My worst experience was doing my dry suit course in a 5mm compressed neoprene suit in a swimming pool at 27C; it was the hottest I've ever been in the water. Best would be PADI Rescue or SDI Sidemount (completed yesterday). Funniest was meeting someone who was working hard to get their PADI Master Scuba Diver card. Apart from the basic Nav and Deep, their chosen specialities to make up the 5 required were Underwater Photographer, Fish ID and Project Aware. They then declared that as for scuba diving they had nothing left to learn. Do you laugh or cry?
@@timgosling6189 oh lord. love those kinds of divers. There's literally something to learn every single dive hahaha Yes, on rescue course. I didn't include it in this list since it's considered one of the core courses instead of a specialty. Glad you didn't have heat stroke for your drysuit course! my goodness...
The 2 best classes I’ve done is the PADI rescue and the GUE fundamentals. Fundamentals helps you to inprove your skills in boyancy, trim ,valve drills aswell as teamdiving, underwater communication etc. Unfortunately they dont do it with sidemount config. Glad you’re back😊stay safe👌
@@AzulUnlimited I did my drysuit (primer) course with GUE, very challenging but next level compared to more recreational focused training agencies where I followed my previous courses. Also the first time I saw an instructor removing weights from my setup (and I'm already very cautious for overweighting). Subscribed myself for the Fundamentals class, really looking forward to that!
Question,have you looked into the sidemount videos by Steve Martin? My instructor learned from him. It was a very rigorous class and his videos go over drysuit diving and set up. Just curious. Have a good day.
Good video. I've grown to love drysuit diving. Definitely took some effort after the course though to get a feel for how it behaves, find the right under garments, etc. Pee valves. Got the shoes replaced by socks and rockboots. Different size fins, etc. Hose routing depends on your suit. My Santi has the inflator on the right chest so my hose comes from the right cylinder. Left cylinder feeds my wing inflator. I also feed the e/o cable for my heated vest from the battery on my butt along the corrugated hose to the drysuit inflator (which has been enhanced with a Scaleo Heat power regulator). You'll need to find what works for you. Smart of you to practice different scenarios in the pool.
Completely agree with your thoughts on specialties! Lucky for me, when I got drysuit certified it was by my sidemount instructor, who had tons of experience combining both. Looking forward to your next video!
I actually believe that the myriad of specialty courses is a good thing since they offer choices. The specialty courses I enrolled in were mainly chosen because of one important criteria: What specialty is required to be able to dive a chosen dive site. For example, I dive a sinkhole in Northern Namibia called "Lake Otjikoto". What makes this dive site so interesting that it contains 100 year old German Canons & Ordinance which remain at the bottom at Lake at about 165 feet under an overhang (Cavern). In order to be able to dive this site you would need to progress from Normoxic Trimix OC or CC and Specialty Courses Cavern, Intro Cave & Navigation. Your chosen Dive Site will therefore determine your Specialty requirements.
Is that at thunder reef in Vancouver, WA? That is where I got my drysuit training. I have since found a better shop closer to me, but during Covid they were the only ones teaching the class.
Hi Sarah. I'm a BSAC diver. Which means I don't go diving in the UK without a drysuit. I'm almost reached Sports Diver level (35m) so equivalent Padi rescue. This weekend It was that hot here in North wales I dived in a 3mm wetsuit for an hour. I wouldnt be as efficient without having dived UK waters the last few years. I've never been to a warm country to dive yet. We also as a club have our own Rhib and Boat Handling skills means I'm allowed to pilot the Rhib. Our courses are affordable and aimed towards making the team function better and we all benefit from it. Hope one day you will dive here as the Farnes Islands are pretty special. Off there next month. 🦭
im pretty sure hunter diver course isnt offered anymore by padi....honestly though the education was nothing you couldnt learn on your own....going to a dive shop and talking shop with other hunters. but the guided dives were fun...caught some lobsters and scalops had some defensive sea lions come bark at me...enjoyed all of it@@AzulUnlimited
It all depends on the instructor, having aa good instructor makes all the difference. Rescue was my most demanding, into to tech and sidemount gave me the knowledge
Self Reliant Diver. I dive off a boat with others. But I am not reliant on anyone. Sometimes someone will tag along or I'll dive with a friend. I'll still have my c.f. 30 with me as redundant gas. The self reliant course felt like an extension to the rescue diver - in the sense that its all about recognizing and managing issues. Worthwhile even if you don't intend to ever solo dive.
If instructor never did a sidemount - look for another one. By the time you get to instructor level - you should have experience with sidemount. ---- I had an instructor who had no idea what's backplate/wing is. So i went to find another one.
Not all instructors need to have experience with sidemount diving. But, if you are a sidemount diver it is better/necessary to have an instructor comfortable with it. I have only done a few sidemount dives, I don't like it, but I am familiar with it. And of course doing technical dives I have plenty experience with side mounted bottles. I still prefer my twins to sidemount.
@anyad2772 every good instructor must be familiar with the concept of SM, as well as every other Scuba configuration. Let's be real - I had about 8 dives in total when i tried SM, If person made it all the way to scuba instructor and never tried it , I have questions. He might not be able to give you a very detailed explanation of each, but definitely must be capable of overall review. Every good doctor have a basic knowledge of human anatomy, your dentist may not give you advice on your blood pressure, but he definitely knows where your heart is.
Aaaa. Sorry to hear you basically had to do your drysuit class in single tank backmount. I always tell people to make sure you take the class in the setup you dive the most (single, sidemount, twinset, ccr) and ensure you have an instructor who understands your configuration. Ppb (or any buoyancy class) is by far one of the best, but yes, the classroom isn’t the important part (although I do find it helpful when we do get in the pool), it’s huge to take a buoyancy class and have that be the whole class. I strongly encourage potential tech students to take a ppb class as a fundies class to prep for tech. Lol. I’m with you on photo and video. I refuse to get the instructor cards to teach them as I’m not a photographer or videographer (at least not someone who should be teaching you how to). I can teach you how to get in position for a good shot and back kick away after, but the camera, settings and all the non diving, super important stuff is not my forte so take it from someone who knows
Yeah I tried, but no one in the area was a Sidemount diver. I’ve figured it out thanks to some tips from friends on ig so I’m feeling pretty good about the configuration. Love dry suits!
I always push my students to take their classes in their own gear / primary configuration. And I always offer my buoyancy students to do an extra dive in their alternate setup if they want.
I absolutely agree PPB is a waste of plastic however for kids learning those skills and having an instructor work one on one. Is well worth the cost and I highly recommend time and money invested.
Yes! Rescue is one of the core classes which is why I didn't include it here. Best course of the bunch, as far as I'm concerned (and Divemaster of course). Thank you!
