Specialty info request

[diverdown67]

Im going after my Master Scuba Diver cert. I have 2 specialties already (Wreck and Enriched air), need 3 more and Rescue (correct?). Anyway, I want to take the courses up here (New Jersey) and do the checkouts when I go to the Cayman Islands next year (I'll be there for 2 weeks). I was thinking of taking Deep, Drift and maybe Rebreather or Night. My questions are how many check out dives are there for each cert.? Has anyone done something like this (complete 4 certs in 2 weeks). Another question: Is it possible to ALSO take the Master Diver course and finish that toward the end of my vacation?

 

[Damselfish]

Most specialties tend to be more practical without so much for class type work, unlike OW. I would just get the materials and read them, and do them where you're going. (Not sure there is even such a thing as a specialty referral, or that it would make sense in most cases.) Rescue it's worth looking into.

I would focus more on having fun and diving on vacation, rather than packing in too many courses. It will probably do more for your diving. Do specialties that you really want to do and will do you some good, not just 5 for the sake of doing 5. And do them in places that makes sense - Cayman is a good place to do deep, but drift dives are pretty rare. While I'm sure someone there will give you a Drift Diver card, I think it would be a waste to do it someplace you can't truly drift dive.

When you say "also take the Master Diver course" what are you referring to? PADI Master Diver is not a course, it's just another card you can send in for when you do that list of stuff. (A card which no one but you will care that you have.) NAUI has a Master Diver course, which is an actual course which has a good reputation. But it makes no sense to me to do both, especially on one vacation!

 

[diverdown67]

Most specialties tend to be more practical without so much for class type work, unlike OW. I would just get the materials and read them, and do them where you're going. (Not sure there is even such a thing as a specialty referral, or that it would make sense in most cases.) Rescue it's worth looking into.

I would focus more on having fun and diving on vacation, rather than packing in too many courses. It will probably do more for your diving. Do specialties that you really want to do and will do you some good, not just 5 for the sake of doing 5. And do them in places that makes sense - Cayman is a good place to do deep, but drift dives are pretty rare. While I'm sure someone there will give you a Drift Diver card, I think it would be a waste to do it someplace you can't truly drift dive.

When you say "also take the Master Diver course" what are you referring to? PADI Master Diver is not a course, it's just another card you can send in for when you do that list of stuff. (A card which no one but you will care that you have.) NAUI has a Master Diver course, which is an actual course which has a good reputation. But it makes no sense to me to do both, especially on one vacation!

Thanks Damsel

 

[emoreira]

Hi, I don't know which agency gave you your card, as it's not stated in your profile.
To get MSD cert, at least under SSI, you need :
1) To be AOWD. For this you need to have 24 logged dives under your belt and 4 specialties that qualify for Advanced. Nitrox IS NOT one of those as it requires no check-out dives. Also Underwater photo do not qualify, also Equipment Techniques. Specialties that do qualify are those that require check-out dives (2 dives each) Navigation, Boat diving, Deep diving, Dry Suit diving, Night & Limited Visibility diving, Wreck diving (the one you have), Search & Recovery, and some others.
2) To be Stress & Rescue diver. For this, not only to have taken that course, but also an EFR course and being active (EFR certification needs a revalidation every two years).
3) To have 50 logged dives under your belt with a total amount of 32 hours under water.
MSD (under SSI) is only a recognizance certification, a certification that shows that you have done all the above.

Boat diving is a specialty that is available, but no one requires that certification, as could be with night and/or deep. If you are going to dive in a place beyond 18 meters depth, the LDS should require your deep cert, also if you are going to dive at night. Also, no one will ask your navigation cert to do a particular dive, it's something for you how to know the way to return easily to the boat.

Another point is that (again, under SSI) there is no referral for specialties. Referral is only available for OWD check-out dives. Specialties check-out dives cannot be referred. This means that the one that gives you the course, is the one that will check your dives, no matter where. You can take the theory or classroom sessions at your home location and check-out dives in Cayman, but you need to go there with your instructor.

Finally, Rebreather diving is beyond Recreational diving. It´s normally under the XR (extended range) program or technical programs, with some more strict requirements.

