Peak Buoyancy Specialty Course

[Rukkian]

Thanks so much for everyone's advice. The majority seem to think it is a good idea to get some extra help so I believe that is what I will do. I also agree that practice will definitely help me improve; with assistance, I can ensure I am practicing the correct things. The other common theme seems to be "it depends on the instructor," which seems logical. I have the good fortune of having a son work for an airline so I can fly, stand by, for free. I plan on getting my AOW in the keys or Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. Can anyone recommend a good instructor in that area that I could seek out?

I have nothing to compare it to, but I took my aow at Rainbow reef in Key Largo. Tyler Shaw was my instructor. I wanted to dive, and the cert was not much more than just doing 5 dives. I did the ppb as one of them, and he helped dial in much better. We also figured out I was overweighted (dropped from 22 to 12 lbs). I was doing weight checks, but was overcompensating, and was starting from what I used with a 7mm in fresh water. It was a good base, and now do not feel I need the full course, but ymmv. Not saying my buoyancy is anywhere near perfect, but I am constantly working on it. It also helps if you have decent dive buddies you can ask to give pointers as well.

 

[Diving Dubai]

One thing i will say is that buoyancy takes practice, so grab every opportunity you can, and don't discount "Boring" pool sessions as if you have decent control in less than 3m of water, you'll be a buoyancy ninja in 20 meters! Also, small pools are really good for making you sort out your finning including your back kick ;-)

I prefer teaching PPB in a pool or shallow confined water, where you can get the student to really focus and drill down to the detail with ease with minimum distraction. My end goal for them is to complete a mask remove replace, in the shallow end, while remaining in trim and neither touching the surface nor the bottom

Unfortunately quite a few students want you to wave a magic wand to sort them while they have a pretty dive

While people argue that all these skills are taught in OW, the reality is, during the course there's an information overload with theory and practical concepts in an alien environment. Students can fail to fully grasp or even forget. A skill performed repeatedly well on day 2 might be a cluster on day 4

As an analogy; when I was stupid enough to think glf was a great pastime, I would perform well with the pro and shortly thereafter, then I'd get lazy with my grip and swing etc, and 6 months later be back at the pro to sort out al the bad habits I'd "self taught" myself

While of course there are bad instructors, but that's not always the default reason

 

[BoltSnap]

Unfortunately quite a few students want you to wave a magic wand to sort them while they have a pretty dive

Yes, exactly. And people don't want to exert any effort to learn, they expect you to magically open their skull and upload the information directly into their brain without any effort on their part. I see this here where I am now more so than I remember in the US.


I agree with your post entirely 100%. Amazing

 

[OnTheMark]

I have nothing to compare it to, but I took my aow at Rainbow reef in Key Largo. Tyler Shaw was my instructor. I wanted to dive, and the cert was not much more than just doing 5 dives. I did the ppb as one of them, and he helped dial in much better. We also figured out I was overweighted (dropped from 22 to 12 lbs). I was doing weight checks, but was overcompensating, and was starting from what I used with a 7mm in fresh water. It was a good base, and now do not feel I need the full course, but ymmv. Not saying my buoyancy is anywhere near perfect, but I am constantly working on it. It also helps if you have decent dive buddies you can ask to give pointers as well.

What a coincidence! I plan on doing my AOW with Rainbow Reef in February. Sounds like your may not have gotten a lot out of it; should I consider somewhere else? I was hoping for more than just 5 dives.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

should I consider somewhere else? I was hoping for more than just 5 dives.

If you do decide to go elsewhere, I cannot recommennd Ryan @custureri of AQUI Water Sports Fort Lauderdale. He is incredibly thorough and one of the best at body mechanics. I have no feedback pro or con about RR. Never dealt with them personally. Completely your call.

 

[Diverlady13]

What a coincidence! I plan on doing my AOW with Rainbow Reef in February. Sounds like your may not have gotten a lot out of it; should I consider somewhere else? I was hoping for more than just 5 dives.

Five dives is the requirement for PADI AOW. Everywhere you go, that's the number of dives you'll have unless the instructor feels you need more...and that may come at an extra charge. You could just sign up for more dives after your course if you want to do more than 5 while you are there.

RR is a reputable organization and I did like the instructor that my son had even though I do wish he'd been more experienced. That said, I really didn't like their cattle boat setup and had a couple of negative experiences on their boats and in one of the shops. Next time I go to Key Largo, I'll dive with a smaller outfit. If you'd prefer a smaller dive op, both Quiescence and Horizon were highly recommended to me by several much more experienced divers.

 

[BoltSnap]

If you do decide to go elsewhere, I cannot recommennd Ryan @custureri of AQUI Water Sports Fort Lauderdale. He is incredibly thorough and one of the best at body mechanics.

Have you taken courses with Ryan?

 

[Wibble]

Sounds like your may not have gotten a lot out of it; should I consider somewhere else? I was hoping for more than just 5 dives.

You will hopefully get sufficient training and demonstration to know:

• What good core skills looks like: buoyancy, finning, trim. Your instructor/coach should demonstrate excellence in these skills
  
• The techniques you will need to practice on every dive until it's subconscious

(Basic coaching talk)

It is not an instant gratification; core skills take a lot of effort but you get rewarded by making your diving far far easier and more effective. Only you can put that effort in to be the best you can.

 

[Searcaigh]

when I was stupid enough to think golf was a great pastime

Go wash your mouth out with soap

 

[Jafo19D]

Some guys here are giving James from Divers Ready a hard time but one of his videos was on useless certs and I think he was 100% correct on PPB being useless. Instead of getting the very just get an instructor to work with you on that. Why pay extra for a card?