I would encourage you to take the course. I'm also happy you recognize this as an issue. IMHO, not until later in diving do divers see the benefits of mastering this.
PADI peak performance buoyancy course
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DiveMaven
Contributor
If you haven't taken AOW yet do that and have PPB as one of the specialties. If you have done AOW and feel that your bouyancy still needs work, go for the class....more training can never hurt.
With an instructor willing to expend the time and effort, and make the PADI PPB course as fun and a challenging event you will do well in taking the course. A good instructor will take time working with you on proper breathing techniques on descent, horiz dive, and ascents as well as helping you better understand the gear you are diving better, perform a proper weight assessment and assist you with weight distribution dependent upon your weighting system. With my students, I run them thru an obstacle course which requires them to focus on breathing techniques and gear streamlining, and fin stroke techniques. Typically a "dive buddy" doesn't have anymore expertise then the other so proper techniques that truly work are never learned and you will still be diving short of your goals with PPB. The PADI PPB course, as is any course, only as good as the instructor, the effort he/she is willing to put forth,and the eagerness of the student to really learn proper techniques and "tricks of the trade" so to speak. You'll do well in getting an education in this course if you have the right instructor. As an MSDT, I'll tell you to take the course! It will improve your diving technique as well as provide better dives and enjoyment. Good luck!
fisheater
Contributor
Seems to me that the value of PPB depends, in large part, on where you dive.
If you're a warm water diver, it may not be that big of a deal. However, if you're a cold water diver it may be the best specialty you can take.
Take me, for instance. I got my OW in Northern California, with 7 mm FJ. Lots of neoprene means lots of lead. Lots of neoprene means lots of loss of buoyancy during descent. That means lots of air in the BC. It also means lots of problems with runaway ascents when the neoprene starts expanding, along with all that BC air.
However, when I took my AOW in Hawaii, I was a buoyance God. I only had to change my breathing a bit and I was up and down in the water column, just as I intended.
Back home, I have nowhere near that control. Hence, I need PPB in a big way. (Today's PPB course got cancelled due to zero viz. GRRRRRR.)
If you're a warm water diver, it may not be that big of a deal. However, if you're a cold water diver it may be the best specialty you can take.
Take me, for instance. I got my OW in Northern California, with 7 mm FJ. Lots of neoprene means lots of lead. Lots of neoprene means lots of loss of buoyancy during descent. That means lots of air in the BC. It also means lots of problems with runaway ascents when the neoprene starts expanding, along with all that BC air.
However, when I took my AOW in Hawaii, I was a buoyance God. I only had to change my breathing a bit and I was up and down in the water column, just as I intended.
Back home, I have nowhere near that control. Hence, I need PPB in a big way. (Today's PPB course got cancelled due to zero viz. GRRRRRR.)
robandliza
Contributor
I did the course last year and found it very useful
I fully accept the other posts advice of finding a good dive buddy and doing a lot of practice,
but if you're like me and only have 1-2 opportunities a year to dive I think you'll find you get to a certain level quicker than if you didn't do the course
I did 8 dives in the Keys last October the first 2 of which were PPB course. I then used the other 6 to practice what I'd learnt and found that I was getting better ( not just buoyancy, but all other skills too) with every dive. I found I was more relaxed on each subsequent dive which only added to the enjoyment.
My next chance to dive won't be till August when I'm hoping to carry on where I left off. I don't believe I would be able to do this without the course
If,on the other hand, you are able to get out regularly with an experienced buddy you would probably get there anyway
I fully accept the other posts advice of finding a good dive buddy and doing a lot of practice,
but if you're like me and only have 1-2 opportunities a year to dive I think you'll find you get to a certain level quicker than if you didn't do the course
I did 8 dives in the Keys last October the first 2 of which were PPB course. I then used the other 6 to practice what I'd learnt and found that I was getting better ( not just buoyancy, but all other skills too) with every dive. I found I was more relaxed on each subsequent dive which only added to the enjoyment.
My next chance to dive won't be till August when I'm hoping to carry on where I left off. I don't believe I would be able to do this without the course
If,on the other hand, you are able to get out regularly with an experienced buddy you would probably get there anyway
PPB was the biggest waste of time for me. My instruction did not include any weight control or even a neutral buoyancy check. Our skills were to swim around the platform with a dm while the instructor had a ow course on the platform.
FIND A GOOD INSTRUCTOR
That being said good buoyancy control should be taught in the ow class and then PPB would be redundant. If you find a good buddy willing to work with you, which would probably be as easy as finding a GOOD instructor, then save your money and go dive. Work on skills while remaining at constant depth. Work on hovering - in horizontal dive position, no movement of hands or fins. Work on controlling your depth in the water through breathing, not through BC use.
FIND A GOOD INSTRUCTOR
That being said good buoyancy control should be taught in the ow class and then PPB would be redundant. If you find a good buddy willing to work with you, which would probably be as easy as finding a GOOD instructor, then save your money and go dive. Work on skills while remaining at constant depth. Work on hovering - in horizontal dive position, no movement of hands or fins. Work on controlling your depth in the water through breathing, not through BC use.
Hank49
Contributor
I would guess you'll learn more reading here than you will in a class on buoancy. It's a conceptual approach that you have to fine tune, like RichinNC said he did in a pool, based on your gear, body type and where you're diving.
I might point out that buoyancy will never be something learnt either online or in a class. The thing is to get the hang of it, for lack of a better expression, by doing it in practice. Sure it starts out with a conceptual idea of what it is supposed to be, but once you've worked out what weighting you theoretically should be using, doing your surface buoyancy tests, adding the 5lb weight to offset an empty tank etc. it all comes down to working on continuously perfecting your buoyancy every time you dive.
It's a gradual process where you improve but you should never expect to arrive at that place where you are always in perfect neutral all the time on every dive. You will have dives with good control and then there will be dives where you had to work at it more. It changes with your body, the conditions you dive in, your mental state and so many other factors. It's part of the practice of diving and once you've got the basics down well, it becomes almost second nature if you dive frequently enough. If the part of diving more is what draws you to do a course, then do so. As others have pointed out, having someone (not necessarily an instructor) spot you while you practice is invaluable.
danclem
Contributor
It was pointed out earlier, but it depends on where you are diving. The PPB was one of the best classes I have taken, but that is a result of an excellent instructor and cold water dry suit diving. I was able to drop the ankle weights that were adversely affecting my trim. No such problem in warm waters. If you look at the comments, I think you will see more positive responses to the classes from divers in temperate areas.
Durban has warmer water than the Pacific Northwest, but I think it is still a lot of neoprene and/or dry suit diving.
Good Luck!
Dan
Durban has warmer water than the Pacific Northwest, but I think it is still a lot of neoprene and/or dry suit diving.
Good Luck!
Dan
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Yes I took it. No it was not useful.
I took it when I was on a trip to Cozumel. Different conditions than what I normally have for diving. Were I to do it over I would have taken it at home. The instuctor was not very good and I did tell him how disappointed I was with the course.
I took it when I was on a trip to Cozumel. Different conditions than what I normally have for diving. Were I to do it over I would have taken it at home. The instuctor was not very good and I did tell him how disappointed I was with the course.
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