The second list you presented is a bit confusing. I agree that these aren't necessary to all divers, but if someone wants to use an FFM or a DPV - proper training is a must. These are pieces of equipment that change the way you dive significantly, and can actually hurt you if you don't know what you are doing. The same goes for self-reliant diver - many people may think that they are excellent divers and they don't need a buddy, but these people are usually on the wrong part of the dunning-kruger curve. The self-reliant diver course may be the difference between a calm dive and a life threatening scenario for such people. On another topic - a really interesting but niche specialty that I hope to take one day is the GUE Photogrammetry course, in which you learn how to photograph / video objects underwater in a way that allows you to turn them into 3D objects and print them. I have a dream of printing 3D models of my favorite wrecks :)
That specialty sounds really interesting! Good points about the specialties. I had mentioned that it depends on access to knowledgeable buddies because I've learned how to use equipment and things from my friends, but you are absolutely right about safety 🙏
Sarah welcome to the PNW Washington State! Its interesting when you how divers place importance on specific dive certs. For us cold water divers in the PNW the drysuit certification is top shelf if one ever expects to dive comfortably in our cold waters. Diving is a great discipline and like many other technical endeavors if one keeps a mind set to always be learning something from each experience we can achieve grate growth and maturity in the sport. Love your videos and hope you have a great time passing though WA state! Be great to say hi if you got the time.. Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter
Your videography and editing have really levelled up Sarah! Turns out I recognized that camp area in Washington. Took my 3 boys there to see how fast they could run from bears (helps in their crossfit, jiu-jitsu, and tennis sojourns .... maybe less in their diving skills ). Very very honest post! One of your top 5 IMO. So on the U/W photography/videography thing: I absolutely agree with you about going to specific places to receive spec instruction with pro photo/videographers (think Cathy Church in GC - I learned from her when the Nikonos IV was still a thing - now I do U/W videography using Arri, Red, and Sony cams). It's quite rare to find LDS instructors (especially inland) who have these skills. Just one facet of the whole thing - camera and housing setup are an absolutely detailed MUST - that rig needs to be as neutral as the diver to be efficient, mobile, and able to capture what one intends with the fewest hangups. I also TOTALLY agree about the peak performance buoyancy course. Taught thoroughly, this can be a real change for a diver aiming to improve/fine-tune this skill. I teach it differently than how I was taught (unfortunately, how probably most of us were taught - good call out on instructor research) in that diver trim is key. Most divers I have in my classes were taught to do OOG and other skills on their knees in confined or open water. I 're-teach' them to do these (and even there other basic skills) while neutral (or as close as practical). I've received some disdain from LDS's over the length of time I take for these things. I was about to go on a rant about this and stopped myself......grrrr. Maybe a chat for another time.
I did extra buoyancy but not as a cert we got 3 pool nights and 4 open water dives for extra tuition on maintaining buoyancy and trim.... no cert but best skill improvement i did.
I’m doing rescue this September and I think it will be one of the best courses to improve as a diver. And diving here in the North Atlantic dry suit is a must! Lol
Rescue is a must! I didn't include it here because open water, advanced and rescue are core courses whereas specialties are designed to be extra. You are going to LOVE your course. Let's connect on ig. I'd love to hear how it goes.
Hey!! I was wondering if I'd see you on TH-cam soon 😂 I actually didn't 😅 I went out to the deep to play around. Haven't done a proper deep dive in 2 years! I'll be there again tomorrow and will hopefully see them 🤙
Took me about 25 dives to get used to my drysuit, now I have several hundred dives with it and wouldn't dive without it. I can't remember but I don't think I took a class, I know I don't have a C-card for it. I agree, if you have access to the internet or like to read, the information is out there. Sometimes I'll buy a PADI, NAUI or whatever book, read it, then go practice and I'm fine. For tech diving, take a class, things get more serious with deco planning, gas planning and using a CCR.
@AzulUnlimited come play in Washington again. I will take you to some amazing spots and we can pick each other's brains. There is always more to learn.
Great video, I'm thinking about moving further after AOWD and your tip that some instructors have only a basic knowledge about some certifications is really good, probably obvious, but sometimes you need to hear it. What I also observed in diving centers is that it is all about money. They usually don't care about diving experience, they just take you to the "zoo", pay up-front for a few days of diving and they don't even tell you where you will be diving. So If you want to train skills deeper than 10 meters, see some wrecks or something, you just buy a coupon and keep your fingers crossed that you won the lottery diving or you pay double by just buying single dives day by day. They also give you some old equipment, don't even check people, of course, you should be able to check it by yourself + your buddy, but I noticed that most people don't know what they are doing :D. Buddy system is also a thing that bothers me, I think I would trust more myself with a spare pony tank than some random guy with OWD certificate from Egypt. I think that most beginners would panic more being in front of a guy without gas than the actual guy with a problem.
All good points. I would definitely choose locations that actually want to take you to the places you're interested in though! Just a general plug, Azul Komodo in Indonesia isn't like the shops you're describing :)
I totally agree that people who are faced with an emergency panic. During my OW instructor training, the trainer had a real reg failure and was free-flowing like crazy. My back was to him, I was mock conducting skills. But, he swam up behind me to my "student" and the instructor candidate panicked. So, I ended up having to help them both. You never know how you will react in an emergency. I grew up diving with folks who believed that even DMs and Instructors need to keep practicing skills. We would get together and run through various scenarios, without knowing what they would be. I found that those who practice more, react better.. usually.
Compared to PADI, British Sub-Aqua Club ( BSAC) divers are local club based and have an annual fee.Our graded diver courses are very much experience based and you won't get signed off by an in house instructor until you've got the time in. As for dry suits, I've never dived in anything else and they often have a mind of there own! I'd say the most critical part is what you wear underneath: the thicker the undersuit, the more unpredictable the drysuit will be. All part of the fun though😃👌👎
I’m learning that! I have only done one dive with proper undergarments and I felt like a hot mess. I finally got a set of my own so I need some testing dives to figure out my new weighting situation. Keeps diving interesting, that’s for sure🤣🤣🤣🤣
Pff it really depends. I would say 10-20 dives to not feel like a total dweeb, but then when you change equipment, it can throw you for a loop again. It's an amazing configuration when it's all set up. Try it out!
Hi great video . My problem with some specialty courses is it should be where you live . Like altitude specialty. You are in a tropical place close to sea level. But I live in northern Ontario and where I dive and live it is 296meters above sea level. I am only 4 meters from what they classified as altitude diving. I just don't get it that you would need a course to dive here where as I don't need one. Does this make sense or did I miss the mark on it lol
I'm not sure I understand. Did you need to take the course there to be able to rent gear and dive in your hometown? Or were you offered the altitude diving course in a tropical water place? Sorry!
I really enjoy uw photography and especially videography. I there is a website that I use for photography however when it comes to videography I watch those Jaques Cousteau blockbusters then get frustrated because I can't get that level of videography with my off brand go pro.
After Open Water Certification and 10 dives only I did a Night Dive Certification from Naui so I could do night diving before to get an Advanced Diver Certification.
@@AzulUnlimited Fernando de Noronha, Brasil - it was back to 2009. Have you heard about diving on Fernando de Noronha? It's not Caribe, but it's not cold dive water for sure: around 27 Celsius. It's a vulcanic island.
