Specialty courses

[JamesK]

Personally, I would take Peak Performance Bouynacy, like everyone else has suggested, and the Multi Level Diving. The others are simply more of a fun thing, where as I feel you would learn the most in the multi level diving. If you are interested in wrecks take a wreck course, if you are interested in fish take a course. One day dives are not going to help much, IMO.

Now this is totally opposite of what I did. On my AOW, I took night, nav, deep, boat, and wreck. I did these because I was taught to dive by cave divers, and bouyancy was already a much stressed issue. I was also taught multi level diving, and other types of "advanced" diving just by being the only one that I dive with who is not a DM or instructor. We decided to do dives that would be a little more fun because of that.

 

[animian2002]

Hi

I have just completed my AOW last week and It included PPB. But I personally feel that I'm still not good with it. Do u think I shld take up PPB as a specialty course ???

Appreciate some advices from the pool of experts here

Thks in advance

 

[Tavi]

animian2002,

sometimes we just need to practice. so Dive, Dive, Dive.

the more you dive the better you'll get at it.

If your AOW include PPB you've got the idea, it won't get a whole lot better without practice! I would'nt spend the money on PPB as a specialty. Put the $ towards airfills and boat fees and go diving.

disclaimer: I'm no expert!

 

[jbd]

I agree with Tavi. You have the basic knowledge. What you need now is lots of diving to practice and appyly that knowledge. If you can do local dives that don't involve a boat you can do the dive specifically for the purpose of developing you bouyancy and trim.

 

[redseal]

I'm a "newbie" too, but it's very apparent that beginning to master buoyancy control allows all of the other specialty dives to be less of an effort. I figure that if I know that I'm not sinking or shooting toward the surface then I can concentrate on depth (for the deep dive), buddy and location (for the night dive), my search pattern (for SAR), etc., etc.

My kids and I (all recently certified together) saw the results of poor buoyancy control on our recent trip to the Caribbean: coral damage by two self-professed "experienced divers with many dives under our belts..." and deeper descent than what they were supposed to do. So, I for one, along with my kids, well, we're signed up for AOW/Adventure Dives this weekend and next month....it just seems to make sense.

 

[Spectre]

animian2002 once bubbled...
Hi

I have just completed my AOW last week and It included PPB. But I personally feel that I'm still not good with it. Do u think I shld take up PPB as a specialty course ???

When I taught skiing, and was in a situation where it was a one time lesson, I tried to give them a bunch of drills. While they made only supremely marginal improvement during the lesson, they left with quite a knowledge base of drills to practice and learn from.

Now I've not taken PPB, but I assume what you went through in your AOW dive would have been very similar. I would get a bunch of dives in with the knowledge you've learned, and practice [as everyone has already said]. If after you've got some hours in your logbook you still feel your not good with it, by all means, sign up for the specialty course. And to second what redseal said... you'll get a lot more out of other specialties if you get the bouyancy control down first...

 

[SoyaBean]

I am a newbie too! I was OW certified and did 3 of the elective dives towards AOW in March.

I can't agree more with redseal that mastering buoyancy is a must. On my last dive I didn't sink nor shoot to the surface, I was more confident and was able to experience the dive from a different aspect.

 

[animian2002]

jbd once bubbled...
I agree with Tavi. You have the basic knowledge. What you need now is lots of diving to practice and appyly that knowledge. If you can do local dives that don't involve a boat you can do the dive specifically for the purpose of developing you bouyancy and trim.

I supposed u are all right abt it , bouyancy control is a must ..by going for more dives & apply wat I have learnt from AOW, that shld be enough...unless I'm really dumb that after sooo....many dives and I still have problem with bouyancy ..

& aso in my region...it is quite difficult for me to dives not involving a boat unless the swimming pool sure envy pple who could dives as and when they like it .. :huh:

 

[jbd]

be able to dive pretty much whenever one wants to dive. Just keep working on your bouyancy every chance you get. Good luck!!

 

[Welshman]

PPB definitely!