the PADI wreck specialty with my LDS. The class and pool time will be done prior to the trip. Is it possible to also do the deep and boat specialties at the same time? I'm AOW so I already have one deep and one wreck dive. I know wreck requires 4 dives - what is the requirement for the deep and boat specialty courses? Is there anything else required (other than the book and knowledge reviews)? Thanks - Julie

 

[scubajcf]

I am going to SC to do the PADI wreck specialty with my LDS. The class and pool time will be done prior to the trip. Is it possible to also do the deep and boat specialties at the same time? I'm AOW so I already have one deep and one wreck dive. I know wreck requires 4 dives - what is the requirement for the deep and boat specialty courses? Is there anything else required (other than the book and knowledge reviews)? Thanks - Julie

Deep requires 4 dives and boat requires 2 dives. It is "at the instructor's discretion" as to whether or not they will accept your AOW dives as a part of the referral.

My advice. Don't rush it. Truly learn and practice your skills.

You only get as much out of it as you put into it. If you rush through it; you won't be putting too much into it.

Be qualified versus certified

jcf

 

[mikeb663]

My advice would also be not to rush it. I did the deep diver over an entire weekend. It is a great course and provides alot of important imformation. I think that you will probably take more away from the classes by separating them. Be sure to learn the procedures and become a better diver - don't just collect the cards! Just a thought Have Fun

 

[MtnPlayVA]

It's the cost involved in the travel that is making me question if it is possible to do more than one specialty. The wrecks we are going to are all between 70 and 110 feet so they could be deep or wreck dives depending on what I needed for each course. They'll all be off a boat so I figured I could do that one too. I'm not so much into collecting cards vs saving a little money on the travel part of getting certified in the specialties. I could do wreck or deep up in PA at Dutch Springs but wanted to go some place new - and in salt water The LDS is doing a trip to Key Largo in November so I'll be doing more training there (at least I hope they are offering some). Not in a rush but I love learning, just wish it wasn't so expensive!

Thanks for the info.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

If the instructor let you count the AOW Deep and Wreck dives, you would still need 3 Deep dives and 3 Wreck dives, plus the 2 Boat dives. Each training dive can only be ONE training dive, so that would require 8 dives. If these are 2-tank charters, are the second dives deep enough and or on wrecks? That would require at least 4 2-tank trips if all the second dives count, plus the extra expense of 3 Specialties.

 

[texdiveguy]

I might suggest you continue your plans for doing your PADI Wreck specialty....and as part of that as you mentioned you will be gaining some additional 'boat' and 'deep' diving experience. It really does not matter if you get those other cards....you can work toward those as more time/trips allow you as in your Nov. trek.
Be safe and enjoy!!

 

[MtnPlayVA]

Each training dive can only be ONE training dive, so that would require 8 dives.

I should have been more specific in my first question - this is what I was wanting to know. In the Wreck book it says something that made me think that the dives could be counted for both deep and wreck at the same time...which would save money on trips. My eventual goal is OW Instructor or Divemaster. I know I have a long way to go before I reach that goal.
Thanks everyone for all of the info! I'll try to be more specific in my questions next time! That's what I get for trying to work and read the boards at the same time!!

I am really looking forward to the trip to Murrell's Inlet. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and make my first Atlantic Ocean dives nice and calm

Julie

 

[Don Wray]

Hi Julie. The other poster told you correctly. You may not combine dives to meet requirements. One reason is both deep and wreck have skills you must do in order to qualify for the specialty. It would be too task extensive to try to do all the skills in one dive for the two specialties. So for the specialties you referenced, 8 dives would be required. While some agencies do allow combination, PADI does not. Have a great trip.

 

[Charlie99]

You need to look at WHY you are going after the various certs.

IMO, there is no reason at all why you should bother with a Boat Specialty cert.

Similarly, while some diveops like those in the Florida Keys want to see an AOW cert before taking divers out to the deeper wrecks, they don't care about a "Deep certification".

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Figure out what you want to learn. Then talk with your instructor about that and work out a program that works for the two of you.

 

[MtnPlayVA]

You need to look at WHY you are going after the various certs.

IMO, there is no reason at all why you should bother with a Boat Specialty cert.

Figure out what you want to learn. Then talk with your instructor about that and work out a program that works for the two of you.

Don't you eventually have to have 5 specialties as a prerequisite for divemaster/instructor training? I have a long way to go before I am at that level, but if I can do them while on a trip, it will give me a different experience than the quarry diving I've been diving.
My plans were to do the wreck course this trip but in the beginning of the book PADI mentions something about combining them - which brought up this whole topic. I'm all for taking things slow and not task overloading. Especially since this will be my first post cert ocean dive. That in itself is a big enough change that I don't want to be taking two classes. Maybe I misunderstood what PADI was suggesting but I read it as one dive would count for both the wreck and deep course. Since I haven't seen the deep diver course book, I don't know what the skills are but it looks to me like the wreck skills will be more than enough for me on this trip.
I also don't know what the boat course covers so it might also be more task overload but I figured it didn't hurt to ask and get the opinions of all you experienced divers.
I'll continue on with my original plan - take the wreck course and enjoy my first Atlantic ocean dives (I've done Discover Dives in Belize prior to getting certified).

Julie