PADI AOW vs SSI deep diver qualifications
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This is IMNSHO one of the fundamental characteristics of a good (European) diving club, whether it's BSAC or CMAS: We're a community, and we learn from each other.
When I was a n00b, I was very grateful for the opportunity to dive with more experienced divers and being mentored by them. I learned a bunch, and I like to believe that most of what I learned was good and valuable. Now that I have a few dives under my belt (pun intended), I like to pay back by mentoring less experienced clubmates. Of course, I wouldn't like to be buddied with only inexperienced members, so a little of each is good. Some dives with a n00b, some dives with someone at or above my experience level. I'm still being mentored, albeit at a slower pace since I sometimes dive with a n00b and am mentoring instead of being mentored.
post #42. I think you have misunderstood my post. it is a common forum problem that when posts are made they are not long enough to give all the information so are easily misunderstood. I prefaced much of my post with the words "I have no intention at this time". I will explain further. Even before I had my OW the instructor I was with commented that he would be happy to dive with me anywhere. For well over 40 years I have been able to freedive to 30 + feet, snorkel and swim for extended periods. Apart from getting used to the equipment diving has been easy for me. Having said that I still don't know what I don't know and do not want a nasty surprise 100 + ft down. If something does go wrong I want to be with someone who can sort me out. However I have a diving holiday next week and another in January and on these I will want to dive to over 30m, The quick SSI course is the best way to achieve this and on those holidays I will be diving with guides / instructors I trust. Longer term I will develop my diving with my BSAC club and as I gain more experience I will be more confident in diving with less able buddies. So far most of my diving has been with "holiday divers" and the standard has not inspired confidence. Some struggle to set up their gear, have poor buoyancy, can't keep close, don't watch their air, can't equalise, dubious physical fitness, ignore the pre dive briefing instructions and don't bother with the safety stop. They get by and enjoy their occasional diving in good conditions but only a fool would rely on them as a buddy especially in poor conditions. I regard initial diving qualifications a bit like a driving test pass, it authorises you to dive but you still have a lot to learn. My son for instance started driving in May and passed his test in September, meaning he was allowed to drive alone in all conditions but without any experience of driving on wet leaves, snow or ice.
Watch out for this.
You cannot rely on guides, DM and instructors for your safety. Maybe if you book one to yourself, but even then it is unwise. A typical guide has several other people to worry about, if they are inclined to worry rather than just pointing out the life.
It is quite hard keeping track of several divers. They are not magicians.
After assessing the PADSI AOW and SSI options I chose to do SSI Deep Diver & Nitrox. This gave me the quickest route to 40m (130 ft) dives and extended time shallower dives.
I found the SSI courses really enjoyable. Bearing in mind that I have been diving for less than a year and only took my OW 4 months ago I am well pleased. If 5 months ago, just before my OW anybody had suggested that before the end of the year I would go inside wrecks at 30 + m I would have said “no way, not ever, just the though of it scared me, but now I am really glad I have done it.
I will not bother discussing the nitrox course because I assume most are familiar with it.
The deep dive course focussed on buoyancy, gas consumption management, ascent and decent rate control and narcosis effects.
The instructor was a very accomplished diver. He could hover in mid water without reference to within a few inches or hover just of the bottom without touching it whilst doing tasks. He had a very compact well tucked in twin tank, wing and backplate set up, the value of which I came to appreciate during the dives. I was on 12L tank of nitrox 32. I did 4 dives with him for the qualification and 2 after. All the dives were from a boat, wreck dives at just over 29 to 32m.
Visibility was not good, we were on torches from as little as 15m at times and down by the side of the wrecks it could be down to 2m with a torch. Inside the wrecks sometimes when only 1 to 1.5 m apart unless he shone his torch at me I could not even tell where he was. Just to add to the fun there was a reasonable current at the surface, potentially aggressive triggerfish and scorpion fish around and in the wrecks which were covered in sharp shellfish and had jagged metal edges.
We swam very close to the seabed along wrecks where the inclined hulls were above us, this was to practice buoyancy in an overhead environment. We would then go into the wrecks and work our way through compartments, along passages, through holes, hatches, stairways etc. I could only just fit through some of the holes, they were narrower than me and even with my shoulders drawn in I was rubbing both sides, at the same time I had only a few inches under me and my tank nearly scraping. I bumped and cut my head several times. I had to get my breathing / buoyancy spot on to align with the holes so I could just drift through. One of the wrecks was inclined at about 45 degrees and had hatches of the sort you have to step over the bottom, duck your head and turn sideways to get through even when the ship is at its normal position on the surface. Incline these hatches at 45 degrees, reduce visibility and they are a tricky to get through. I had visions of knocking my primary reg off and flying round like a deflating balloon but it never happened. Even after six dives I had never even scratched my reg but had bumped the tank several times and put a number of scratches in the face of my new dive computer. There were other places where we went into a room or shaft and then used slight positive buoyancy by inhaling to rise through them instead of finning which could stir up silt. As our gas ran down we moved higher up the wreck swimming between and under obstructions on the deck. The aim being to move gently and accurately.
