SSI advanced training for new diver.

[Steve_C]

You always have the option of just reading the book for some courses. For night for example there might be a couple things you pick up from reading the book. The dives are just dives. Fine if you want to do them. Same for wreck and a couple others. There are some safety rules you should read and understand.

Others like buoyancy are skill related.

Personally I found Drift informative. Not because of the knowledge but because on the second dive the next day I had to lead a group of strangers from briefing all the way through the dive. They were not students but a random group of divers. Learned some about leadership, managing air consumption when leading, herding cats, etc.

 

[mike.chuanshi]

Navigation is another very good one.

I would agree with that, although I found the actual diving part to be a little disappointing. We navigated a course and that was that.

To the OP: When I started diving I did the same thing as you by looking for ways to learn and improve. Our professional fields are similar in a lot of ways, so I totally understand your thinking behind this - in most arenas learning is how we get ahead. Diving seems to be a different story, as I have found out through many on SB. Unlike university courses which are largely taught by scholars, scuba follows a business model - not an instructional one. Although agencies like PADI like to brag that their courses are high-quality and can be used for college credit, etc., the truth is that they still suck in a lot of ways - there's no instructional designer or educational technologist with an M.Ed. or Ed.D. helping to develop their curricula, their tests are a joke, their DVDs are outdated (and more comical than anything), etc.

That being the case, be skeptical. Also thanks to SB, I have been given a lot of recommendations for great books and articles. You might ask around for recommendations also.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

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

After OW I think every diver should take a rescue class before anything else.

How much classroom time with the instructor actually teaching? As an example my UW Nav - 6 -8 hours classroom, Search and Recovery - 6 hours, Deep - 6 hours, Nitrox because I teach the TDI or SEI Nitrox class with all the calculations and formulas you need for Best Mix, MOD, EAD, CNS clock, and basic gas management (SAC rates, using RMV, Rock bottom, etc.) classroom is minimum of three hours and could be more based on how well the student picks up the material. AOW is 8 hours of classroom and I use a lot of materials for all these classes that I created.

AOW and UW Nav I wrote the entire course I offer.

 

[mike.chuanshi]

After OW I think every diver should take a rescue class before anything else. How much classroom time with the instructor actually teaching? As an example my UW Nav - 6 -8 hours classroom, Search and Recovery - 6 hours, Deep - 6 hours, Nitrox because I teach the TDI or SEI Nitrox class with all the calculations and formulas you need for Best Mix, MOD, EAD, CNS clock, and basic gas management (SAC rates, using RMV, Rock bottom, etc.) classroom is minimum of three hours and could be more based on how well the student picks up the material. AOW is 8 hours of classroom and I use a lot of materials for all these classes that I created. AOW and UW Nav I wrote the entire course I offer.

If we're ever in the same area, I want to take your classes. Your instruction sounds MUCH more comprehensive than anything I have received.

 

[eponym]

If your basic skills are solid, you have a few dozen dives in, and you're comfortable with buoyancy control and navigation, Diver Stress & Rescue is the biggest bang for the buck.

Quoting SSI, "The program is about avoiding, recognizing and solving problems on the surface and under water. The course runs four days in which you will participate in academic and in-water sessions in the pool and in the open water. As a prerequisite for certification you need to have a valid CPR & First Aid certificate."

You get to kick it up a notch, simulating rescues, searches, and emergency site management.

-Bryan

 

[victorzamora]

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

If that's true, then just assume the classes are a bigger waste than I had previously guessed. You can look up most of the knowledge stuff on here or online elsewhere. Jim's description of his classes is what I'd pay extra for. Your description of those classes is not something I'd pay for.....except Nitrox. You need that card

 

[mike.chuanshi]

OP- Check this out:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/476807-recommended-reading.html

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

I have to read the SSI dive books because I have to pass the written test on each specialty course SSI Scuba Schools International then Have 3 logged dives using skills from each specialty course. Mike, I love Scubaboard and another diving forum I am a member of because like most, I like to learn how things are from a hands on method, Id rather not read a text book but rather someones personal experiences. Human reaction is something a book can never teach you. SB has been wealth of knowledge, before I registered I was scrolling through learning how to build and repair equipment.

 

[victorzamora]

Sonny, you're right....reading is NO replacement for real-world experience. However, most of the "real-world experience" you'd be obtaining from the dives for the specialties you want to do is low. Most of the skills involved with river diving are academic. Most of the S&R skills are academic. Most of the night/low viz is academic....but you should participate in a night dive soon after reading (or re-reading) the appropriate material. Nitrox you need the card for, but you could do a very short online-or-video-only course to get the minimums. The diving skills are less than useles.

I'm a HUGE advocate of good training, but I'm a bigger advocate of common sense. Most of the specialties you want to pay for can be better learned by good self-study followed by diving. After you get certified, and after you've been diving for a while and you really start getting your interest piqued in a certain area and verify that's where you want to go with your diving....then by all means seek the best instruction you can afford. If you want to try sidemount, get the best, most experienced sidemount instructor you can afford (not the most expensive, the best you can afford) and go that route. Same for cave. However, not everything needs a specialty card and associated training costs.

 

[Steve_C]

Have done a large number of specialties from 3 agencies. Money is not the issue and I like learning.
For a number of them reading the book/DVD gets you through the test and earns the card. However, the test is pretty basic and just on core ideas. For a number of the courses I learned more by talking to the instructor and we usually went well beyond the core. I find the online stuff much less informative than working with a good instructor who has lots of dive experience under multiple conditions.

Dives for any reason are fun and I did more diving by adding some courses.

As you dive more, let buddies and guides if you use them, know you are open to feedback. A lot of divers, myself included, tend to not comment unless we know the comments will be appreciated. Exception for life critical observations.