topher10
Contributor
Received open water cert 2 years and 15 dives ago. Would like to go back for additional instruction at a different shop/instructor for various reasons and considering SDI as the agency, though not certain. I have 3 goals for additional instruction:
1. Have a new instructor evaluate my diving in general to give advice and improve me in general.
2. Having something to work toward (slowly) over the years to possibly get master diver 4 or 5 years from now. Basically take a class once a year as a Christmas gift, and then otherwise just dive as I have been.
3. Get the necessary certification to do 'advanced' dives as required by some dive ops (usually deep or night dives in the places I dive)
In looking at the SDI website (Learn to Scuba Dive | Get Certified | SDI | TDI | ERDI) they have the Advanced Adventure Diver, which is equivalent to AOW at other agencies. First dive of 5 specialties (Deep, Nav, +3).
Next is Advanced Diver, which is 4 complete specialties and 25 dives.
Finally Master, which adds Rescue plus total 50 dives.
The question is: Why bother with the Advanced Adventure, since it only gives you a taste of specialties but you still have to take all the specialties to actually advance anyway.
Instead, I propose that this year I take Nitrox and Deep. Next year I take I take Night and Nav, and at that point I will be Advanced. Over the next few years I can take Intro to Tech, Wreck, and Rescue, and by then I will probably get Master and will have had multiple instructors evaluate me periodically over several years.
The point is that Advanced Adventure feels to bit a little bit of a waste of time (and money). However, its possible that the dive shop may in essence require me to do it, because that is how its done and they want to get to know me first before I launch into specialties.
Thoughts?
1. Have a new instructor evaluate my diving in general to give advice and improve me in general.
2. Having something to work toward (slowly) over the years to possibly get master diver 4 or 5 years from now. Basically take a class once a year as a Christmas gift, and then otherwise just dive as I have been.
3. Get the necessary certification to do 'advanced' dives as required by some dive ops (usually deep or night dives in the places I dive)
In looking at the SDI website (Learn to Scuba Dive | Get Certified | SDI | TDI | ERDI) they have the Advanced Adventure Diver, which is equivalent to AOW at other agencies. First dive of 5 specialties (Deep, Nav, +3).
Next is Advanced Diver, which is 4 complete specialties and 25 dives.
Finally Master, which adds Rescue plus total 50 dives.
The question is: Why bother with the Advanced Adventure, since it only gives you a taste of specialties but you still have to take all the specialties to actually advance anyway.
Instead, I propose that this year I take Nitrox and Deep. Next year I take I take Night and Nav, and at that point I will be Advanced. Over the next few years I can take Intro to Tech, Wreck, and Rescue, and by then I will probably get Master and will have had multiple instructors evaluate me periodically over several years.
The point is that Advanced Adventure feels to bit a little bit of a waste of time (and money). However, its possible that the dive shop may in essence require me to do it, because that is how its done and they want to get to know me first before I launch into specialties.
Thoughts?