Wouldn't full face mask and DPV classes fall into the same category as Drysuit diving because they can significantly change how you dive? I admittedly haven't dove with either, but the idea of changing a core aspect of your dive approach seems pretty worth getting specific training from a safety perspective (full face mask requires carrying a backup mask if you have to switch off your FFM).
The most significant thing with recreational full face mask diving is the willingness of other, non-FFM wearing divers to buddy you. They won't know what to do in an emergency, even how to get it off at the surface. That and FFM go through air like crazy and you can never get a good seal.
If you are going to be using a ffm, it is really good to get certified. I use them all the time volunteering in the Seattle Aquarium. The trick to getting a good seal is a dry hood.
@@AzulUnlimited I apologize for not getting back to you sooner but I have been moving quite a bit. I am currently still in Seattle but only for one more day. As you are traveling through Washington I am now going to California. The Seattle area has so many great dive areas it's unbelievable. Right now is the only time of the year where an unfamiliar to cold temp diver can get away with diving here. Super glad that you got your drysuit finally, I hope that you have more fun than ever. PS side-mount doubles are easier than sidemount single.
@@AzulUnlimited here's a cool tip if it interests you. There is a lake called Lake Union in the middle of Seattle. It's huge and connects to the Puget Sound and Lake Washington. There is a area of Lake Union where children jump into the water/ swimming area. That one and only area you are allowed to dive in. Nobody ever does this due to boat traffic above being unpredictable. If the site is treated the way you would with underwater till you get to the beach entry, it is perfectly safe. This spot has many sunken ships on top of each other and lying next to each other. All visible ships are about 30 to 35 M dep only. These ships are from pre-1900 and are mostly military. teeming with life and so picture-worthy. Happy diving.
Thank you, this is interesting stuff. I have completed the PADI Advanced Open Water training, but my last dive was 10 years ago. Now that I've retired early, I'm ready to dive in again (sorry, bad pun). Besides the necessary refresher course, what would you recommend as the most useful (i.e., practical, essential) specialty courses for someone who's getting back in the water after a long time away?
Honestly, a refresher is probably all you need to get started and then just get in the water and dive. Later on you may want to do the rescue course but only when you feel confident about your abilities in the water. Good luck out there!
People who have been out for a while can definitely benefit from taking Peak performance buoyancy after the refresher. It gives one on one time focusing on making the student comfortable.
Drysuit, deep, and nitrox are what I thought were most useful to me. Haven't done rescue yet, but I assume that one will be pretty important since I mostly dive with friends in cold water and they are used to warm water.
Mostly agree with you. I think drysuit is important IF you don't have a bunch of advanced helpful drysuit diving budies. I've seen and heard too many horror stories of people who didn't really know how to safely fit, set up, maintain, and use drysuits getting bent, seriously injured, or killed because of the significant differences between diving dry and diving wet. Otherwise good break down. And you definitely need to dive the narrows, Diamond Knot, and Sund Rock while there. I lived out there 4 years and did all but the DK, it's a bucket list dive for me.
Thanks for the dive site tips! Yes, I could see that as well about drysuit. I'm fortunate that I got a lot of the information before doing the course but for a total newbie, absolutely.
If you dive in Germany or GB almost all dives are cold water dives, even in summer. So dry suit diving is the norm here. If you have logged almost all your dives with the dry suit nobody should ask for a certification card 😅. You learn how to use it from experienced divers in your dive club, there is more experience available than many „specialty instructors“ have under their belt. But if you are used to your 3 mm wetsuit only a course might help you a great bit.
I had over 1500 drysuit dives before I began teaching drysuit and I still occasionally come across new problems when teaching. It is amazing how many ways things can go wrong. I think that is why places like Iceland (diving between the continental shelfs) requires a cert. Those sites are amazing. I have over 2000 dives in WA and BC and those are some of my favorites. The Diamond Knot is starting to really fall apart and due to conditions is a very advanced dive. However, it is worth being a bucket list dive. I wouldn't recommend generation anymore. Also, Keystone Jetty, Edmonds Underwater park, Skyline wall and Deception Pass are awesome WA dives. Also, Barkley Sound should be on everyone's bucket list.
On xdeep harnesses you can mount it under the wing. Or more generally you can mount the inflation tank under the wing on the crotch strap like the light canister 😊 Though honestly... Arguably useful... It's not like you end up doing 1 tank sidemount in the ocean quite often 😂
I agree partially with the drysuit inflation cylinder, but no need for argon. If used properly, yes, argon is a better insulator, just, but the prep process faff far out weighs the gains. Better off adding a merino base layer and just using air in the cylinder.
@@iangriff2170 in sidemount I would only go through all this Xtra pain if you dive with trimix, otherwise honestly... I think you make your life more complicated than it needs to be. And agreed with you about argon. If you don't go through the suit flushing procedure... Won't help much 😅
I was just wondering who you were flipping off in the video. Doesn’t seem like you. I always like seeing you smile. May your D sense and essence always be equal and number.
That was general frustration with my buoyancy in the drysuit/sidemount combo. I feel like I'm learning it all over again 😂😂😂 at that point I had been in the pool for hours working on it and was totally spent 🤯
I found your channel when I was looking into getting into sidemount I took my dry suit course under ice and I never took a sidemount course I paid for it with time and air fills but I have finally dialed myself in a lot more and I am proud of my abilities as a diver that being said I should have taken a course for both correctly but we live and learn great advice though if you happen to make your way to the “fresh coast” or Ohio reach out to me I would love to meet and dive with someone I learned so much from here on TH-cam as a new diver
Been that way with PADI for a while. I think the cards are made from solid platinum with a thin plastic coating, no other way to explain the price they charge 😂
"It's getting really hot in here..." *My brain singing* 🎶"Why don't you take off all your cloths" 🎶 Sorry... not sorry, I worked retail when that song came out and it is permanently etched my my brain. I think most specialties can be valuable training when taught by the rare knowledgeable instructor on the topic, but the cards are largely worthless. I carry exactly three rec cards, AOW, Nitrox, and Self-reliant. If you don't need the card why should we pay for the largely worthless materials from the agencies or give them money for the card?
Hahaha I respect that musical reference. As for the cards, I mean we all need to make a living right? The organizations give us the ability to teach and they have employees. Just part of the system, you know?
@@AzulUnlimited I just fail to see the benefits for the agencies in the long run. Their QA programs are largely non-existent. So I can't rely on the fact that they are an active instructor to actually be good. Their materials outside of the basic rec courses, suck. What benefit do they give me for my hard earned money? I ask the same thing on the technical side as well. TDI's deco materials, suck. Deco for Divers and Intro to technical diving which costs a fraction of buying all four TDI text books are a much better text books (I actually stopped reading the TDI books after the first chapter). The cave stuff is meh at best. The less said about the Tech Sidemount course the better. It is a lot of money for very little benefit to me. And the lack of QA is even worse for the tech side, as we are talking about things that legitimately can get you killed for the smallest mistake. TBH the only agency that I think works is the GUE, but they are small and very focused and wouldn't be applicable for diving writ large. And even then they have some philosophy that I feel is dated, but I think that is a worthwhile trade off in exchange for their excellent instructor QA, and the continuing education and auditing that is done even after instructor qualification. TLDR - I think the agencies are broken and only exist due to institutional inertia.