At one stage I thought I had been bitten / injected by something poisonous. I felt a sudden pain in my middle finger and looking at it there was what looked like black smoke tinged with green pouring from it. I could see this part of my finger was black inside and thinking it was poison I squeezed it until the blackness disappeared. When I released the pressure the black and green smoke started again. I then realised the black and green smoke was blood coming from a large flap of skin. This would be at about 24m so it brought home to me what colour distortion can occur at that depth.
I found the SSI courses really enjoyable. Bearing in mind that I have been diving for less than a year and only took my OW 4 months ago I am well pleased. If 5 months ago, just before my OW anybody had suggested that before the end of the year I would go inside wrecks at 30 + m I would have said “no way, not ever, just the though of it scared me, but now I am really glad I have done it.
I will not bother discussing the nitrox course because I assume most are familiar with it.
The deep dive course focussed on buoyancy, gas consumption management, ascent and decent rate control and narcosis effects.
The instructor was a very accomplished diver. He could hover in mid water without reference to within a few inches or hover just of the bottom without touching it whilst doing tasks. He had a very compact well tucked in twin tank, wing and backplate set up, the value of which I came to appreciate during the dives. I was on 12L tank of nitrox 32. I did 4 dives with him for the qualification and 2 after. All the dives were from a boat, wreck dives at just over 29 to 32m.
Visibility was not good, we were on torches from as little as 15m at times and down by the side of the wrecks it could be down to 2m with a torch. Inside the wrecks sometimes when only 1 to 1.5 m apart unless he shone his torch at me I could not even tell where he was. Just to add to the fun there was a reasonable current at the surface, potentially aggressive triggerfish and scorpion fish around and in the wrecks which were covered in sharp shellfish and had jagged metal edges.
We swam very close to the seabed along wrecks where the inclined hulls were above us, this was to practice buoyancy in an overhead environment. We would then go into the wrecks and work our way through compartments, along passages, through holes, hatches, stairways etc. I could only just fit through some of the holes, they were narrower than me and even with my shoulders drawn in I was rubbing both sides, at the same time I had only a few inches under me and my tank nearly scraping. I bumped and cut my head several times. I had to get my breathing / buoyancy spot on to align with the holes so I could just drift through. One of the wrecks was inclined at about 45 degrees and had hatches of the sort you have to step over the bottom, duck your head and turn sideways to get through even when the ship is at its normal position on the surface. Incline these hatches at 45 degrees, reduce visibility and they are a tricky to get through. I had visions of knocking my primary reg off and flying round like a deflating balloon but it never happened. Even after six dives I had never even scratched my reg but had bumped the tank several times and put a number of scratches in the face of my new dive computer. There were other places where we went into a room or shaft and then used slight positive buoyancy by inhaling to rise through them instead of finning which could stir up silt. As our gas ran down we moved higher up the wreck swimming between and under obstructions on the deck. The aim being to move gently and accurately.
At one stage I thought I had been bitten / injected by something poisonous. I felt a sudden pain in my middle finger and looking at it there was what looked like black smoke tinged with green pouring from it. I could see this part of my finger was black inside and thinking it was poison I squeezed it until the blackness disappeared. When I released the pressure the black and green smoke started again. I then realised the black and green smoke was blood coming from a large flap of skin. This would be at about 24m so it brought home to me what colour distortion can occur at that depth.
That's a terrifying report to me. You're only trained as an OW diver and your instructor had you doing wreck penetration dives at 30+ meters?? I'm obviously not familiar with where you were diving, but that sounds exceptionally dangerous and irresponsible of that instructor to take you with your current experience and training. I think @The Chairman would refer to that as a "trust me" dive... I'd report an instructor for such behavior to their certifying agency personally as you have no business being in a wreck at those depths if you're hitting things repeatedly and hurting yourself and don't have the training nor experience for that dive.
Glad it worked out in the end, but your blood isn't supposed to be how you recognize the changes in colors at depth..
Glad it worked out in the end, but your blood isn't supposed to be how you recognize the changes in colors at depth..
While you were inside the wreck, did you have direct access to the exterior or open water? SSI basic wreck diving does not teach penetration and that's quite a jump IMO.
I know that 25 dives in the Great Lakes is different than 25 dives in the Bahamas but the core underwater diving skills are real close but I dunno if I'd have wanted to go dragging myself thru wreck passageways back then - I ain't keen on it today unless I know who I'm with.
Sorry, I lost track of where you were going to do this. What sites did you visit? I am guessimg this is not the U.K. as you’d have had a hood
To those freaking out, while he might be trolling there are wreck sites which might fit the description while not being totally mad. The Karwela in Gozo for example. The tight bits sound a bit much though.
I'm pretty sure that one meter visibility inside a wreck at 29-32 meters deep isn't exactly part of the SSI Deep Diver course standards ...
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