padi peak performance buoyancy class

[TX101]

Take the class, what do you have to lose?

er, money?

When I was first certified I asked my instructor about the class. She said it was a waste of money and that the same result can be achieved by simply putting that money towards diving and buoyancy control will come with experience. I think she was right.

 

[Nomaster]

I took the class last month because I was having serious troubles in my Wreck Diving class. Turns out that my problem was more than just weight, but the weight was a big contributor.
We worked on staying on depth, hovering, and several of the skills my instructor said I needed for moving through wrecks. I'm still working on the nomenclature, so I'll not try to astound you with terms I don't know, yet.
Anyway, after a couple of dives I felt rock steady and ready to work on other tasks while remaining, relatively motionless in the water.
Was it worth it?
To me, a big Heck yes! (PG-13) But, if you're not in need of a quick fix, diving practice, especially with a good and attentive partner, should achieve the same goals over time and might be more fun.

Tom

 

[Kim]

I teach this in my OW classes.

I feel that this is how it should be as trim and bouyancy are such an essential part of diving. Why PADI keeps it as a seperate course is beyond me - IMO it should already be part of OW - if not at the very least it should be in AOW. Charging people extra for something that should have been done already doesn't give PADI much of a good reputation in many quarters.

 

[Nomaster]

I feel that this is how it should be as trim and bouyancy are such an essential part of diving. Why PADI keeps it as a seperate course is beyond me - IMO it should already be part of OW - if not at the very least it should be in AOW. Charging people extra for something that should have been done already doesn't give PADI much of a good reputation in many quarters.

There was some coverage in the OW class, it took me two dives for the basics in the peak performance class, it was one of the options for the AOW class, but I mistakenly chose another in spite of my instructors advice.
How many dives do you believe an OW course should be to cover all of the things I didn't learn in mine and still have to learn before I'm happy? I don't believe I could afford the month full time I estimate for myself, can't get all that time at once if I could afford it.
One of the dives was a fun dive and another had some sight seeing in it, since I did have a couple weeks, I guess I could have worked on skills instead of playing, but in general they do want divers to enjoy what they're doing so they'll continue diving after certified. Maybe not all their trade offs are the best, but I still haven't got the best way worked out in my head.
I can be a slow learner, but I make up for it by being bullheaded and often dogged.

Tom

 

[Walter]

It should be part of your OW course, but most OW courses are inadequate in many areas including buoyancy. If you don't have good buoyancy skills, the class could help. OTOH, you might just want to take the OW class over with siomeone who takes a more comptrhensive approach and get everything you missed the first time.

 

[MikeFerrara]

There was some coverage in the OW class, it took me two dives for the basics in the peak performance class, it one of the options for the AOW class, but I mistakenly chose another in spite of my instructors advice.
How many dives do you believe an OW course should be to cover all of the things I didn't learn in mine and still have to learn before I'm happy? I don't believe I could afford the month full time I estimate for myself, can't get all that time at once if I could afford it.
One of the dives was a fun dive and another had some sight seeing in it, since I did have a couple weeks, I guess I could have worked on skills instead of playing, but in general they do want divers to enjoy what they're doing so they'll continue diving after certified. Maybe not all their trade offs are the best, but I still haven't got the best way worked out in my head.
I can be a slow learner, but I make up for it by being bullheaded and often dogged.

Tom

The basics of trim, buoyancy and position control should be learned in the pool and classroom. Going to open water without those skills is dangerous. Luckily the most common injury that results is squeezed ears but it could be worse.

The OW part of training is supposed to be to gain experience and demonstrate that you can apply what you've ALREADY learned in the real diving environment.

You won't get much better with experience if you just keep practicing it wrong which is where most OW classes leave you.

 

[saintsfan]

The basics of trim, buoyancy and position control should be learned in the pool and classroom. Going to open water without those skills is dangerous. Luckily the most common injury that results is squeezed ears but it could be worse.

The OW part of training is supposed to be to gain experience and demonstrate that you can apply what you've ALREADY learned in the real diving environment.

You won't get much better with experience if you just keep practicing it wrong which is where most OW classes leave you.

actually I have pretty good buoyancy skill,theres always room for improvement.OW teaches the basics and I do think you get better with more dives because between my 10th and my 30th was A huge improvement,I am not even close to the same diver now as I near 40 dives I want to see the same improvement my next 20.

 

[simbrooks]

I came from the usual training of kneel on the bottom, maybe swim around a bit out of trim and overweighted kind of OW course. I did some more dives and dropped some weight, but even though i was reading about concepts on of trim and buoyancy control on SB it still wasnt quite in place. As part of further training (with a different instructor) i decided to do this course. We spent a bit of time on working with swimming through hoops at various depths, in tight spots/turns and some on a slightly silty floor, doing so with a ping pong ball and spoon (like upside down egg race) and generally having fun with it. It didnt cost all that much, but i got a couple of dives purely devoted to trim, buoyancy and testing out/improving my abilities with an instructor. Could i have got it eventually, sure, but would i have asked a buddy to spend that much time with me doing that kind of stuff rather than going to see some stuff, probably not. I felt it was a reasonable price and time to learn/practice what i hadnt been taught all that well in my OW class. He also videoed us, which was a nice addition to help with understanding any problems. Your choice to do it or not, some people get something out of it, some dont, depends where you are coming from, how good your attitude to learning and your instructors ability to teach. Of course it "should" be done in OW, but that isnt always the case

 

[Walter]

Of course it "should" be done in OW, but that isnt always the case

It's a difference in philosophical approaches. PADI likes to teach as little as possible. I believe they've gone way too far.

 

[HarleyDiver]

It's an old story, but it realy depends on the instructor.
If you get a card-pusher, you may not learn much at all.
There are good Instructors out there, and if you find one he/she will teach you how to control yourself in all sorts of positions & conditions.
Having good control increases your enjoyment of the dive.