@@Teampegleg Yeah, GUE seems like a different kind of training. I've liked what I've seen from that organization so far. TBH most systems all over the place (in and out of scuba) are broken. We need full repair across the board 😂
@@AzulUnlimited Sarah I'm a sailing instructor and working on becoming a DM. I love your "Life is too short. We need to be safe, but we don't have to be boring!" This sums up my teaching style and you OK if I use it. THX
Hi Sarah, as a former PADI MSDT, I agree with you about the mish mosh of specialty course. But having said that, a bit of the old days when I learned to dive with BSAC (British Sub Aqua) for what would be equivalent to Open Water. We did tons of Rescue drills and PPB. The thought behind that was that new divers need to know how to rescue themselves and their dive buddy. Kinda like Sky diving, you need to know what to do if things go south! So, a Rescue course could save a diver's life. Enjoy your dry suit! I'm in mine 90% of my dives. Please make a list of where you're diving on your trip.
I feel like the courses were so much more well rounded than they are now. Oh well... I'm definitely making a list and will be talking about them in future videos 😊
I just got my PADI dry suit certificate by a GUE instructor with 3000 plus dives. The sheer fun , relaxation and knowledge that I got made it for me the best specialty I ever learned 🎉
I've taken a ton of specialties and tech/cave classes. Aside from the cave and tech training.. I've taken VERY few specialties that were actually worth it and it wasn't because of the course material. It was always the instructor. The dive industry is plaged with instructors who will gladly take your money and throw together a class that they know absolutely nothing about.
@@AzulUnlimited did my cave and tech training in North FL. Favorite dive is Cow Springs. It's rather tight and high flow but there's plenty to pull and glide on. The exit is quite sporty.
There are some specialties that are learned with diving with experienced divers. Another necessary and great must have specialty is Rescue Diver. It is one of the must have minimums for our divers that work on client projects.
Deep and nitrox are a must in my book. The rest, not so much. I think the self reliant diver should be integrated into open water certification. If you can’t solve your own problems, how can you help or understand what’s going on with your buddy?
I totally disagree. I spent years diving on Guam and used the dive tables to make two dives a day and was fine with that. Most recreational divers rarely do more than two dives a day. I find it interesting that you don't suggest rescue diver as a specialty to take. Equipment specialist is a great class if you really want to understand how your equip works. If your not working at a dive shop and filling tanks why would you need to be a gas blender? Odd priorities but to each is own.
This is my list and I included the courses that I found fascinating as a diver. I didn't include rescue because it's not a specialty. It's a core course that all regular divers should go through. Glad you have lots of experience diving in Guam 🤙
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My worst experience was doing my dry suit course in a 5mm compressed neoprene suit in a swimming pool at 27C; it was the hottest I've ever been in the water. Best would be PADI Rescue or SDI Sidemount (completed yesterday). Funniest was meeting someone who was working hard to get their PADI Master Scuba Diver card. Apart from the basic Nav and Deep, their chosen specialities to make up the 5 required were Underwater Photographer, Fish ID and Project Aware. They then declared that as for scuba diving they had nothing left to learn. Do you laugh or cry?
@@timgosling6189 oh lord. love those kinds of divers. There's literally something to learn every single dive hahaha Yes, on rescue course. I didn't include it in this list since it's considered one of the core courses instead of a specialty. Glad you didn't have heat stroke for your drysuit course! my goodness...
The 2 best classes I’ve done is the PADI rescue and the GUE fundamentals. Fundamentals helps you to inprove your skills in boyancy, trim ,valve drills aswell as teamdiving, underwater communication etc. Unfortunately they dont do it with sidemount config. Glad you’re back😊stay safe👌
I have heard nothing but excellent reviews about GUE courses. Very intriguing...
@@AzulUnlimited I did my drysuit (primer) course with GUE, very challenging but next level compared to more recreational focused training agencies where I followed my previous courses. Also the first time I saw an instructor removing weights from my setup (and I'm already very cautious for overweighting). Subscribed myself for the Fundamentals class, really looking forward to that!
Newbie here ! What is GUE course?
And thanks You for this topic
Question,have you looked into the sidemount videos by Steve Martin? My instructor learned from him. It was a very rigorous class and his videos go over drysuit diving and set up. Just curious. Have a good day.
I have to admit that I don't watch other scuba diving TH-camrs, but I should. I've heard nothing but good things about those videos.
Good video. I've grown to love drysuit diving. Definitely took some effort after the course though to get a feel for how it behaves, find the right under garments, etc. Pee valves. Got the shoes replaced by socks and rockboots. Different size fins, etc.
Hose routing depends on your suit. My Santi has the inflator on the right chest so my hose comes from the right cylinder. Left cylinder feeds my wing inflator.
I also feed the e/o cable for my heated vest from the battery on my butt along the corrugated hose to the drysuit inflator (which has been enhanced with a Scaleo Heat power regulator). You'll need to find what works for you. Smart of you to practice different scenarios in the pool.
Love this! Thanks for sharing. Yes, I'm sure I'll be tweeking things as I go along. Constant adjustments 😂
Completely agree with your thoughts on specialties! Lucky for me, when I got drysuit certified it was by my sidemount instructor, who had tons of experience combining both. Looking forward to your next video!
Oh nice combo! that would be the dream. Thanks for watching!
I actually believe that the myriad of specialty courses is a good thing since they offer choices. The specialty courses I enrolled in were mainly chosen because of one important criteria: What specialty is required to be able to dive a chosen dive site. For example, I dive a sinkhole in Northern Namibia called "Lake Otjikoto". What makes this dive site so interesting that it contains 100 year old German Canons & Ordinance which remain at the bottom at Lake at about 165 feet under an overhang (Cavern). In order to be able to dive this site you would need to progress from Normoxic Trimix OC or CC and Specialty Courses Cavern, Intro Cave & Navigation. Your chosen Dive Site will therefore determine your Specialty requirements.
Totally. More experience gives each diver clarity on what kind of diving they want to pursue. Thanks for watching!
100 percent agree.
Just passed my dry suit course today! Now I can go through the 8 vids in the series 😂
Congrats!! Hope you enjoy them 😁
Is that at thunder reef in Vancouver, WA? That is where I got my drysuit training.
I have since found a better shop closer to me, but during Covid they were the only ones teaching the class.
Yes it is! They have a great pool for testing equipment
Love your honesty !