All this is available in the particular standards that apply to your country or zone of each agency, which should be free to download in the web page of each agency (at least in SSI this is true).

 

[Bob DBF]

I agree with Damselfish,"focus more on having fun and diving on vacation, rather than packing in too many courses. It will probably do more for your diving".

As for courses, take the ones that will develop your basic dive skills, such as Buoyancy, Navigation, Deep, and Night/Low Viz. As for your trip you might think about a Buoyancy class, if you can't do a mid-water stop without help, before you do the Deep which may put you in the position of needing that skill. In addition, it is not the class that makes you good at the skill, but the practice with your buddy afterwards that makes it become part of your skillset.

It's nice to have a goal and want to achieve the goal quickly, but the question is do you want the card or do you want the skills that a MSD should have. If you want the skills, it is going to take longer than a two week vacation to make that happen.



Bob MSD

"(A card which no one but you will care that you have.)" Damselfish

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That's my point, people, by and large, are not taught that diving can be deadly, they are taught how safe it is, and they are not equipped with the skills, taught and trained to the level required to be useful in an emergency.

 

[diversteve]

You can likely do 2/3 with Divetech on the North side - Deep and Rebreather. I believe they teach the PADI rebreather course. And Deep is a given since the wall offshore is 6000' deep. Divetech - Grand Cayman scuba diving

Drift might be harder to find. Texas Hole is one on the west side. I've heard there's more drift dives off the south side but I don't know any of them or who dives them. Probably not Divetech due to their location. Try Wall to Wall or Deep Blue out of Lobster Pot in town. Or Sunset House? I think there's some drift diving done by Ocean Frontiers on the East End if you wanted to drive out there.

http://www.lobsterpotdivecenter.com/
http://www.sunsethouse.com/
http://www.oceanfrontiers.com/

 

[WheelsUSN]

To get MSD cert, at least under SSI, you need :
1) To be AOWD. For this you need to have 24 logged dives under your belt and 4 specialties that qualify for Advanced. Nitrox IS NOT one of those as it requires no check-out dives.

According to SSI's standards Nitrox does count towards AOW. The following is from page REC-17 of SSI's 2014 Global Training Standards.

Specialty / Recognition Ratings: Enriched Air Nitrox Diver may be taught as a non-diving specialty. The Enriched Air Nitrox Program can be counted for Specialty Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver or Master Diver ratings and is eligible for the FREE system generated cards even without the dives conducted.

 

[diverdown67]

My last reply didn't go through. Ill try again

---------- Post added November 23rd, 2013 at 03:55 PM ----------

Thank you for all the replys. Just to clarify things, I have 200+ dives and I'm very comfortable diving. My deepest dive was to 165 feet about 10 years ago. I know it was way too deep so spare me the lectures please, but I was with a group of experienced divers and in Mexico they sometimes dont care about things like liability. Anyway, I've been thinking of ultimately becoming an instructor since I'm finding more time on my hands and may be able to retire in the next 5 years. How would some of you pursue this goal?

 

[WheelsUSN]

My last reply didn't go through. Ill try again

---------- Post added November 23rd, 2013 at 03:55 PM ----------

Thank you for all the replys. Just to clarify things, I have 200+ dives and I'm very comfortable diving. My deepest dive was to 165 feet about 10 years ago. I know it was way too deep so spare me the lectures please, but I was with a group of experienced divers and in Mexico they sometimes dont care about things like liability. Anyway, I've been thinking of ultimately becoming an instructor since I'm finding more time on my hands and may be able to retire in the next 5 years. How would some of you pursue this goal?

What agency are you currently certified and to what level? Which agency would you prefer to become an instructor with? PADI is usually easiest to find a shop to work for because they are the biggest. SSI requires the instructor to be affiliated with a shop so if there aren't any SSI shops that you would like to work with in your area then that would be a poor choice. NAUI and some of the smaller agencies allow the instructor more leeway in determining the content and requirements of their courses so might be a better choice for an independent instructor that wants to run a more comprehensive course.

 

[diverdown67]

I am PADI certified.