Which PADI specialties are useful and which ones are "underwater basket weaving"?

[DiveNav]

To new divers I always recommend the following 5 specialties (in order of importance):

1) Peak Performance buoyancy (done well ... with obstacles ... and proper trimming ... and breathing)
2) Peak Performance buoyancy (done well ... with obstacles ... and proper trimming ... and breathing)
3) Peak Performance buoyancy (done well ... with obstacles ... and proper trimming ... and breathing)
4) Peak Performance buoyancy (done well ... with obstacles ... and proper trimming ... and breathing)
5) Underwater Navigation

 

[orca70]

If you buy a dry suit, lessons on using it should come with it. The card itself is pointless. If the OW course was really thorough, navigation and buoyancy can be just a matter of practice.

 

[String]

Why on earth should lessons come with a dry suit? I dont get driving lessons if i buy a car or cooking lessons if i buy a saucepan!

 

[DCBC]

A lot of these courses seem like a waste of good money. Which ones are really useful and help you as a diver, which ones are money grabers, and which ones did you do and like?

Thanks in advance,

Hostage

The answer to your question depends on your interests and how you plan to dive. If you're into basket-weaving and want to pursue this underwater; a course in underwater basket-weaving may be beneficial... If you plan on only diving with compressed air, a course in another mixed-gas would miss the mark.

Different people learn in different ways. The first time I used a Dry Suit, there wasn't a class that I could take to learn how. I applied common sense, planned a couple of dives above 33' and dove with a patient buddy. Today if I had to do it over again, Imight enroll in a dry suit specialty; it's an individual choice. No education is totally wasted.

 

[Zesty]

I am newly certified (this June) and am working my way through the information with the same questions in mind. I live in Michigan and want to dive a lot, so for me there were two "must have" courses: Nitrox and Drysuit. I wuold NOT want to put on a drysuit without the instruction I received, because there ARE risks that you need to know how to mitigate. Nitrox is just a way of life at deeper wrecks when you travel 6-7 hours to dive; make the most of your bottom time. Again - there are risks associated that you need to understand.

What I have really learned is that even after completion, you are NOT an expert - the only way to get comfortable, good, and competent is to DIVE. Find someone with experience who is patient, will keep a weather eye on you and will CONSTRUCTIVELY criticize you. You must also cirticize yourself after EVERY dive - challenge yourself to improve.

This is a great sport, but it can be dangerous - learn, practice, and share!

Oh yeah - my next courses are Deep, Wreck, navigation and Rescue.

 

[633squadron]

A lot of these courses seem like a waste of good money. Hostage

The core diving skill classes (navigation, nitrox, buoyancy, AOW, rescue) are worth it. Wreck diving isn't necessary, but like buoyancy it helps you learn how to dive like a fish instead of a drowning chimp.

If you plan to dive in a dry suit, you should take the dry suit class first, before you buy, and then go out and practice a lot. My complaint about dry suit is that it doesn't require a boat dive.

The others probably aren't worth it. Underwater digital photography is for people who have a problem figuring out which side of the camera to point towards the subject. Depending on where you dive, fish ID is less useful than buying a fish ID book, signing up on reef.org, and keeping your eyes open. Night diving may be useful if you didn't do a night dive as part of AOW, but I don't plan to take it myself. Deep diving ditto; if you plan to do a lot of tech diving, start by getting an instructor to take you to 130 feet and leave a pony bottle on a jon line and then go from there.

I haven't taken tech, but I intend to.

Alas, diving is much harder than skiing and a lot more technical, but we treat it almost as being equal. The best way to learn how to ski is to spend 6 days in a row in lessons, but few people do that. I suspect that the best way to learn how to dive is to spend 1-2 weeks doing 2 dives a day, slowly increasing the depth and complexity, but we don't do that either. Diving and skiing are also the same in that you have to practice a skill until it's automatic before you move on to the next skill. There's simply no substitute for time.

 

[eelnoraa]

If you want to move up the PADI ledder, the chain will be OW>AOW>Rescue>DM. You don't need nitrox, drysuit or any other specialty. If you don't care about titles, I will skip AOW, nitrox & drysuit, spend the money toward GUE fundie. You will become a better all around diver regardless you pass or not. If you pass, you also certified to use 32% nitrox.

Persoanlly, I think a few PADI's class is useless. PADI's peak performance buoyance is a joke compared to what I learned about buoyance in GUE fundie. PADI's basic nitrox teaches you 3 equations and some O2 handling which is almost not necessary since you are limited to 40%. PADI's drysuit cert is only useful when you need to rent a drysuit. If you already own a drysuit and diving with it, don't waste you money.

 

[Buoyant1]

Nitrox and Wreck were the most beneficial to me...I PROBABLY should have taken dry suit a few years back, but I seem to do OK without it...same with deep...

The Equipment Maintenance course as laid out by PADI was pretty much a waste, but the instructor I had went WAY above and beyond, and made it beneficial!

I would imagine things like "boat" diving and some of the other things are just fluff....

What are your interests? If it interests you, then maybe it's beneficial!

 

[Bigd2722]

Actually, I found reading the books on Deep Dive and Night Dive helpful. The classes were a waste of time.

Nitrox and Rescue are almost a requirement for any serious diver.

Not a wreck diver, so can't really comment.

Peak Performance Bouyancy is another good class, not sure if it's worth the money. I took it on a liveaboard, the only class they taught for free.

 

[RonFrank]

Nitrox and Rescue are classes. The OP appeared to be talking about specialties.

They are mostly worthless with a couple exceptions.

DRYSUIT can be valuable.

I found the photography completely worthless, but I have a strong photo background. Some may find it worthwhile.

Peak Performance was good assuming the instructor was good, and you have not dove much.

Night was worthless except it was my dive 6-10 so I needed the practice.

Deep was ok, but too short.

Basically IMO the entire advanced would be worthless except it was my dives 6-10, so it was very new and I liked having instructors in the water with me. IMO follow OW with AOW.