Putting Another Dollar In - taking more classes

[diveprof]

Learning (formal or informal) is not an endpoint - it is a journey. That's why I tell folks I teach when I want,but learn on every dive.

 

[James O' Mahony]

Just a point of note, I'd rethink the relationship between nitrox and deep ?? they dont really go hand in hand due to oxygen toxicity. nitrox works best giving more time at mid depth levels, deeper dives need serioue consideration to percentages used. But I get your sentiment.

 

[TexasKaren68]

Ummmm Karen as someone who can relate in reguards to the Spiegel Grove its not exactly first timer friendly. The Spiegel Grove sits in a current sensitive area and it can cause some serious problems for divers not used to those conditions. Id get some traing in the deep and get some experience in some drift dives first and learn the process for what to do if you get ripped away from the decent line. It can be rough.

Also your correct I dont do deep dives in area lakes because the amount of dive time available to see just a rock is not appealing to me plus most often the temperature is way too cold at depth and visibility in neal at best.

Flashlights are simple just read the night diver book and you should be fine.

Boat diver? Ok I get it you really are just putting another dollar in LOL This course is a serious WTF was some one thinking?

Well, the last three courses I listed were more tongue in cheek than anything. I almost listed underwater basket weaving.

As far as the Speigel Grove goes, I don't mind doing deep dives in Texas but I don't really see the point. The lakes will have no current, be 30 degrees colder than Florida and have zero viz. If I'm going to learn how to dive at a site like the SG, then I need to learn at a site like the SG. I don't know the typical conditions at other wrecks in FL, like the Duane or the Vandenburg, but are there some that would be better for a first time deeper wreck dive?

 

[redacted]

Well, the last three courses I listed were more tongue in cheek than anything. I almost listed underwater basket weaving.

As far as the Speigel Grove goes, I don't mind doing deep dives in Texas but I don't really see the point. The lakes will have no current, be 30 degrees colder than Florida and have zero viz. If I'm going to learn how to dive at a site like the SG, then I need to learn at a site like the SG. I don't know the typical conditions at other wrecks in FL, like the Duane or the Vandenburg, but are there some that would be better for a first time deeper wreck dive?

You can learn all about narcosis in many TX lakes rather than spending hundreds just to find that you may not be ready.

 

[theduckguru]

The most important lesson I learned in poor vis cold water is to not waste my time/money diving such sites. There no reason to dive sites you don't enjoy.

 

[k ellis]

The most important lesson I learned in poor vis cold water is to not waste my time/money diving such sites. There no reason to dive sites you don't enjoy.

Wow you said it best. I went to Beaver Lake last year which is in Eureka Springs Arkansas and down to 40 feet it had some of the most amazing visibility one could ask for in fresh water. The temp at that time was a nice comfortable 82 degrees with visibility at about 60 feet. I did this dive in a shorty. Once we reached about 45 to 50 feet visibility dropped to about 10 feet with temperatures going down to around 64 degrees. Above the thermocline it was absolute paradise and a dive that made me really never want to leave but why would I want to dive to 90 or even 100 feet and see a rock that requires a flashlight to see? Thats just not even cool so I agree with you. Local dives with a specific goal such as my boat sank in 100 feet or something like that I would not mind going that deep but other then that I see the exact same scenery at 40 feet I will at 100.

@ Karen,
I was teasing about the classes because in all honesty they do provide you with a broader spectrum of learning though I really believe most can be learned easily with a good mentor who is experienced in diving. As others have pointed out in the past I have with hundreds of dives mastered my buoyancy with out ever taking PPB but thats not to say a new diver could not learn from it. I did learn on my own over time so it is proof that people really should get out and just have fun diving and not task load with class stress. Just find a good buddy and enjoy. I also find classes like boat diver more of a fluff then anything but there is valuable information to be learned in the book.

I may not be a card collector but I am a PADI video junkie LOL I think I got most every video they have made Often I let people who are non divers watch the video and sometimes they actually fall in love with the idea of diving and go sign up for certification. Nothing wrong with it at all. Plus I get to google at all the neonprene of the 90s and how it apparently was cool back then to wear bright colors in the patterns they were then. Nothing wrong with it for those who are fans of these styles just not the normal styles you see today.

Classes are great in that sometimes you get to meet other really great divers who are out there and its sometimes fun. The only bad thing is how much money they cost

 

[Wolfie]

I'm all for mentorship, self study, and practice. I've been in a wreck at 140' from a boat wearing a drysuit. I'm not too sure if I'll get any of those "cards". I have however decided to complete some classes this summer.
Stress and Rescue - It's likely I have learned all this before but if I get one good thing learned it will be worth it.
Nitrox - so I can get fills.
It is pretty obvious when diving with operators in the tropics that there are a lot of yahoo's out there that never had the mentorship I had and could really use more education. Hopefully from someone better than they had for ow.

 

[DevonDiver]

Seems to translate as: "I did plenty of dives that were beyond my training and experience...and I didn't die. Therefore, I must be competant to complete dives of that type".

There's a logic flaw in that.

Not experiencing an incident/emergency doesn't necessarily mean you have the skills to avoid disaster. It just means that a problem didn't arise yet.

 

[Petert71]

The course synopsis suggests that the boat dive component will allow you to more successfully estimate currents, slackwater and other conditions you might encounter on a boat. If you're diving with a professional outfit this is probably moot point, but if you've got your own boat or diving from a friends boat, I can see the merit.

Of couse, I've only just signed up for the course so I could be full of crap

I looked at this and decided that the course contained two 'boat dive' components and when you break it down to the cost per dive vs. the course cost of each dive, I'm actually getting some cheap boat dives done.

I'll be pushing the instructure for techniques in 'low visibility' diving, rather than 'night diving'. We spend a bit of time together outside of courses and get along really well. I'm fairly sure I'll get value for money one way or another.

 

[k ellis]

Seems to translate as: "I did plenty of dives that were beyond my training and experience...and I didn't die. Therefore, I must be competant to complete dives of that type".

There's a logic flaw in that.

Not experiencing an incident/emergency doesn't necessarily mean you have the skills to avoid disaster. It just means that a problem didn't arise yet.

Though I dont doubt a great number of dive instructors have experienced a real life emergency I know that there are those out there who by the mere luck of the draw have not experienced one. Would taking a course from an instructor who has never experienced an actual emergency be better training then taking a mentor whos dove thousands of dives and experienced hundreds of emergencies be better?

I have myself experienced many emergencies in life many in the water. Had they have not been handled properly they would have become serious but since they were handled appropriately they merely become a serious problem not life threatning. Training in life or death situations really has little bearing on the real life issues other then the fact you have been shown how to act. It does not guarantee under stress it will go according to training. I as an law enforcement official have been taught for years how to handle shootings and officer involved dangers but nothing prepared me for when a shooting became a real ordeal not a rehearsel for what if.

I stand by my statement that a good mentor can be just as effective as a class someone pays hundreds of dollars for and does a mere 4 dives with an instructor and all they really get out of the course is a piece of plastic. I had no luck of the drawl myself I had the skills of experienced divers show me the ropes I had people who live in the 100 foot dive range show me the proceedures and learned more from them then I did a 4 dive deep diver specialty.

So again take it for what its worth. Pay hundreds of dollars to have someone go on 4 dives with you and hope you learn something or spend that same amount of money and go to the waters with an experienced diver and dive 30 or 40 dives and learn hands on.