Which PADI specialties are useful and which ones are "underwater basket weaving"?

[TxIceDiver]

I would have to add Navigation and Deep diving to the list of useful courses.

Also, if you want to get into photography or videography - finding someone that does these will save you a bunch of time and energy, so you don't have learn everything from scratch.

Ice diving is definitely not a basket weaving class. If your up for this type of diving, take the class - or at least go with someone that is extremely experienced.

 

[odblnt]

Let me add Boat Diver to the list (and you can think of which list it is on).

While doing AOW, we got our first specialties of Boat and Peak Performance Buoyancy and (for those who wanted the extra instruction) NITROX.

As embarrassing as it was, that Boat card still counted toward MSD.

 

[sgl308]

Good ones to get:
Nitrox - extends bottom time, shortens surface intervals (more to it than that, but those are the main reasons)
UW Navigation - if you plan on doing low vis dives and helpful for shore diving as is my case in the ocean
Deep Diver - teaches you more about narcosis and effects depth has on divers
Peak Performance Buoyancy - teaches you how to properly learn buoyancy. I know you only get better by practice, but perfect practice...
Wreck Diver - If you plan on wreck penetration that is. If you never want to go inside, anyone can swim along the boat.

Ones I don't think are helpful:
Fish ID - get a book and look at pictures
Night Diver - Some combine it with low vis, but unless you fear the unseen, it's not worth it.

As previously said, it depends on what interests you, not your instructor. The specialty courses are designed to go further in depth of the subject matter. Take underwater photography for instance. In OW, you learned how depth affects light. In the photography course, it goes into more detail and teaches you it's not really the depth, but the distance light travels through water. It's more specific to your needs and applications.

 

[soltari675]

I have some really good instructors that love teaching me whatever it is I want to do. And they are good at it. Go beyond the basics and aim for complete knowledge. It's nice to have.

For me I have taken:
Nitrox - I like to do as many dives as possible at any site. I am one of those people who will do 3-6 dives a day for several days. This was a necessity
Peak Performance Buoyancy - Just so I had better knowledge on how to remain neutral in the water, weighting and air consumption. I loved it
Wreck - I love wrecks and want to peak around inside a bit. This was very useful.

My next ones are going to be:
Rescue - Self confidence and helping others
Dry Suit - These quarries and lakes get cold! Some year round.
Deep Diver - Some of the best wrecks are pretty deep. So I want more instruction here

These are all personal preferences to what I enjoy though.

 

[raftingtigger]

The underwater basket weaving one is highly recommended.

Hey, I teach that one. Even award the merit badge. Oops, it's not a PADI course.

 

[Centrals]

Useful:
Deep, multi-level, night, nitrox, recovery & search.

 

[Rogersea]

I think that:

Wreck, EAN, Deep, Drift and Night(for some folks) Search and Recovery are very good courses.

Peak Performance Buoyancy can be great if your having probs with buoyancy or you can use it as a refresher.

Emergency Oxygen Provider can provide a good introductory course for administration of O2. Like CPR it is useful in other settings as well as diving.

FInally other specialties can fill a curiousity/experience void but you need an instructor who is knowledgable of the subject matter.


U/W Hunter was a useful specialty(back in the day)

 

[Rhone Man]

I think that:

Wreck, EAN, Deep, Drift and Night(for some folks) Search and Recovery are very good courses.

Peak Performance Buoyancy can be great if your having probs with buoyancy or you can use it as a refresher.

Emergency Oxygen Provider can provide a good introductory course for administration of O2. Like CPR it is useful in other settings as well as diving.

FInally other specialties can fill a curiousity/experience void but you need an instructor who is knowledgable of the subject matter.


U/W Hunter was a useful specialty(back in the day)

Interesting you mention search and recovery. I found S&R to be a very challenging course, although I wouldn't have described it is an especially useful course - at least not directly. Certainly learn a thing or two about task loading and bouyancy control though whilst controlling objects that have the capacity be enormously positively or enormously negatively bouyant.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I think this is a great discussion, particularly as it points out from so many different perspectives that competence is not dependent on courses and c cards, but those things can be helpful. As a long term PADI pro, I think that the best "specialties," and by that I mean practical courses that properly taught will make you a better diver, are peak performance buoyancy and navigation. Nitrox is a nice thing to, and its just as classroom thing now. It gives you a "nitrox ticket which is a good thing to have for anyone" If you like scooters, the DPV specialty is worth the money, even if you just want to try it once. As to underwater photo or videography, if you really want to get into those ares, combine it with a trip to Grand Cayman, stay at Sunset House, and pay about the same money as a specialty to spend an hour with Cathy Church and learn 100 times more. But as in all things, if you have an area of interest, take that class from someone who shares that interest and is active in it- ie, ice diving, wreck diving. Some divers pursue every specialty they can for reasons other than gaining competence or new or better skills. Let's not put them down- its what they do. Remember, to be a really good diver (and qualify as a true scubasnob) you need to go diving, get experience, and learn from every dive.
DivemasterDennis scubasnobs.com

 

[Rogersea]

Interesting you mention search and recovery. I found S&R to be a very challenging course, although I wouldn't have described it is an especially useful course - at least not directly. Certainly learn a thing or two about task loading and bouyancy control though whilst controlling objects that have the capacity be enormously positively or enormously negatively bouyant.

I believe that:
A.learning the different search patterns,
B.Learning how to locate an object from shore
C.Practicing/Learning the 3 knots
D.Using/Rigging and controling the lift bag

All make this a useful/worthwhile specialty especially if you spend much time on the water or own your own boat...

Cheers,
Roger.