Anyone done the Nat Geo PADI dive course?

[paschen]

I was checking out some dive sites I am hitting up soon and saw a banner for a new National Geographic PADI Open Water and wondered if anyone had actually done it or their thoughts?
I doubt I would do it - but feedback would be cool.
Cheers
Pas

[WileEDiver]

I've taught it.

A recent change is that this program can now be conducted as a specialty and not just a more comprehensive "Open Water" program.

In the course you do additional work on buoynacy and navigation and you get to work on an underwater exploration program. All very useful skills.

[tiggy]

My husband and I did the National Geographic Open Water class for our OW certification. Here's the link to my review of the class.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread...ographic+Diver

Personally, the best part of the class for us was the extra dives and the confidence we gained through them. Knowing what my confidence level was after the first 4 dives, there's a good chance I would have been certified and never dove again. However, the last two dives really boosted my confidence level in my skills. That and the "exploration project" was a really cool experience. Taught me to spend time looking at things instead of just worrying about skills.

[Kagh't]

I did it at as extension to my OW earlier this year.
It was a generally good fun (learning proper boyancy controls so one could hover stationary above a reef to draw it on a slate was one of the tasks set to us), and did teach a few good skills.
You get a kick *** card too, much better than the other PADI ones, but thats only a bonus, lol.
I do like my fish, and as a newly qualified divers, it gave me more of an eye to find the critters.

I did PPB and navigation adventure dives during the Nat Geo which counted towards the AOW i did later on. I'd recommend doing these too, because those dives and the course material reinforce each other superbly IMHO.

[paschen]

Thanks guys - might be worth doing after all.
Cheers
Tae