specialties

[hydroslyder]

On padis website it says to becaome a divemaster, you only need

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or qualifying certification from another training organization
PADI Rescue Diver certification or qualifying certification from another training organization.
Medical clearance signed by a physician
20 logged dives
18 years old

 

[Northeastwrecks]

nt
nt

 

[hydroslyder]

Kool thanks for all your help, hope I can eventually advance that far, being that I am only 15 it might be a while till then, but like I said it never hurts to plan ahead.

Anyway thanks again

 

[Northeastwrecks]

nt

 

[hydroslyder]

I agree completely, I will have well over 50 dives by the time I am 18 so no worries there, and its hard to not have fun while diving.

 

[navy85]

Northeastwrecks once bubbled...
...First, take peak performance buoyancy from someone who knows how to teach it....

For us newbies, could you elaborate? What advice can you give us to tell if "someone knows how to teach it" (referrals, perhaps)? Also, the PADI website describes the course in very general terms:

"During your Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty course, you'll use PADI's Basic Weighting Guidelines to determine the correct amount of weight. Then you'll practice the fundamentals of peak performance buoyancy during two open water dives, including the buoyancy check, fine-tuning buoyancy underwater, weight positioning for trim, streamlining and visualization."

What are some of the specific skill demonstrations required? Thanks.

 

[hydroslyder]

Peak performance buoyancy from what I have heard consists of getting yourself streamlined, weighted correctly being that most divers are overweighted, and it teaches you how to get your buoyancy perfect and how to control it. I will be able to elaborate more after this weekend because I am taking the first dive of that specialty. I also Know that one of the skills required, is swimming through an obstacle course underwater, which consists of you swimming through rings.

I think what northwestwrecks meant is that get an instructor who has taught it before, and knows a good program, some instructors are very new dont know how to teach this course, for some reason padi has there program set up so that you can increase from your first open water dives, to instructor in what seems less than a year, and this is not the kind of instructor you would want, you wouldnt want an instructor teaching you a specialty like this if he has never taught it before.

Hope this works

 

[Northeastwrecks]

nt

 

[cavemanxxx]

How about this speciality " Experience " . I hear PADI is coming up with a new certificate for this too.

Sorry for being abnoxious ( yes ...... ) its just I dont believe in PADI any more. If they were certifying Pilots, we would have B747 captains ( jumbo jets ) certified after 6 months on the job.

Put the jokes to the side, you will probably learn more from your courses if you slow them down a little, get the experience in that new specality , and then slowly move on to the next area. My cynicism comes from having seen too many divers with tons of certification cards but who still dont really feel comfortable in the water

 

[Scottri]

Given your goal of becoming a Divemaster I would take:

Navigation
Limited Vis/Night Diving
Drysuit
Equipment
Nitrox

In that order. I'm a working DM and those are the skills that are most useful to me. Navigation because you need to get the students and guests back to the entry point and believe me, you will look stupid if you can't.

Night/Limited Vis because you will lead night dives and dives in less than ideal conditions.

Drysuit because you will be spending a lot of time in the water.

Equipment because you will perform a ton of field repairs on all types of gear.

Nitrox because you will be spending a lot of time in the water at shallower depths.

All of them teach more advanced skills that you will at some point end up passing on to others. I do drysuit orientations all the time, this past weekend I repaired several pieces of gear. I lead newly certified divers on their first night dives and limited vis because, well, condtions here in the Northwest can be crappy at best.

Good luck and take it slow. More expierence in different conditions will make you a better DM then all the specialites in the world.

Scott