PADI Certification

[Beej1123]

Hi Everyone,
I have just completed my PADI confined water dives in the pool and I'm going to be going to Cayman Brac on vacation next month where I plan to do my cert. dives. Can anyone tell me what exactly happens on these dives. What skills will you be required to perform. I have a NAUI friend who told me on their dives they only had to mask clear and take out their regulators, nothing else, just swam around.

I don't want to be too nervous about it...just would like some input from others who have taken the PADI cert dives.

Thank you
Bernadette

 

[edneeves]

Its a little more involved than that. I forget exactly how many skills there are to go through but I think its about 20 in total. Everything from a mask clearance (which is repeated in all the open water sessions) to fin pivots and neutral bouyancy skills plus the 5 point decents and ascents, I am sure someone else can go into a bit more detail. Tonnes of stuff really but certainly nothing to be worried about, just take your time and it will all come.

Oh yeah... I think they like you to have fun aswell!

Ed.

 

[Damselfish]

You should expect to do pretty much all the skills you did in the pool. If your friend really only mask cleared and took out reg, they didn't cover all the things they should have.

A mod may want to move this from UW Photo to New to Scuba.

 

[bleach]

Thinking back, we did about 20 min worth of skills and then took a tour of the reef on two dives. After the skills, it was much like any of the guided dives we do now. Enjoy!

We'll be at Divi Tiara 3/15-3/22
Brian

 

[MakoSince70]

:06: Per the PADI Instructor manual, here is exactly what PADI requires of you and the instructor performing your checkout dives. You will accomplish 4 dives.

Dive 1: Descend using a descent line
Make the dive and have fun. No further skills required on dive one.

Dive 2: On the bottom, achieve neutral buoyancy.
Clear a partially flooded mask.
Clear a fully flooded mask.
Recover and clear a regulator.
Ascend while using your buddy's alternate air source.
Make the dive and have fun.

Dive 3: Clear a fully flooded mask.
Buddy breath (optional)
Make the dive and have fun.

Dive 4: Remove and replace your mask.
Make the dive and have fun.

There are a number of skills that the instructor can have you accomplish during almost any dive:
1. Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent. Not to be done on dive 1.
2. Cramp Removal
3. Tired Diver Tow.
3. Straight line/reciprocal surface swim with compass.
4. Snorkel/regulator exchange
5. Remove/replace weight system and Scuba unit at surface
6. Straight line/reciprocal underwater swim with compass. Not to be done on dive 1

In addition, if your instructor is good, he should be checking to see:
1. You listen to the dive briefing and know how to plan the dive.
2. You know how to rig your gear and perform pre-dive buddy checks.
3. You can appropriately enter the water, giant stride, backroll.
4. You can adjust your weights appropriately.
5. You can descend and make controlled ascents.

Sounds like a lot but it really is not if you were prepared in the pool. You should have the skills completed in a few minutes and be able to dive the majority of the dive time. If your instructor is good, he/she will assist with guidance in such items as buoyancy, navigation, etc. during the dive.

Relax and have fun. The checkout dives are suppossed to be a learning experience and you are paying for them. So if you have questions or concerns, address them with your instructor.

 

[WileEDiver]

Add to the above:


Dive 2: Fin pivot (low pressure inflator)

Dive 3: Fin pivot (oral inflation)

Dive 4: Hover

The compass swim on the surface is 50 metres/yards in a straight line (no reciprocal swim)

In addition, the descents will differ (touching the line, looking at the line, not looking at the line).

 

[SDAnderson]

from the Nikon Niche forum to the New2Scuba forum where it is more "on topic" and is likely to get more (and better) answers - though the answers already posted seem to be mostly complete.

You should be able to perform all of the basic skills that you learned during your confined water dives. You won't be asked to do anything that you haven't already had the chance to see and practice during your pool sessions, so don't fret it too much. If you aren't sure about what the skills entail, you can always refresh yourself with the manual and the video. You'll also be briefed on each skill and see a demonstration on-site. The most important key to success is to relax, have fun and remember to always breathe. If you've followed the program you'll find that you know this stuff.

Enjoy and let us know how it goes.

