Drift Specialty Course - worthwhile???

[CBulla]

Here's the course, its going to be the long version.

Jump/fall/roll/parachute off the boat -- flash your favorite OK symbol and add some dihydrogenmonoxide between you and the surface till your at the depth desired. Maintain buoyancy till end of dive time or air low; don't move unless your removing a jelly fish, yanking your buddies fins off so the shark gets him/her first, or you have to avoid an object. Remove dihydrogenmonoxide layer slowly and safely according to your training and plan. Surface flailing your favorite "GREAT DIVE!" and OK signal.

Drift dives are almost as easy as pool dives.

 

[Barracuda2]

I didn't even know that there was a 'drift divng cert'. If there is it's a money grab by the certifying agencies. A day of drift diving in Coz will make you an expert.

Neither did I, and no you don't need this course. Mark my words, a dry suit pee-valve certification is just around the corner.:11:

 

[Sas]

I did the Drift specialty in April as part of my AOW and I would have to say it is really not necessary to do the course to learn how to drift dive. I'd done drift dives before anyway and they are really easy diving as long as you know how to launch an SMB in case you get lost. But as Rhone Man said it is nice to have teaching now and again and my instructor spent a lot of time talking about hypothermia (which is handy seeing as it is coming up to winter where I dive), which I knew nothing about so that was handy. I also learned heaps about good sites to do drift dives in locally (note: not through the Port Phillip Bay Heads ) but I guess that won't apply to you as you are on holiday. Also I met my regular diving buddy on the course So worthwhile to me but I doubt many other people.

If there are other courses on offer I'd check them out before drift. But yea if it is cheap, it is an enjoyable course, even if it is not necessary.

 

[robertarak]

I confess, I did the drift dive specialty. I was a little aprehensive about coz. dirft diving as I was a very new diver. Signing up for the class removed all that aprehension and made the dives much more enjoyable. Did I need then class...no, not at all, but I am glad I did it.

 

[mikeyjoe]

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the great advice. I'll take a pass on the drift course and save the $ for my deep course or my rescue diver.

I have done one drift dive already (a 300' wall dive, just off Gambier Island, which is just outside Vancouver - big current) so I have an idea of what it's all about. I should have a much better idea after 14 dives in Cozumel. Good thing I bought that safety sausage......

Thanks again for your advice.

If anybody wants to PM me on favorite sites in Coz, that would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Michael

 

[Splitlip]

I live in Jupiter Florida. Palm Beach County, the home of Frank Hamett (my Open water instructer) the father of WPB drift diving. There are skills associated with drift diving. They are not however taught in the PADI specialty course. Save your money and find another specialty if you like.
What you learn in the PADI course, you will get in the briefing.

Edit: Learn to shoot a DSMB. Not covered in the course.

 

[Splitlip]

Deep diver too I think is another useless specialty. Spend the money elsewhere.

 

[Sas]

Deep diver too I think is another useless specialty. Spend the money elsewhere.

Why would you say that? Thoughts please. I just did the deep to 39m theory (dives in about a week) and I learned a lot about gas management, how to calculate MODs for different mixes, a bit about about decompression theory, etc. Found it really useful.

 

[bfw]

The key thing is to keep together with the group. Don't listen to the SB members who say "I don't need a stinking DM to lead me"... It is simply for your safety.

I've never done a drift dive where they put a DM in the water.

 

[fisherdvm]

I've never done a drift dive where they put a DM in the water.

Travel to Mexico. I believe that it is a law that a DM must lead divers. I've never been on a dive in Mexico that was not lead by a DM.