Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
OK, I do go beyond the actual standards because I do a pool dive in addition to the OW dive. Here is the minimum that is required for the PPB OW dive:
1. You are supposed to work on proper weighting and especially the proper distribution of weight to achieve good trim.
2. You are supposed to work on proper visualization and breathing patterns to affect buoyancy and graceful movement.
3. Make a controlled descent using the BCD inflator to maintain buoyancy and reach neutral buoyancy.
4. Hover motionless for at least one minute.
5. Swim horizontally with proper trim and without disturbing the bottom. (This can be a giveaway, but the way I do it requires the diver to stay very close to the bottom (nothing fragile) without disturbing it. This really requires good trim and kicking technique.
6. Make depth adjustments using breath control. This, too, can be a giveaway for some instructors, but I make it a focus. I make the divers descend into an area using only breath, hold their positions with trim, and then ascend back to the starting point.
7. Demonstrate efficient fin kicks. (This can be a course in itself.)
8. Navigate an obstacle course without touching obstacles. (That would probably be your hoops.)
9. Adjust weights (trim) and practice hovering in different positions--vertical, horizontal, feet elevated, and head elevated.
For search and recovery, you are supposed to learn a variety of search techniques, some of which use a compass. It thus becomes an extension and practice of the navigation dive. You do need to do two searches, one of an area about 2,500 square feet and the second of an area about 10,000 square feet. You should use two different search methods. You have to demonstrate tying three knots while underwater (bowline, two half hitches, and sheet bend). You have to lift an object of no more than 25 pounds negatively buoyant.
So I might be ignorant here, but why take the PPB on one of your AOW dives when you can take the full class?
But aren't the other dives (cave, wreck, night, etc...) designed to give people an introduction to help them decide if they'd be interested in pursuing those kinds of things further? I thought the point of PPB was to improve overall diving skill. Again, I'm brand new so I'm just trying to understand this.The same thing is true for all the potential dives. You can also take the full class and have your AOW dive be a part of it.