required skills?

[rollerboi]

I tried to find this information on SSI's website, but it seems to all be marketing material.

Can anyone point me to a link, or post here, the actual meat of the OW requirements? I am PADI certified, but am enrolled in an SSI course through my school for the hell of it. I'm looking forward to class, but would like to see ahead of time what I'm in for and how different it might be.

For example, the surface swim requirements, if there is one. PADI allows fins by lengthening the distance swum. Wondering what SSI's guidelines are there, since I'm not the most powerful swimmer. I prefer to creep along the ocean floor, finding nudibranches.

After OW, what then is expected? The course description for SCUBA II states the following:

Provides advanced knowledge of scuba techniques. Teaches skills beyond that of the Open Water Course. Teaches natural navigating, compass navigating, light salvage, deep diving, and night diving. Reviews physics laws pertaining to diving and safety procedures. Uses advanced equipment such as compasses and air lift bags. Stresses safety.

Does this sound like they're going to teach the 4 specialty courses required for AOW? I'd like to find out more in-depth about what's actually going to be taught, and what skills will be learned/tested.

Yes, I can wait a month and ask the instructor myself.. but I'm the sort that likes to investigate on his own and just know... now.

 

[RikRaeder]

Did you check SSI's website?

 

[rollerboi]

Did you check SSI's website?

I tried to find this information on SSI's website, but it seems to all be marketing material.

I mean, hey, maybe I'm looking in the wrong area. Appreciate if someone could point me to the meat.

 

[24940]

http://www.divessi.com/downloads

 

[rollerboi]

http://www.divessi.com/downloads

Yup, and that has the standards. But not the skills.

1. The knowledge factors and skills to be covered in the
Open Water course, including the Junior Open Water
Diver, are those provided in the SSI Open Water
Instructor Manual and the SSI Open Water Diver
materials.

But thank you, I did notice the surface swim requirements there, which answers one of my questions.

Still wondering about required skills, and the possible AOW stuff.

If the skills are a copyrighted thing that are not discussed on the internet, I apologize - not intending to tread on any toes here, just trying to get an idea of what to expect.

 

[surfsidedav]

Are you trying to get the SSI AOW, take a specialty class, or start from scratch to get a SSI OW card?

 

[rollerboi]

I'm signed up to take two classes through school. I'll be starting over to get OW from scratch (more pool time, focus on trim)... and then the course description for Scuba II, I posted - not sure if this implies AOW or certain specialties.

 

[BClendening]

Not sure if this is what you're looking for or not, but in my SSI OW class, as far as the pool went. It started off with basic fin kicks, simple I know, but apparently some aren't all that great of swimmers. As far as the scuba skills, we did the sharing air, retrieving a regulator both by following the line from the first to second stage and by leaning to the right and doing the swooping motion to catch the reg, had to clear your mask, they made us swim from one side of the pool to the other without our masks then put it back on, and emergency ascents while sharing air (dropping weights and such). Hope that helps.

 

[emoreira]

If you are already a PADI OW diver, there would be no problem to go through the SSI OWD exam.
If swimming if the point you are worried about, I was in the same situation.
The exam I did started with swimm breast for 5 minutes, then go on with crawl for the next 5 minutes, then 5 minutes more of breast swim, then 5 minutes more crawl and finally 5 minutes of static flotation, a total of 25 minutes without stop nor walking in the shallow part of the pool nor touching the pool's walls.
Then came the basic equipment exercises, swim with basic equipment, submerge, swimming UW with the basic equipment and touching some weigths in the bottom of the pool, clear your mask, swimming UW without the mask all the long of the pool and the install your mask and clear it.
Then equip yourself with your scuba gear, controlled enter, go to the bottom, remove your scuba gear (including mask) in the bottom (keep it in the bottom with aditional lead weights located previously in the bottom), fasten your fins and mask to the BC, go to the surface, say hallo !, go down again, re-equip yourself in the bottom and return to the surface. Remove your fins, hold them one in each arm, and leave the pool via the stairs.
Then came swimming by the back with your fins and carrying 4 lead weights of 4 pounds each. All the weights together with a belt. We had to give a full turn of the pool with the weights.
At the end of the exam we had to remain 3 times submerged static for 30, 60 and 90 seconds (apnea). The instructor in charge of the exam was knocking the pool's stairs with a lead weight every 30 seconds.


My problem is hiperventilation while swimming crawl. All the rest was a piece of cake.

 

[Sharkbait2005]

Hey Rollerboi,
It sounds like you are taking class through a school not a LDS. If that's the case, I think they are trying to fill out the school session for you. Giving you more classwork and information to advance you. Talk with the class instructor. I have met some instructors through my LDS the teach SCUBA at the U. They split the school quarter into two seperate sessions. Teaching two open water classes per quarter.