SSI Tides, Waves and Currents Course

[Tigerpaw]

I had posted earlier but the responses were vague with some accusations of card collecting, which is not the case. Going to try again, I'm really looking for a response.

Can anyone tell me about the SSI Tides, Waves and Currents certification. I'm wanting to take the class to gain experience and get better at dealing with currents. So is it a waste of time and money to take it? Is the PADI Drift Diving class better suited? IF they are different, is the Drift Diving course skills complementary to the SSI course? My goal is to get better at dealing with currents and to react the correct way if I'm caught in a current. I understand that practice, practice, practice works best but I'm looking for a good foundation in which to start. Living in Texas I have no where to locally dive currents (Gulf of Mexico is 6hrs away) so my exposure to currents and drift diving is extremely limited.

 

[js1221]

As an SSI Assistant Instructor I teach WT&C, and for me it is more of a classroom type course that tells you how the events are formed, what they do etc. The two open water dives needed for certification really only require you to enter the water in a current or surf and then complete some basic tasks. Like you I live in Texas and really don't have a lot of access to currents or surf, so we do the current part in the local river. For me, WT&C is more of an ecology course, then it is a techniques course. The WT&C course also hasn't been updated in over 12 years and there is no e-learning for it either. Finding an instructor who does shore dives through surf, deals with currents along the way and then exits through surf would give you a better perspective.

As PADI DM so I don't teach the PADI Drift Diving Course, nor have I attended it so I can't tell you how it differs from WT&C.

 

[NorCalDM]

Unfortunately you may not get much out of either being in a land locked area. This is not a jab at the instructors around your area but if they don't regularly dive in current/surf how good can the teach it? You may want to take it in an area that guides/instructors deal with it all the time like Florida or Cozumel.

 

[BoltSnap]

like Florida or Cozumel

Better yet, New England

 

[NorCalDM]

Better yet, New England

Or California!

 

[Tigerpaw]

Unfortunately you may not get much out of either being in a land locked area. This is not a jab at the instructors around your area but if they don't regularly dive in current/surf how good can the teach it? You may want to take it in an area that guides/instructors deal with it all the time like Florida or Cozumel.

Actually I'm doing the open water portion in Cozumel where I heard it can be brutal.