Specialty courses

[dandan]

I gota choose among 2 out of all these : Multilevel dive, Night dive, Fish Identification, Under WaterNaturalist, Peak Performance Buoyancy and Wreck dive for my AOW

I like to hear from you people, about these specialities, and how impt/or necessary or interesting or maybe even "don't think about it" can it get...

thanks

 

[jbd]

about your diving experience or your skill level. But if you are new I would highly recommend the Peak Performance Bouyancy. Also of the ones you listed I would pick the wreck dive since diving at wreck sites is pretty common.

 

[MNScuba]

Having just done this, I would HIGHLY recommend the peak performance buoyancy, the others are up to you depending on what YOU are intested in doing.
If I am not mistaken, I believe Search and Recovery is also an option.

BUT...
Definately take the Peak Performance Buoyancy as one of your elective dives. I was able to take 8 pounds off my bc and increased my dive time by 20 minutes...

 

[Uncle Pug]

I concure with jbd... buoyancy & wreck...

Then after you get your AOW slow down on the plastic card accumulation and just go diving... a lot.

If you do not already have a buddy taking these classes with you make it a priority to find a like minded buddy and develop the relationship by training together - not necessarily in classes - but by practicing your skills together at some point during your dives.

And then if circumstance permits find and take a DIRF.

 

[Spectre]

dandan once bubbled...
I gota choose among 2 out of all these : Multilevel dive, Night dive, Fish Identification, Under WaterNaturalist, Peak Performance Buoyancy and Wreck dive for my AOW

PPB is probably the best choice of the three. You don't show your location, nor speak of your experiences or your desires, but I would recommend Night as a second choice, with Wreck being third. But that all depends on you. Night is a good one to get a little experience with, and it's really not that tough. I don't feel there is any real need for a night specialty, but it would be useful to go with an instructor on your first one, and then get a few more under your belt with experienced night divers.

Wreck on the other hand gives you a taste, but if you really are interested in wrecks you'd be better off with a more in-depth wreck specialty.

Personally my electives were Search and Recovery and Wreck. Night, Deep, and Navigation was mandatory.

While nothing compares to true experience, remember that your advanced book will have the chapters for the other specialty dives as well, so you can get at least some information on your own... Talk to your instructor as well... it's possible that your deep dive will be on a wreck anyway...

 

[Walter]

I'm curious. Why do you "gota choose"?

 

[pchelp]

With PADI, deep, night and underwater navigation are required, you also select 2 "electives" to be introduced to.

He might be able to tell the instructor - just pick some! just kidding...

 

[-=>Larry<=-]

I'd choose the Naturalist, or perhaps the Fish ID to add to the Bouyancy [Very Good Idea!].
Reason - I enjoy the biological aspects and one finds a lot more Fishes & Plants than you do wrecks.

Slightly more seriously - what area of the underwater world do you think YOU are interested in - use it on that!

 

[SubMariner]

With PADI, deep, night and underwater navigation are required, you also select 2 "electives" to be introduced to.

I'm a little confused here. PADI Adventures in Diving (aka AOW/Advanced) consists of 2 mandatory "core" dives: Deep and Nav. The other 3 are electives.

How is it that only 2 are electives?

~SubMariner~

 

[Walter]

Are we talking about Specialty Courses as it says in the title or AOW?

Sub, maybe he already picked one?