PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy - worth doing?

[DevonDiver]

PPB, like many courses, is extremely variable in quality. That quality is determined by the instructor. Do a lot of research on the individual instructor, don't just book at some anonymous dive center. There are instructors who have specialist expertise in developing foundational skills - often they are instructors who teach at much higher levels (where solid foundational skills are imperative) - and have a 'begin with the end in mind' philosophy and coach novice divers to a high level in the expectation of future development.

 

[TSandM]

cpri, check out the articles on buoyancy and trim on THIS website. I have written to its author, to ask if he does coaching for general divers. If so, you would learn far more from a day with him than with any normal PPB class.

 

[fnfalman]

Hi! I'm a new diver (just did my OW last July) and was wondering whether it is worth doing the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course? My buoyancy is appalling at the moment. Everyone else in my OW class seemed to have a much better grip on it. It's affecting my air consumption and I always have to surface before everyone else. I talked to a friend who's a DM and he said PPB was a waste of money. But how else can I learn to control my buoyancy expertly? Has anyone done PPB? Did anyone find it useful? What other options are there?

You can either Pay Another Dollar In to address your buoyancy issue, or you can just get with a local dive group and seek out a good mentor.

I'm not an instructor of any sort, have zero professional diving credentials, but I've coached a few local Southern California divers on their buoyancy and other diving skills gratis. They don't get a cool card from me that said "PPB trained", but they can take that money and buy another piece of gear or go have a nice dinner.

 

[Redshift]

cpri, you're still new to the sport so give it some time before you think you can't solve your buoyancy and air consumption problem.
Every dive is a training opportunity and there are many things you can do to improve. Take notice of how much weight you have, how heavy you are at the end of the dive when the cylinder is almost empty and adjust that if needed. Take notice of your position underwater, a more vertical position will make you spend more energy, use more air and think you need more weight because you are slightly fining upwards all the time. Also take notice of your breathing pattern and see if for some reason you're taking shallow fast breaths.
You can also ask advice from more experienced friends when you are diving with them.

And, since you are in London, couldn't you join a BSAC club and have some mentoring?

Having said this, if you decide to take the course, shop around. If the instructor only sticks to the basic programme, I think it's a bit similar to what should have been taught you during OW... but I know instructors that add a bit more, trimming exercises, fining techniques, etc. That makes it a more complete course.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

You can either Pay Another Dollar In to address your buoyancy issue, or you can just get with a local dive group and seek out a good mentor. I'm not an instructor of any sort, have zero professional diving credentials, but I've coached a few local Southern California divers on their buoyancy and other diving skills gratis. They don't get a cool card from me that said "PPB trained", but they can take that money and buy another piece of gear or go have a nice dinner.

As I said earlier I found PPB to be very good and I don't regret it for a second. It was part of AOW for me and the instructor was good. I certainly didn't do it for a special cert.

 

[cpri]

Thanks for the all the advice! That's given me a lot to think about. Seems some people are very bitter about PADI specialties...I'm not interested in getting a card, I simply want to be the best diver I can be and if that means having to take specialty courses then I will happily do it!

 

[dbulmer]

cpri, check out the articles on buoyancy and trim on THIS website. I have written to its author, to ask if he does coaching for general divers. If so, you would learn far more from a day with him than with any normal PPB class.

The answer will be Yes he does and he's extremely good at it and I have experienced it as an observer.

To the OP, take up the offer that scubaboard member rivers made to you on another thread. It won't be a class but you should get an idea of what to work on.

 

[Redshift]

I think that's a reaction to PADI's aggressive marketing and the fact that they set up specialties for things that should be taught properly during the courses or things for which you wouldn't really need a certification, a couple of words of advice and jump in the pool would suffice. And then the way their own standards leek into the industry also annoys me. Things like the dry suit certification.

 

[cpri]

I think that's a reaction to PADI's aggressive marketing and the fact that they set up specialties for things that should be taught properly during the courses or things for which you wouldn't really need a certification, a couple of words of advice and jump in the pool would suffice. And then the way their own standards leek into the industry also annoys me. Things like the dry suit certification.

Yeah that much is definitely true! The OW seemed very rushed and I felt like a lot of the skills were checked off without us having actually managed to perform them properly! Would be nice if they spent a bit longer making sure you actually have the skills down before giving you the qualification, and spent more time on buoyancy so I didn't have to do an extra course on it

 

[Diving Dubai]

My input.....

I did my PPB as part of my AoW skills. Did it help? In hindsight (always 20/20) no, not really, but at the time I thought it did. The trouble with trying to learn it in open water is that unless you get to dive a lot you don't want to use a dive or two concentrating on buoyancy etc - you naturally want to dive. Of course you will over time get into the groove and get your weight sorted etc - but this isn't ideal.

I would suggest as others have that you get into some confined water and get your weighting sorted first and then work on that trim. It may be you need to move weights to get to a point where you're happy - it's all part of the working out the bugs thing. Having someone shoot a video of you works well as your perception of your trim and position in the water may be very different from the actual.

As your experience improves you will get more relaxed under water so your weight will reduce even further. This is due to the flight or fight reflex of your body, if you are anxious or stressed your diaphragm drops and your lung volume goes up vis a vis more weight needed.

As an example take my experience at the weekend. Returning to diving after a 6 month break due to illness. Jumped in with a new thicker (7mm) suit and guessed the weight needed from my logs. (logs stated I was at 2lb with a wing on a 5mm so I put in 6lbs) I was all over the place - seemingly under weighted, not happy - even less happy when my wing free flowed and I called the dive.

Next dive - went back to my old suit added some weight and went down.. this time too much. Two further dives and I was exact again being at 5m with an empty wing.

Before you ask why I didn't weight check at the surface? First dive equipment failure so over half full tank. Second dive - sea conditions were too poor, 3rd dive - was too cold!! However my experience had kicked in so I could feel underwater what wasn't right and knew what steps to take to improve. This week I'll go to the pool and precisely dial everything in. I know that I'm carrying more weight (2lbs) with my 5mm than I was last year - that's because I'm still not relaxed and in the zone - a few more dives and I'll be there. The weighting on my 7mm was probably right had I been relaxed (and had my inflation valve actually been working properly - wasn't really evident until it free flowed as I ws task heavy concentrating on diving again and not being chilled and aware.

So in short - get your weighting sorted in a confined place (even a pool but remember to add weight for salt water if that's where you dive) - take some time to get your trim sorted - hence a pool where you can get out, tweak the rig and jump back in again etc. This will get you very close, after that it's practice. Doing a PPB course after this may well indeed refine things further. When you first start you make improvements in big leaps - after a while your skill improvements become smaller but you never stop learning nor improving...

Oh yes - enjoy diving too!