Yeah, I know that "is such-and-such a worthwhile course" is a tired old question here, but I couldn't find one specifically for PADI's Deep specialty.
I'm considering it for a few reasons. First, I am not as comfortable as I'd like to be when I'm down at 100 feet or so, despite having maybe a dozen dives that maxed out at 100+ feet under my belt (over the course of 10 years or so) and having done the PADI Rescue course (about five years ago). At 90 or 100 feet, especially when vis is not great, I often start feeling anxiety and wondering if I could get myself out of a mess at that depth. The more I think, the worse it gets. I tell myself to stop thinking so much and enjoy the dive, but it doesn't always work. Sometimes, I have felt it spiraling toward what I was afraid might become panic, and I have ascended a bit to cool my brain off. So far, I have not bolted for the surface--thank God. Maybe it's psychological or maybe narcosis or a combination--who knows. Anyway, I'm thinking that discussing this with an instructor and then going through the motions might be just the ticket for me. I remember feeling absolutely calm on the "deep dive" portion of the AOW course. I was great in AOW class and went on immediately to the Rescue course, which really increased my confidence in the water.
Second, despite this occasional feeling of anxiety that I am determined to rid myself of, I have ambitions of doing some divemastering someday as a semi-retirement career, and I believe I read a thread on SB that said the new PADI DM requirements consider Deep either a prerequisite or desirable for some other reason. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Third, my wife is planning to do the Rescue course this summer, and me spending a day on Deep Diver would give me something to do other than relax (which I'm not good at) while we're at whatever destination we decide on to take these courses.
In view of the above, any reasons NOT to take the Deep course? If you've taken it, did you find it worthwhile? Other thoughts?
I might as well ask a related question here. We were thinking of doing these courses in FL or NC or somewhere in the Southeast so we can drive there from Atlanta. Thoughts on what to look for or avoid in a dive shop offering the Deep course? We do NOT want to do courses in a quarry. We were thinking NC might be interesting because the conditions are not the crystal clear, calm, tropical conditions that we're accustomed to--might the slightly more challenging environment enhance our experience? I've seen it said that there is a difference between those whose training and experience are in places with ideal conditions and those whose training and experience have been in colder, lower-vis waters. Maybe this isn't a significant factor when we're talking about a single course, but I thought that mixing it up a little--putting us in an environment we're not accustomed to--might be good for us.
Also, we've never dived in NC, and we want to see some wrecks!
I'm considering it for a few reasons. First, I am not as comfortable as I'd like to be when I'm down at 100 feet or so, despite having maybe a dozen dives that maxed out at 100+ feet under my belt (over the course of 10 years or so) and having done the PADI Rescue course (about five years ago). At 90 or 100 feet, especially when vis is not great, I often start feeling anxiety and wondering if I could get myself out of a mess at that depth. The more I think, the worse it gets. I tell myself to stop thinking so much and enjoy the dive, but it doesn't always work. Sometimes, I have felt it spiraling toward what I was afraid might become panic, and I have ascended a bit to cool my brain off. So far, I have not bolted for the surface--thank God. Maybe it's psychological or maybe narcosis or a combination--who knows. Anyway, I'm thinking that discussing this with an instructor and then going through the motions might be just the ticket for me. I remember feeling absolutely calm on the "deep dive" portion of the AOW course. I was great in AOW class and went on immediately to the Rescue course, which really increased my confidence in the water.
Second, despite this occasional feeling of anxiety that I am determined to rid myself of, I have ambitions of doing some divemastering someday as a semi-retirement career, and I believe I read a thread on SB that said the new PADI DM requirements consider Deep either a prerequisite or desirable for some other reason. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Third, my wife is planning to do the Rescue course this summer, and me spending a day on Deep Diver would give me something to do other than relax (which I'm not good at) while we're at whatever destination we decide on to take these courses.
In view of the above, any reasons NOT to take the Deep course? If you've taken it, did you find it worthwhile? Other thoughts?
I might as well ask a related question here. We were thinking of doing these courses in FL or NC or somewhere in the Southeast so we can drive there from Atlanta. Thoughts on what to look for or avoid in a dive shop offering the Deep course? We do NOT want to do courses in a quarry. We were thinking NC might be interesting because the conditions are not the crystal clear, calm, tropical conditions that we're accustomed to--might the slightly more challenging environment enhance our experience? I've seen it said that there is a difference between those whose training and experience are in places with ideal conditions and those whose training and experience have been in colder, lower-vis waters. Maybe this isn't a significant factor when we're talking about a single course, but I thought that mixing it up a little--putting us in an environment we're not accustomed to--might be good for us.
Also, we've never dived in NC, and we want to see some wrecks!