Diving specialties

[BDSC]

Sounds like you've never had a good instructor!

Just the opposite! I had a great instructor. He actually taught me about buoyancy in my OW class as well as many other things. That's why I find it sad that folks feel the need to pay for a PPB class after OW. To me, if you need another buoyancy class after OW.......what was it you said......."it was poorly taught and not to standards".

 

[Searcaigh]

Back in the days when I learned buoyancy, it was also taught in OW, I am shocked at the majority of divers I come across in this region that can only swim standing up!

 

[iamrushman]

....nitrox is my choice.

 

[spc751]

I took drysuit first because of the cold water I dive in. Then I took ppb. I waited to take nitrox until my air consumption got low enough that my dives were not ending because I was getting low on air.

 

[freewillie]

I wasn't quite sure between navigation or peak performance buoyancy but went with navigation. Normally both are mandatory specialties for PADI Advanced Open Water. But learning how to use a compass properly underwater and getting used to going out then having to come back to the anchor line to me was a bigger step in my diving than the buoyancy. I remember one dive in particular just after navigation when the dive club was out on a dive. Several divers had indicated to home and at least two divers pointed in different directions. I took my own compass reading and realized that I could find home all by myself. Before that class I would have had to trust either of the two divers without knowing myself how to get back.

 

[They call me Tater]

While I agree that PPB should be taken early, when diving in very low vis understanding how to get around when all you can see is green, knowing how to navigate can go a long way to prevent panic.
It all depends on the local conditions and the diver to determine what is BEST.

 

[tursiops]

I wasn't quite sure between navigation or peak performance buoyancy but went with navigation. Normally both are mandatory specialties for PADI Advanced Open Water..

For AOW, Navigation (first dive of the 3-dive specialty) is indeed mandatory, as is Deep (first dive of the 4-dive specialty). But PPB (first dive of the 2-dive specialty) is simply a popular elective.

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[TSandM]

I wish I could have voted for PPB, because I think perfecting buoyancy control is the core of diving pleasure, and a lot of safety. But I think the class is generally not very well taught, and if you don't have an instructor who will take the time not only to weight you properly, but to distribute the weight for good balance, and counsel you on posture and correct trim, you just don't get much from it. Mine was close to utterly worthless.

Navigation, on the other hand, is at least in the PADI system a class with fairly closely described exercises and objectives, and unless you intend to spend your career following guides and depending on them, you will need navigation skills.

Nitrox, I think, is a great specialty once your air consumption has dropped enough that NDLs actually become relevant. They aren't to most new divers, because they will run low on gas long before they run out of no-deco time.

 

[bracko]

Back in the days when I learned buoyancy, it was also taught in OW, I am shocked at the majority of divers I come across in this region that can only swim standing up!

Dive shop / instructor dependent. & don't forget, some students well taught pick up bad habits.

 

[beaverdivers]

Nitrox. I believe it is an essential specialty. We include nitrox on our trips, so everyone is using it.