SSI advanced training for new diver.

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Sonnylynnvick75

Contributor
Messages
134
Reaction score
26
Location
Flintstone, GA
# of dives
50 - 99
I just completed my pool and classroom training and I’m now awaiting my OWC at Vortex springs March 29th and 30th. My problem is, I love to increase my knowledge and learn technical things (I’m an engineering major). I’ve already completed Nitrox EAN32 and EAN 36 as well as Navigation. I’m looking to complete some more. SSI has a ton of advanced courses and I’m curious which ones to take next or if there is any order I should go in. I’ll list the programs optionable in the order I am most interested in to the ones I’m still interested in just not as much.

Search and recovery
Night and Limited visibility
Wreck diving
Boat diving
River diving
Deep Diving
Perfect Buoyancy
Equipment techniques

Which do Y’all (I’m from the south, Y’all is definitely a word) reccomend.
 
I just completed my pool and classroom training and I’m now awaiting my OWC at Vortex springs March 29th and 30th. My problem is, I love to increase my knowledge and learn technical things (I’m an engineering major). I’ve already completed Nitrox EAN32 and EAN 36 as well as Navigation. I’m looking to complete some more. SSI has a ton of advanced courses and I’m curious which ones to take next or if there is any order I should go in. I’ll list the programs optionable in the order I am most interested in to the ones I’m still interested in just not as much.

Search and recovery
Night and Limited visibility
Wreck diving
Boat diving
River diving
Deep Diving
Perfect Buoyancy
Equipment techniques

Which do Y’all (I’m from the south, Y’all is definitely a word) reccomend.

I would start with Bouyancy and Skip boat diving.
 
I just completed my pool and classroom training and I’m now awaiting my OWC at Vortex springs March 29th and 30th. My problem is, I love to increase my knowledge and learn technical things (I’m an engineering major). I’ve already completed Nitrox EAN32 and EAN 36 as well as Navigation. I’m looking to complete some more. SSI has a ton of advanced courses and I’m curious which ones to take next or if there is any order I should go in. I’ll list the programs optionable in the order I am most interested in to the ones I’m still interested in just not as much.

Search and recovery
Night and Limited visibility
Wreck diving
Boat diving
River diving
Deep Diving
Perfect Buoyancy
Equipment techniques

Which do Y’all (I’m from the south, Y’all is definitely a word) reccomend.
The ones I'd go with are:

Search & Recovery
Perfect Buoyancy
Night & Limited Visibility
Deep Diving

The rest are just fluff. I'd argue night and limited vis are mostly fluff as well, but I'd do it as part of a course I signed up for to get some other skill.
 
I found Deep, PPB, and S&R to be worthwhile. Night was fun, but I don't know how much knowledge you really get from it. River (Drift) is a joke - my instructor straight up told me not to take it. He also told me to save my money, not bother with the equipment class (unless I wanted to start mixing or get paid to do repairs), read the owner's manuals, and get some wrenches so I could play with my gear. It seems like if you want to learn wreck and boat, you should go dive some wrecks from a boat, pay attention, and maybe ask a few questions. For serious wreck diving, my instructor said to look at TDI offerings.
 
Night is a waste, but limited viz might be nice with a good instructor. Wreck is almost always a waste unless it's with a really good instructor. Boat and river are a waste. Deep might be good with a good instructor. Perfect buoyancy is great with a good instructor. Equipment techniques is a waste unless you get a good instructor.

However, take a moment to enjoy diving. There's plenty of great diving and TONS of fun to be had in the shallow, recreational realm of scuba. Nitrox is important, buoyancy is important, and blowing bubbles is important. After you get certified, keep diving. Blow ALL the bubbles. Then figure out what kind of diving you want to do more of. You like NC or FL wrecks? Well, Deep might be hugely beneficial. You like Keys reefs? Deep isn't beneficial at all as most are super shallow.
 
Y'all have been super helpful, Night and limited vis is a combo course. I think the good instructor part is covered. The local dive shop is owned by Steve Newman who is the SSI international technical training director, the same guy who headed up the operation to bring up the USS Monitor. He does alot of our technical training like my Nitrox class.
 
Search and recovery - good course if you get an instructor that actually knows how to teach it properly
Night and Limited visibility - same as above
Wreck diving - if taught by someone that actually dives wrecks and will show you how easy it is to get into trouble doing it
Boat diving - waste
River diving - waste
Deep Diving - If taught be a technical instructor might be ok. Recreational by the book one? Could get you hurt or killed
Perfect Buoyancy- should be part of OW training. When it's not take a non cert workshop from someone who will tailor a course to your needs
Equipment techniques - again most are a waste and stuff that could be gone over in the OW class. A good one is worth it and could save your dives and your life.

You also do not need to stay with one agency or instructor. Do some research and find an instructor who will look at your needs and interests and tailor a class to that. It can be done under agency guidelines. Some are more liberal and allow the instructor more freedom to go outside the book and do that.
 
Nitrox really isn't "technical training" but a Tech instructor means that certain aspects of what he teach will be phenomonally better than most instructors....or he'll at least be better at performing the skills, even if not teach them. It'd be good experience just to dive with him.

Knowing that, Deep and buoyancy should be really good. I'm still not sure I'd spend my time and money on S&R or Night/LowViz. I know I wouldn't spend money on rec Wreck or boat diving. River/Equipment I also wouldn't take. I'll teach you anything you need to know about boat, river, equipment, or rec Wreck.

However, him leading the USS Monitor might mean he'll have some cool stories/insight regarding wrecks.....still not sure if it's worth taking. Maybe ask him what's included/covered in the SSI rec Wreck class.
 
Nitrox really isn't "technical training" but a Tech instructor means that certain aspects of what he teach will be phenomonally better than most instructors....or he'll at least be better at performing the skills, even if not teach them. It'd be good experience just to dive with him.

Knowing that, Deep and buoyancy should be really good. I'm still not sure I'd spend my time and money on S&R or Night/LowViz. I know I wouldn't spend money on rec Wreck or boat diving. River/Equipment I also wouldn't take. I'll teach you anything you need to know about boat, river, equipment, or rec Wreck.

However, him leading the USS Monitor might mean he'll have some cool stories/insight regarding wrecks.....still not sure if it's worth taking. Maybe ask him what's included/covered in the SSI rec Wreck class.

As far as I know, all the specialty courses are book work with mainly a DVD instruction then in the water skills certification.
 

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