Skills for PADI basic "Scuba Diver" versus Open Water cert

[Firenze]

Hey all,

I just signed up for an exciting week in Sandals Grenada next July and would like to take full advantage of the dive opportunities there. They have more Novice dives then I could possibly do in the time I'm there, and those are what I'm interested in. I've done a PADI DSD in a pool and a subsequent 20 foot reef dive before and enjoyed it... however, I am not really looking to get my full Open Water certification; frankly, I doubt I could swim 300 yards encumbered without stopping and I'm certainly not seeing taking the mask off in my future considering I've never been able to hold my eyes open underwater or not feel like I'm drowning when water gets in my nose. I see there's a more basic "Scuba Diver" certification I can do, which has half the number of dives required, but what I haven't been able to figure out is if the required skills for the open water cert also apply to this more basic scuba diver cert. Anyone definitively know if the same skills are required for this lesser cert, or if it's just a couple of check dives and knowledge tests?

Thanks in advance!

 

[rsingler]

Hi! Welcome to the exciting world of scuba diving! Your concerns are very, very common. Lots of folks face exactly the same worries you have about mask removal and getting water in your nose.
Trust me ! Your instructors can get you past that concern with good instruction technique and a little pool practice.
To answer your specific question, a Scuba Diver certification requires all the same skills mastery as an Open Water Diver certification with very few exceptions. That certainly includes mask removal under water along with regulator recovery and other basic self-rescue skills. In fact, deliberately letting water into your mask under water to clear fogging is a very common technique. And within your first 10 dives, something is bound to dislodge your mask, even if it's just some thoughtless diver kicking you on his way to see something exciting.
Give it a try anyway! I think you'll find new self-confidence once you see how easy it is to learn.
However, I'm a little more concerned about your "300 yard swim" worries. That swim is not in full gear, but rather in a bathing suit, and is only 200 yds. If you cannot swim 200 yards in a bathing suit, you may want to reconsider diving altogether. I hope I have merely misinterpreted your fitness comment.
Have a great time on vacation! Realize that it will take very little more for you to get your full OWD certification at a local school when you return home. It's worth it!

 

[Firenze]

Thanks for the info! I get in a pool maybe once a year and haven't really actively tried to swim 200 yards for probably twenty years, so it's really just a matter of not being confident I could. I don't have a pool particularly close to me, so practice swimming just to get the endurance down (versus a weekend of PADI training) is probably not an option.

I am familiar with and have done the unfogging/clearing technique, but just don't think I can go all the way and take it off considering how difficult it was just to let a bit of water in the mask, and I guess was hoping this more basic certification would just advise you to surface (since you're pretty limited on how far down you can go) instead of trying to resolve it under water. Perhaps I'm best suited on a lounger at the beach - thanks again for your response.

 

[rsingler]

If you did DSD, you can do this!
Mind over matter.
Yeah, getting water up your nose sucks! But we'll teach you how to NOT do that, and the feeling of accomplishment once you're able to navigate around a reef at 30 feet is indescribable. Go for it!
And that swim? Ask for the mask/fin/snorkel option. Yeah, you now have to do 300 yards, but there's no time limit. Just scoot along and take your time.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

Below is an extract highlighting the PADI Scuba Diver course restrictions and requirements. Apologies for the layout, but cut and paste doesn't work well:

T h e PADI Scuba Diver course is a subset of the Open Water Diver course. PADI Scuba Divers are trained to dive under the direct supervision of a PADI Divemaster, Assistant Instructor or Instructor to a maximum depth of 12 metres/40 feet. PADI Scuba Divers have more theoretical background and better developed water skills than Discover Scuba® Diving participants, however, they are not qualifi ed for independent diving. All Open Water Diver course standards apply, with the following modifi cations. Certification Requirements • Complete Knowledge Development 1-3, including quizzes. • Complete Confi ned Water Dives 1-3 including Dive Flexible Skills:– – – Equipment Preparation and Care Disconnect Low Pressure Infl ator Hose Weight System Removal and Replacement • Complete a 10-minute swim/fl oat demonstrating comfort in water too deep in which to stand prior to Open Water Dive 2. • Complete Open Water Dives 1-2 including Dive Flexible Skills:– Snorkel to Regulator Exchange– Cramp Release– Infl atable Signal Tube/DSMB Deployment– Emergency Weight Drop (in confi ned or open water)

 

[Firenze]

Thanks! I was assuming that the requirement that fewer dives meant there were also fewer skills tested, but it appears that is unfortunately not the case.

Snorkeling it is, then

 

[Anish]

The purpose of the skills is primarily safety. Why would you want to avoid learning them and still expose yourself to the risks of diving?

 

[happy-diver]

Snorkeling it is, then

Thank you for being smart about it

 

[rsingler]

Shame on you all for letting this student talk himself out of even trying!
What tells you that he can't complete his training? Self-doubt?
I'll take a serious, questioning student over an overconfident yahoo any day of the week.
70/30 says that all he needs is a good instructor.

 

[Zef]

If you did DSD, you can do this!

That depends, and the following may not apply to the OP, but PADI DSD, if done in a pool, does not require any skill to be covered except how to operate the inflator at the surface. If done in confined water then mask clearing and reg recovery are required. As dive master I teach the mask clearing and reg recovery when doing a DSD in the pool but I can't speak for others.

-Z