Thanks! I try😊
Hi Sarah. I'm a BSAC diver. Which means I don't go diving in the UK without a drysuit. I'm almost reached Sports Diver level (35m) so equivalent Padi rescue. This weekend It was that hot here in North wales I dived in a 3mm wetsuit for an hour. I wouldnt be as efficient without having dived UK waters the last few years. I've never been to a warm country to dive yet. We also as a club have our own Rhib and Boat Handling skills means I'm allowed to pilot the Rhib. Our courses are affordable and aimed towards making the team function better and we all benefit from it. Hope one day you will dive here as the Farnes Islands are pretty special. Off there next month. 🦭
Sounds pretty cool! Thanks for reaching out 🤙
That is awesome.
i took the hunter course about 12 years ago....i enjoyed it. did 4 dives off anacapa island including a night dive
Interesting. Didn’t know you would be able to take a course like that out there
im pretty sure hunter diver course isnt offered anymore by padi....honestly though the education was nothing you couldnt learn on your own....going to a dive shop and talking shop with other hunters. but the guided dives were fun...caught some lobsters and scalops had some defensive sea lions come bark at me...enjoyed all of it@@AzulUnlimited
It all depends on the instructor, having aa good instructor makes all the difference. Rescue was my most demanding, into to tech and sidemount gave me the knowledge
Totally. Those are some of my fave courses too :)
Self Reliant Diver. I dive off a boat with others. But I am not reliant on anyone. Sometimes someone will tag along or I'll dive with a friend. I'll still have my c.f. 30 with me as redundant gas.
The self reliant course felt like an extension to the rescue diver - in the sense that its all about recognizing and managing issues. Worthwhile even if you don't intend to ever solo dive.
For sure! It's good to work those rescue skills in any way we can. Thanks for watching!
I teach self reliant and think that it should be more commonly taken. It teaches people how to be more aware and to prevent more problems.
If instructor never did a sidemount - look for another one.
By the time you get to instructor level - you should have experience with sidemount.
----
I had an instructor who had no idea what's backplate/wing is. So i went to find another one.
yikes. Yeah, good call.
Not all instructors need to have experience with sidemount diving. But, if you are a sidemount diver it is better/necessary to have an instructor comfortable with it. I have only done a few sidemount dives, I don't like it, but I am familiar with it. And of course doing technical dives I have plenty experience with side mounted bottles. I still prefer my twins to sidemount.
@anyad2772 every good instructor must be familiar with the concept of SM, as well as every other Scuba configuration.
Let's be real - I had about 8 dives in total when i tried SM, If person made it all the way to scuba instructor and never tried it , I have questions.
He might not be able to give you a very detailed explanation of each, but definitely must be capable of overall review.
Every good doctor have a basic knowledge of human anatomy, your dentist may not give you advice on your blood pressure, but he definitely knows where your heart is.
Glad that you are back on looking forward to your videos
Thanks so much! Glad to be on the road 🤙
Aaaa. Sorry to hear you basically had to do your drysuit class in single tank backmount.
I always tell people to make sure you take the class in the setup you dive the most (single, sidemount, twinset, ccr) and ensure you have an instructor who understands your configuration.
Ppb (or any buoyancy class) is by far one of the best, but yes, the classroom isn’t the important part (although I do find it helpful when we do get in the pool), it’s huge to take a buoyancy class and have that be the whole class. I strongly encourage potential tech students to take a ppb class as a fundies class to prep for tech.
Lol. I’m with you on photo and video. I refuse to get the instructor cards to teach them as I’m not a photographer or videographer (at least not someone who should be teaching you how to). I can teach you how to get in position for a good shot and back kick away after, but the camera, settings and all the non diving, super important stuff is not my forte so take it from someone who knows
Yeah I tried, but no one in the area was a Sidemount diver. I’ve figured it out thanks to some tips from friends on ig so I’m feeling pretty good about the configuration. Love dry suits!
I always push my students to take their classes in their own gear / primary configuration. And I always offer my buoyancy students to do an extra dive in their alternate setup if they want.
I absolutely agree PPB is a waste of plastic however for kids learning those skills and having an instructor work one on one. Is well worth the cost and I highly recommend time and money invested.
Totally. That's why I said it 🤙
Great info! I appreciate your insight. I really enjoyed PADI rescue diver and I did dry suit with SSI, which I enjoyed. Keep up the great work.
Yes! Rescue is one of the core classes which is why I didn't include it here. Best course of the bunch, as far as I'm concerned (and Divemaster of course). Thank you!
Rescue is awesome if you do it with a good instructor. Too many do the bare minimum and that is a waste. It is a core class that everyone should take.
RAID Master Rescue. Tough as hell physically, mentally and intellectually, but very rewarding.
Any rescue training is a must! Great skills
i think i just found the most useful PADI speciality: "Advanced Mermaid"
yep. Definitely #1 highly recommended :)
The second list you presented is a bit confusing. I agree that these aren't necessary to all divers, but if someone wants to use an FFM or a DPV - proper training is a must. These are pieces of equipment that change the way you dive significantly, and can actually hurt you if you don't know what you are doing.
The same goes for self-reliant diver - many people may think that they are excellent divers and they don't need a buddy, but these people are usually on the wrong part of the dunning-kruger curve. The self-reliant diver course may be the difference between a calm dive and a life threatening scenario for such people.
On another topic - a really interesting but niche specialty that I hope to take one day is the GUE Photogrammetry course, in which you learn how to photograph / video objects underwater in a way that allows you to turn them into 3D objects and print them. I have a dream of printing 3D models of my favorite wrecks :)
That specialty sounds really interesting! Good points about the specialties. I had mentioned that it depends on access to knowledgeable buddies because I've learned how to use equipment and things from my friends, but you are absolutely right about safety 🙏
Sarah welcome to the PNW Washington State! Its interesting when you how divers place importance on specific dive certs. For us cold water divers in the PNW the drysuit certification is top shelf if one ever expects to dive comfortably in our cold waters. Diving is a great discipline and like many other technical endeavors if one keeps a mind set to always be learning something from each experience we can achieve grate growth and maturity in the sport. Love your videos and hope you have a great time passing though WA state! Be great to say hi if you got the time.. Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter
Thanks so much. Happy to be here 🤙
Your videography and editing have really levelled up Sarah! Turns out I recognized that camp area in Washington. Took my 3 boys there to see how fast they could run from bears (helps in their crossfit, jiu-jitsu, and tennis sojourns .... maybe less in their diving skills ). Very very honest post! One of your top 5 IMO.
So on the U/W photography/videography thing: I absolutely agree with you about going to specific places to receive spec instruction with pro photo/videographers (think Cathy Church in GC - I learned from her when the Nikonos IV was still a thing - now I do U/W videography using Arri, Red, and Sony cams). It's quite rare to find LDS instructors (especially inland) who have these skills. Just one facet of the whole thing - camera and housing setup are an absolutely detailed MUST - that rig needs to be as neutral as the diver to be efficient, mobile, and able to capture what one intends with the fewest hangups.
I also TOTALLY agree about the peak performance buoyancy course. Taught thoroughly, this can be a real change for a diver aiming to improve/fine-tune this skill.
I teach it differently than how I was taught (unfortunately, how probably most of us were taught - good call out on instructor research) in that diver trim is key. Most divers I have in my classes were taught to do OOG and other skills on their knees in confined or open water. I 're-teach' them to do these (and even there other basic skills) while neutral (or as close as practical). I've received some disdain from LDS's over the length of time I take for these things.
I was about to go on a rant about this and stopped myself......grrrr. Maybe a chat for another time.
Hahaha I love a good rant 😂 thanks for the compliment. It feels good to work on the storytelling aspects of TH-cam 🥰
Good one...thank you for sharing
Thanks so much for watching!
I did extra buoyancy but not as a cert we got 3 pool nights and 4 open water dives for extra tuition on maintaining buoyancy and trim.... no cert but best skill improvement i did.
Yes! That's a super helpful thing to do with your instructor
I’m doing rescue this September and I think it will be one of the best courses to improve as a diver. And diving here in the North Atlantic dry suit is a must! Lol
Rescue is a must! I didn't include it here because open water, advanced and rescue are core courses whereas specialties are designed to be extra. You are going to LOVE your course. Let's connect on ig. I'd love to hear how it goes.
@@AzulUnlimited definitely follow you over there - love all the updates and pupper cameos! lol
@@clairemacdonald7588 Happy we've connected. Would love to have you join the Baja trip. Looking forward to hearing back from you on that 😁
Just saw you at octopus hole. Hope you saw the two GPO and the wolf eels.
Hey!! I was wondering if I'd see you on TH-cam soon 😂 I actually didn't 😅 I went out to the deep to play around. Haven't done a proper deep dive in 2 years! I'll be there again tomorrow and will hopefully see them 🤙
This format rocks!!!!
You rock! Glad we're connected 😁
Took me about 25 dives to get used to my drysuit, now I have several hundred dives with it and wouldn't dive without it. I can't remember but I don't think I took a class, I know I don't have a C-card for it. I agree, if you have access to the internet or like to read, the information is out there. Sometimes I'll buy a PADI, NAUI or whatever book, read it, then go practice and I'm fine. For tech diving, take a class, things get more serious with deco planning, gas planning and using a CCR.
Absolutely. I love being a student though so any chance I can pick another instructor's brain is a good time 😁
@AzulUnlimited come play in Washington again. I will take you to some amazing spots and we can pick each other's brains. There is always more to learn.
Hi Azul I like your videos and wish you all the best and milions of subscribers
Well thank you very much!! 😁
Great video, I'm thinking about moving further after AOWD and your tip that some instructors have only a basic knowledge about some certifications is really good, probably obvious, but sometimes you need to hear it.
What I also observed in diving centers is that it is all about money. They usually don't care about diving experience, they just take you to the "zoo", pay up-front for a few days of diving and they don't even tell you where you will be diving. So If you want to train skills deeper than 10 meters, see some wrecks or something, you just buy a coupon and keep your fingers crossed that you won the lottery diving or you pay double by just buying single dives day by day.
They also give you some old equipment, don't even check people, of course, you should be able to check it by yourself + your buddy, but I noticed that most people don't know what they are doing :D.
Buddy system is also a thing that bothers me, I think I would trust more myself with a spare pony tank than some random guy with OWD certificate from Egypt. I think that most beginners would panic more being in front of a guy without gas than the actual guy with a problem.
All good points. I would definitely choose locations that actually want to take you to the places you're interested in though! Just a general plug, Azul Komodo in Indonesia isn't like the shops you're describing :)
I totally agree that people who are faced with an emergency panic. During my OW instructor training, the trainer had a real reg failure and was free-flowing like crazy. My back was to him, I was mock conducting skills. But, he swam up behind me to my "student" and the instructor candidate panicked. So, I ended up having to help them both. You never know how you will react in an emergency. I grew up diving with folks who believed that even DMs and Instructors need to keep practicing skills. We would get together and run through various scenarios, without knowing what they would be. I found that those who practice more, react better.. usually.
Compared to PADI, British Sub-Aqua Club ( BSAC) divers are local club based and have an annual fee.Our graded diver courses are very much experience based and you won't get signed off by an in house instructor until you've got the time in.
As for dry suits, I've never dived in anything else and they often have a mind of there own! I'd say the most critical part is what you wear underneath: the thicker the undersuit, the more unpredictable the drysuit will be. All part of the fun though😃👌👎
I’m learning that! I have only done one dive with proper undergarments and I felt like a hot mess. I finally got a set of my own so I need some testing dives to figure out my new weighting situation. Keeps diving interesting, that’s for sure🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hi, great to see you👍
How long in your opinion does it take to become proficient using sidemount?
Thanks👍😁
Pff it really depends. I would say 10-20 dives to not feel like a total dweeb, but then when you change equipment, it can throw you for a loop again. It's an amazing configuration when it's all set up. Try it out!
@@AzulUnlimited I want to , it looks so cool 😁
skipped all these went straight to tech, I'm going solo cave snorkeling tomorrow
Yikes. Be safe out there
Dry gloves are an amazing addition to any dry suit.
Will definitely be investing towards the end of the year 🤙
Awesome video as always!
Thank you so much!
Hi great video . My problem with some specialty courses is it should be where you live . Like altitude specialty. You are in a tropical place close to sea level. But I live in northern Ontario and where I dive and live it is 296meters above sea level. I am only 4 meters from what they classified as altitude diving. I just don't get it that you would need a course to dive here where as I don't need one. Does this make sense or did I miss the mark on it lol
I'm not sure I understand. Did you need to take the course there to be able to rent gear and dive in your hometown? Or were you offered the altitude diving course in a tropical water place? Sorry!
I would say every course you learn something and gain experience. ( but is it worth the $$$$ ) ?
Totally agree but we all have to consider the money question 🙃
I really enjoy uw photography and especially videography. I there is a website that I use for photography however when it comes to videography I watch those Jaques Cousteau blockbusters then get frustrated because I can't get that level of videography with my off brand go pro.
I know the feeling! There's so much to work and gear to get for that level of videography. We do our best 😂
After Open Water Certification and 10 dives only I did a Night Dive Certification from Naui so I could do night diving before to get an Advanced Diver Certification.
Nice! Where did you do your training?
@@AzulUnlimited Fernando de Noronha, Brasil - it was back to 2009. Have you heard about diving on Fernando de Noronha? It's not Caribe, but it's not cold dive water for sure: around 27 Celsius. It's a vulcanic island.
@@marianabarboza3726 I haven't! Sounds interesting though
Wouldn't full face mask and DPV classes fall into the same category as Drysuit diving because they can significantly change how you dive? I admittedly haven't dove with either, but the idea of changing a core aspect of your dive approach seems pretty worth getting specific training from a safety perspective (full face mask requires carrying a backup mask if you have to switch off your FFM).
Totally, full face is just not common anywhere I've been which is why I included it there. As always, these are just my opinions 😊
The most significant thing with recreational full face mask diving is the willingness of other, non-FFM wearing divers to buddy you. They won't know what to do in an emergency, even how to get it off at the surface. That and FFM go through air like crazy and you can never get a good seal.
If you are going to be using a ffm, it is really good to get certified. I use them all the time volunteering in the Seattle Aquarium. The trick to getting a good seal is a dry hood.
@@cycleSCUBAThat’s why you want to practice those scenarios or at least go over them with a buddy in advance.
By far the best specialty I have found for scuba diving is drift diving. So informative and takes so many back of your mind fears away.
Love to hear that. We used to teach it in Komodo and found it to be helpful for people
@@AzulUnlimited I apologize for not getting back to you sooner but I have been moving quite a bit. I am currently still in Seattle but only for one more day. As you are traveling through Washington I am now going to California. The Seattle area has so many great dive areas it's unbelievable. Right now is the only time of the year where an unfamiliar to cold temp diver can get away with diving here. Super glad that you got your drysuit finally, I hope that you have more fun than ever. PS side-mount doubles are easier than sidemount single.
@@donr3407 Yes! It really seems forgiving right now. I can only imagine how it is during the winter :) enjoy california!
@@AzulUnlimited here's a cool tip if it interests you. There is a lake called Lake Union in the middle of Seattle. It's huge and connects to the Puget Sound and Lake Washington. There is a area of Lake Union where children jump into the water/ swimming area. That one and only area you are allowed to dive in. Nobody ever does this due to boat traffic above being unpredictable. If the site is treated the way you would with underwater till you get to the beach entry, it is perfectly safe. This spot has many sunken ships on top of each other and lying next to each other. All visible ships are about 30 to 35 M dep only. These ships are from pre-1900 and are mostly military. teeming with life and so picture-worthy. Happy diving.
@@donr3407 Very cool! Thanks for the tip. I'll see if I can head out that way :D
Thank you, this is interesting stuff. I have completed the PADI Advanced Open Water training, but my last dive was 10 years ago. Now that I've retired early, I'm ready to dive in again (sorry, bad pun). Besides the necessary refresher course, what would you recommend as the most useful (i.e., practical, essential) specialty courses for someone who's getting back in the water after a long time away?
Honestly, a refresher is probably all you need to get started and then just get in the water and dive. Later on you may want to do the rescue course but only when you feel confident about your abilities in the water. Good luck out there!
@@AzulUnlimited Thanks for taking the time, much appreciated.
People who have been out for a while can definitely benefit from taking Peak performance buoyancy after the refresher. It gives one on one time focusing on making the student comfortable.
@@anyad2772 Thank you, that's a good suggestion!
Drysuit, deep, and nitrox are what I thought were most useful to me. Haven't done rescue yet, but I assume that one will be pretty important since I mostly dive with friends in cold water and they are used to warm water.
I always recommend getting rescue certified for anyone who is going to dive regularly. It's also a super fun course 🤙
When I took rescue it was the most challenging and fun course.
Mostly agree with you. I think drysuit is important IF you don't have a bunch of advanced helpful drysuit diving budies. I've seen and heard too many horror stories of people who didn't really know how to safely fit, set up, maintain, and use drysuits getting bent, seriously injured, or killed because of the significant differences between diving dry and diving wet. Otherwise good break down. And you definitely need to dive the narrows, Diamond Knot, and Sund Rock while there. I lived out there 4 years and did all but the DK, it's a bucket list dive for me.
Thanks for the dive site tips! Yes, I could see that as well about drysuit. I'm fortunate that I got a lot of the information before doing the course but for a total newbie, absolutely.
Dry suit is important if you ever need to hire a suit if yours is in for repair. Dive centres should ask for proof of cert before they hire one out
@@iangriff2170 That's good to know! My instructor had said that I will probably never be asked to show the cert, but that absolutely makes sense.
If you dive in Germany or GB almost all dives are cold water dives, even in summer. So dry suit diving is the norm here. If you have logged almost all your dives with the dry suit nobody should ask for a certification card 😅. You learn how to use it from experienced divers in your dive club, there is more experience available than many „specialty instructors“ have under their belt. But if you are used to your 3 mm wetsuit only a course might help you a great bit.
I had over 1500 drysuit dives before I began teaching drysuit and I still occasionally come across new problems when teaching. It is amazing how many ways things can go wrong. I think that is why places like Iceland (diving between the continental shelfs) requires a cert.
Those sites are amazing. I have over 2000 dives in WA and BC and those are some of my favorites. The Diamond Knot is starting to really fall apart and due to conditions is a very advanced dive. However, it is worth being a bucket list dive. I wouldn't recommend generation anymore.
Also, Keystone Jetty, Edmonds Underwater park, Skyline wall and Deception Pass are awesome WA dives. Also, Barkley Sound should be on everyone's bucket list.
Head up to Vancouver Island for some great diving.
I have heard about that! Maybe 😁🤭
Next step: dry gloves! If you're in really cold water, say
Dry gloves are definitely on the list! I've seen that argon set up but not with sidemount. Could be interesting
On xdeep harnesses you can mount it under the wing. Or more generally you can mount the inflation tank under the wing on the crotch strap like the light canister 😊
Though honestly... Arguably useful... It's not like you end up doing 1 tank sidemount in the ocean quite often 😂
@@TheMarcoflint This is very true. As always, love hearing from you panda!
I agree partially with the drysuit inflation cylinder, but no need for argon. If used properly, yes, argon is a better insulator, just, but the prep process faff far out weighs the gains. Better off adding a merino base layer and just using air in the cylinder.
@@iangriff2170 in sidemount I would only go through all this Xtra pain if you dive with trimix, otherwise honestly... I think you make your life more complicated than it needs to be.
And agreed with you about argon. If you don't go through the suit flushing procedure... Won't help much 😅
I was just wondering who you were flipping off in the video. Doesn’t seem like you. I always like seeing you smile. May your D sense and essence always be equal and number.
That was general frustration with my buoyancy in the drysuit/sidemount combo. I feel like I'm learning it all over again 😂😂😂 at that point I had been in the pool for hours working on it and was totally spent 🤯
I LOOOOOOVEEEE your channel! thank you thank you
You are the best! Thanks for watching.
I found your channel when I was looking into getting into sidemount I took my dry suit course under ice and I never took a sidemount course I paid for it with time and air fills but I have finally dialed myself in a lot more and I am proud of my abilities as a diver that being said I should have taken a course for both correctly but we live and learn great advice though if you happen to make your way to the “fresh coast” or Ohio reach out to me I would love to meet and dive with someone I learned so much from here on TH-cam as a new diver
Glad to have helped. I can't even imagine doing ice diving yet. Very cool. If you connect with me on ig or patreon, maybe diving together will happen!
Glad to have helped. I can't even imagine doing ice diving yet. Very cool. If you connect with me on ig or patreon, maybe diving together will happen!
@@AzulUnlimited what is your ig ?
@@overcash007 Azul Unlimited 😆
@@AzulUnlimited hey don’t judge me you never know 😂😂 mine isn’t dive addiction 😂😂
Update on physical cards with PADI. You don't get the physical cards anymore unless you pay extra.
Very true! It's about damn time! :)
Been that way with PADI for a while. I think the cards are made from solid platinum with a thin plastic coating, no other way to explain the price they charge 😂
Yes what an awesome topic.
Hopefully it's helpful and entertaining 😁
"It's getting really hot in here..." *My brain singing* 🎶"Why don't you take off all your cloths" 🎶 Sorry... not sorry, I worked retail when that song came out and it is permanently etched my my brain.
I think most specialties can be valuable training when taught by the rare knowledgeable instructor on the topic, but the cards are largely worthless. I carry exactly three rec cards, AOW, Nitrox, and Self-reliant. If you don't need the card why should we pay for the largely worthless materials from the agencies or give them money for the card?
Hahaha I respect that musical reference. As for the cards, I mean we all need to make a living right? The organizations give us the ability to teach and they have employees. Just part of the system, you know?
@@AzulUnlimited I just fail to see the benefits for the agencies in the long run. Their QA programs are largely non-existent. So I can't rely on the fact that they are an active instructor to actually be good. Their materials outside of the basic rec courses, suck. What benefit do they give me for my hard earned money?
I ask the same thing on the technical side as well. TDI's deco materials, suck. Deco for Divers and Intro to technical diving which costs a fraction of buying all four TDI text books are a much better text books (I actually stopped reading the TDI books after the first chapter). The cave stuff is meh at best. The less said about the Tech Sidemount course the better. It is a lot of money for very little benefit to me. And the lack of QA is even worse for the tech side, as we are talking about things that legitimately can get you killed for the smallest mistake.
TBH the only agency that I think works is the GUE, but they are small and very focused and wouldn't be applicable for diving writ large. And even then they have some philosophy that I feel is dated, but I think that is a worthwhile trade off in exchange for their excellent instructor QA, and the continuing education and auditing that is done even after instructor qualification.
TLDR - I think the agencies are broken and only exist due to institutional inertia.
@@Teampegleg Yeah, GUE seems like a different kind of training. I've liked what I've seen from that organization so far. TBH most systems all over the place (in and out of scuba) are broken. We need full repair across the board 😂
Why was you putting your back mount on in the pool like that?
Bc my old school naui instructor told me to try it so I thought, why not?
Arrh so a hey let’s do some weird crap not here’s how you do it in a dry suit lol
@@robbiemurderingminion2556 idk, apparently that's they way the naui people used to do things back in the day
My most favorite specialty is GTARND
I'm assuming this is something sassy. What does it stand for?
@@AzulUnlimited it stands for Go To A Resort And Dive ...
@@thomastse6228 hahaha figured as much. like it.
So your Van is your "Girl Cave"?🤔🤣 By the way I have only two specialties: Nitrox and Diver Against Debris. I like both!!
I hadn't thought of it but yes, it definitely is. No boys allowed 😂
@@AzulUnlimited You make scuba diving look exciting, fun and interesting! (Some "old school" instructors make it look difficult and even overwhelming)
@@fabherod Some people are pretty intense. Life is too short. We need to be safe, but we don't have to be boring!
@@AzulUnlimited Sarah I'm a sailing instructor and working on becoming a DM. I love your "Life is too short. We need to be safe, but we don't have to be boring!" This sums up my teaching style and you OK if I use it. THX
@@douglance64 Congrats on working towards your DM! Go right ahead and good luck out there!
I feel like shes insulting the underwater basket weaving certification but im not sure
I would never! 😜
The most useful course I have done was probably GUE Fundies.
I have heard great things about that course!
Hi Sarah, as a former PADI MSDT, I agree with you about the mish mosh of specialty course. But having said that, a bit of the old days when I learned to dive with BSAC (British Sub Aqua) for what would be equivalent to Open Water. We did tons of Rescue drills and PPB. The thought behind that was that new divers need to know how to rescue themselves and their dive buddy. Kinda like Sky diving, you need to know what to do if things go south! So, a Rescue course could save a diver's life. Enjoy your dry suit! I'm in mine 90% of my dives. Please make a list of where you're diving on your trip.
I feel like the courses were so much more well rounded than they are now. Oh well... I'm definitely making a list and will be talking about them in future videos 😊
I just got my PADI dry suit certificate by a GUE instructor with 3000 plus dives. The sheer fun , relaxation and knowledge that I got made it for me the best specialty I ever learned 🎉
That is awesome!
I've taken a ton of specialties and tech/cave classes. Aside from the cave and tech training.. I've taken VERY few specialties that were actually worth it and it wasn't because of the course material. It was always the instructor. The dive industry is plaged with instructors who will gladly take your money and throw together a class that they know absolutely nothing about.
Yes, unfortunately it's true. Tech and cave are incredible. Where did you do your training? Favorite dives?
@@AzulUnlimited did my cave and tech training in North FL. Favorite dive is Cow Springs. It's rather tight and high flow but there's plenty to pull and glide on. The exit is quite sporty.
@@KB-gd6fc Interesting! I may need to make caves my 2023 theme... need a good refresher though.
@@AzulUnlimited if you make it to N. FL I would be happy to team up for some cave diving. Just let me know.
@@KB-gd6fc Sweet. Connect with me on Instagram so we can chat :)
There are some specialties that are learned with diving with experienced divers. Another necessary and great must have specialty is Rescue Diver. It is one of the must have minimums for our divers that work on client projects.
Yeah rescue is usually considered a core course which is why I didn't list it. It's a must for anyone who will dive regularly
It's going to be about PADI specialties isn't it?
Pokémon diving, you have to collect them all!
Hahaha I'm so not about that, but if you want the courses, I'll teach you 😂😂😂
Definitely the stress, rescue and provide O²
Anything to be a safer diver for sure 🤙
You didn't mention rescue diver.
In PADI, that’s considered a core course, not a specialty. I think anyone who is planning to dive regularly should do the rescue course.
I wish there was a class just on dive planning using the computer and calculating what the gas needs would be.
You do a lot of that in tech training. But as always, get a good teacher. If you want to go to Mexico, I know some people!
Deep and nitrox are a must in my book.
The rest, not so much.
I think the self reliant diver should be integrated into open water certification. If you can’t solve your own problems, how can you help or understand what’s going on with your buddy?
Great points. I agree but it's a lot of information and skills for someone who's doing the course on vacation.
I totally disagree. I spent years diving on Guam and used the dive tables to make two dives a day and was fine with that. Most recreational divers rarely do more than two dives a day. I find it interesting that you don't suggest rescue diver as a specialty to take. Equipment specialist is a great class if you really want to understand how your equip works. If your not working at a dive shop and filling tanks why would you need to be a gas blender? Odd priorities but to each is own.
This is my list and I included the courses that I found fascinating as a diver. I didn't include rescue because it's not a specialty. It's a core course that all regular divers should go through. Glad you have lots of experience diving in Guam 🤙
Drysuits really damp suits
Hahaha I've been told that but my feet are warm so I don't care 😂
I would probably say CCR needs some training
Totally
17 uur geleden
Self Reliant Diver, diving without a mask :-( good experience :-)
Yes! That is great training 🤙
You like attention I see
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