 

[WileEDiver]

The only skills you'll do in Open Water that you might not do in Confined Water sessions are the 2 compass skills (50 metre/yard surface swim in a straight line on snorkel and out and back underwater). Often times basic compass navigation is taught at the Open Water site.

 

[MtnDiver]

:06: Per the PADI Instructor manual, here is exactly what PADI requires of you and the instructor performing your checkout dives. You will accomplish 4 dives.

Dive 1: Descend using a descent line
Make the dive and have fun. No further skills required on dive one.

Dive 2: On the bottom, achieve neutral buoyancy.
Clear a partially flooded mask.
Clear a fully flooded mask.
Recover and clear a regulator.
Ascend while using your buddy's alternate air source.
Make the dive and have fun.

Dive 3: Clear a fully flooded mask.
Buddy breath (optional)
Make the dive and have fun.

Dive 4: Remove and replace your mask.
Make the dive and have fun.

There are a number of skills that the instructor can have you accomplish during almost any dive:
1. Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent. Not to be done on dive 1.
2. Cramp Removal
3. Tired Diver Tow.
3. Straight line/reciprocal surface swim with compass.
4. Snorkel/regulator exchange
5. Remove/replace weight system and Scuba unit at surface
6. Straight line/reciprocal underwater swim with compass. Not to be done on dive 1

In addition, if your instructor is good, he should be checking to see:
1. You listen to the dive briefing and know how to plan the dive.
2. You know how to rig your gear and perform pre-dive buddy checks.
3. You can appropriately enter the water, giant stride, backroll.
4. You can adjust your weights appropriately.
5. You can descend and make controlled ascents.

Sounds like a lot but it really is not if you were prepared in the pool. You should have the skills completed in a few minutes and be able to dive the majority of the dive time. If your instructor is good, he/she will assist with guidance in such items as buoyancy, navigation, etc. during the dive.

Relax and have fun. The checkout dives are suppossed to be a learning experience and you are paying for them. So if you have questions or concerns, address them with your instructor.

I did my open water certification last year and we did all of the above (including the optional stuff). Again, there won't be anything you haven't done in the pool (except for the navigation which we hadn't gone over in the pool, but did on our third checkout dive).

Also the CESA was much easier in the open water than simulating it by swimming horizontally in the pool!

Just relax and have fun!

 

[MaresMan1]

:06: Per the PADI Instructor manual, here is exactly what PADI requires of you and the instructor performing your checkout dives. You will accomplish 4 dives.

Dive 1: Descend using a descent line
Make the dive and have fun. No further skills required on dive one.

Dive 2: On the bottom, achieve neutral buoyancy.
Clear a partially flooded mask.
Clear a fully flooded mask.
Recover and clear a regulator.
Ascend while using your buddy's alternate air source.
Make the dive and have fun.

Dive 3: Clear a fully flooded mask.
Buddy breath (optional)
Make the dive and have fun.

Dive 4: Remove and replace your mask.
Make the dive and have fun.

There are a number of skills that the instructor can have you accomplish during almost any dive:
1. Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent. Not to be done on dive 1.
2. Cramp Removal
3. Tired Diver Tow.
3. Straight line/reciprocal surface swim with compass.
4. Snorkel/regulator exchange
5. Remove/replace weight system and Scuba unit at surface
6. Straight line/reciprocal underwater swim with compass. Not to be done on dive 1

In addition, if your instructor is good, he should be checking to see:
1. You listen to the dive briefing and know how to plan the dive.
2. You know how to rig your gear and perform pre-dive buddy checks.
3. You can appropriately enter the water, giant stride, backroll.
4. You can adjust your weights appropriately.
5. You can descend and make controlled ascents.

Sounds like a lot but it really is not if you were prepared in the pool. You should have the skills completed in a few minutes and be able to dive the majority of the dive time. If your instructor is good, he/she will assist with guidance in such items as buoyancy, navigation, etc. during the dive.

Relax and have fun. The checkout dives are suppossed to be a learning experience and you are paying for them. So if you have questions or concerns, address them with your instructor.

My instructor made me do all of the skills listed above and included "Remove/replace Scuba unit at depth". We did practice this in the pool also.

Just review what you have been working on and you will be fine. Have fun.

Dive Smart; Dive Safe
Enjoy the ride
:14: