I have finished my postage stamp collection , ironed my anorak and am now on the hunt for the obscure and unusual....BUT....before anyone sends me some lesser know Eastern European 'specialist interest' web sites can I just say I'm sticking with diving for the purposes of this thread!
It's a simple and honest request about PADI Distinctive Specialty Courses.
It's not hard to find out about their Specialty courses but oddly it is hard to find out about their Distinctive Specialties.
Distinctive Specialties are usually only offered in one specific location and are therefore not widely accessible. PADI make this harder by not listing or providing much info on these courses (believe me, I've asked).
What I'd like to hear about is Distinctive Specialties that YD members are aware of, what they are and where they are being run and by whom - why? Well I just said I'd ironed my anorak! Any excuse to go places!
I am aware about the Recompression Awareness DS, the Whale Shark DS, an Oxygen Use DS and I've even heard of a Pearl Diving DS being run in Dubai (I think!) . I might even be persuaded to send out some greens if there are some useful posts.
Well, after you have ironed your stamps have a search through some threads on SMB deployment. Someone here wrote and teaches a PADI spec on DSMB deployment. That may not be so exciting as shark feeding, but a little more useful maybe
I've heard of a Whale Shark Distinctive Specialty, but I can't remember which dive Centre offers it. Not much help, but it's another one to add to the list.
A buddy of mine went to the maldives for his honeymoon and when he came back proudly showed me his 'Maldivian Shark and Ray diver' speciality card. I presume this might be one.
Should have seen the look on the guys face at Dosthill quarry when he put that down as his cert level!
Ed thanks for this and Chrisch for his subsequent post. Just shows how complex life can be there's a course planned to distinguish between a Manta and a car door , then all of a sudden we find out ther is such a thing as a Manta Car door. Every time you do a course you realise there is another one you need!
Well chuffed with the posts that are ablew to give details of where particular DS courses are aviable - keep 'em coming, still planning my world tour!! (if only!)
There's an archeology speciality.
Someone I know did it in the States. Can't find the link to that, but looks like someone's doing it in Spain. I like the way all these people claim to be the only ones in the world doing it. Maybe they are better than the usual specialities as they imply whoever runs them has more than a passing interest in the subject.
There's also a "Redundant Air Supply" DS. It teaches the use of a pony bottle, stage bottle (not for deco) or twinset within the diver's current diving limits.
There's also a "Redundant Air Supply" DS. It teaches the use of a pony bottle, stage bottle (not for deco) or twinset within the diver's current diving limits.
Mate of mine has it. Got it in OZ, barrier reef IIRC.
Personally I think PADi are missing an opportunity. With five tickets you get the badge-collector badge. But what then?? What about the "advanced" badge-collector, or the "obsessive" badge collector?
There's also a "Redundant Air Supply" DS. It teaches the use of a pony bottle, stage bottle (not for deco) or twinset within the diver's current diving limits.
100s of the damned things any1 who pays money to padi can teach one. heres a few american i think:-
Golf ball collecting specialty (exactly ye :>)
(Seatasea Golf Ball Diver - "NEW" Ever look at a golf course pond and wonder what is really in there? Or have you lost so many balls that you want to get a few back! Seatasea Golf Ball Diver teaches the proper methods for golf ball retrieval from mud, weed and creepy-crawly infested golf course ponds. This course will familiarize you with the proper equipment for golf ball retrieval. You will learn how to find golf balls in -0 visibility and how to keep them from slipping out of your hands when you try to put them in your collection bag. Discover new ways to protect yourself from flying golf balls during daylight retrieval and what to do if your buddy gets conked on the head. Also learn which balls are better then other balls and who has bigger! Course fee is $20 and includes one air tank (with air), Instruction, Seatasea completion certificate and a 32 oz bottle of Sanizide Sanitizer for your equipment..and your body!
)
Limited Visibility diver (for divers that train in the tropics and get lost if it gets less than 10 ft viz)
100s of the damned things any1 who pays money to padi can teach one. heres a few american i think:-
Golf ball collecting specialty (exactly ye :>)
(Seatasea Golf Ball Diver - "NEW" Ever look at a golf course pond and wonder what is really in there? Or have you lost so many balls that you want to get a few back! Seatasea Golf Ball Diver teaches the proper methods for golf ball retrieval from mud, weed and creepy-crawly infested golf course ponds. This course will familiarize you with the proper equipment for golf ball retrieval. You will learn how to find golf balls in -0 visibility and how to keep them from slipping out of your hands when you try to put them in your collection bag. Discover new ways to protect yourself from flying golf balls during daylight retrieval and what to do if your buddy gets conked on the head. Also learn which balls are better then other balls and who has bigger! Course fee is $20 and includes one air tank (with air), Instruction, Seatasea completion certificate and a 32 oz bottle of Sanizide Sanitizer for your equipment..and your body!
I thougth you was 'avin a larf but my mind is now truly expanded with out the use of chemicals - Googled Seatasea only to find the www doorway into a whole world of Gof Ball diving .eg:-
Looks like the world is your lobster when it comes to Distinctive Specialties - is this why I can't find a definitive list from PADI , it could be too amusing!
I wrote it myself, partly to see if I could and partly as I saw a few places offer "twinset workshop" type courses and thought it would be good to expand it a bit more for getting divers used to kit that they have added on and do some skills under supervision.
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