Teaching the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty Course

From the Training Bulletin

PADI's Peak Performance Buoyancy course is PADI's second most popular specialty after Enriched Air. The recently-updated materials incorporate advances in technology (such as the the unique buoyancy control demands of technical diving / CCRs) - as well as cosmetic changes.

Teaching Tips for Peak Performance Buoyancy

Use the new PPB Instructor outline (part no. 70236 rev. 2011) to offer three buoyancy training options:

• a buoyancy clinic in the pool
• an adventure dive
• the two-dive specialty course.

Begin by dialing in the student's weight at the surface. The student should float at eye level while holding a normal breath and having an empty, or near-empty BC. Be sure to have a variety of weights nearby to make adjustments. It's important to repeat this exercise at the end of the dive when the student has 750-500 psi.

The next step is to have the diver fine-tune weighting by positioning and distributing weights for different applications, for example:

• A wall dive: head-up, feet-down position (weights placed towards the middle of the back).
  
• Taking photos: slightly head-down, feet-up position (position weights towards the chest away from the hips and/or adjust tank position tank higher or lower in the BCD).
  
• Using a CCR: rebreathers should be at minimal loop volume and the top of the diver’s head should float level with the surface.

Have divers try different weight configurations while performing simple skill challenges. Some supplies you may find helpful to have on hand:

• Hula hoop(s)
• Ankle weights
• Rope
• Toypedo
• Small plastic toy
• Underwater camera

Suspend the hula hoop in the water using the rope and weights and have divers swim through it. Or, suspend a plastic toy in the water and have divers hover next to it / take photos of it. Challenge divers to throw the toypedo around without touching the bottom (while hovering or swimming).

Don't forget to repeat the buoyancy check at the surface (described above) at the end of your confined water session.

We recently published a PPB teaching tips article in the Surface Interval e-newsletter. Read the complete Surface Interval article. Additional game and skill practice ideas are included in the new instructor guide (product no. 70236 version 2.0 from 2011)

Did You Know...?

You can integrate the PPB specialty into the Open Water course. It requires some additional skills and one extra dive.* See page 33 of the 2011 PADI Instructor manual for details. Please note, you may only integrate one specialty course with Open Water.

2011 instructor manual page 33

You can also introduce the PPB adventure dive after dive four of Open Water.* Most new divers need a little extra buoyancy practice and you can start them on the path to adventures in diving. In a recent reader survey, PPB ranked as one of the top four adventure dives.

* There is a limit of three training dives per day. You can only add the PPB dive if the student completed (at least) OW dives one and two on the previous day.

New PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Materials

The Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty provides great benefits for the diver: conserve air, lose weight, and protect the marine environment. "PPB" is also PADI's second most popular specialty after Enriched Air.

It's been more than ten years since we added PPB to the PADI specialty roster, and the new materials include some useful updates. There is a new student manual (we only had a booklet before) and a completely updated DVD (now with 50% less neon in the wetsuits).

There is a new instructor guide (product no. 70236). It's not mandatory to switch to the new guide, but there are two sets of knowledge reviews in the new student manual and only the new guide has both sets of knowledge review answers. Similarly, you may continue using the prior version of the student materials.

About the PPB Knowledge Reviews
Knowledge Review Part I is the same as the Peak Performance Buoyancy section of the Adventures in Diving manual. The answers can be found in the PPB instructor guide or downloaded from the PADI Pro's Site (Curriculum - Exams and Assessments - Adventures in Diving)

There is a second set of knowledge reviews in the new student manual. The answers are only available in the new instructor guide.

What Else is New?The new student materials and instructor guide include useful information about buoyancy training for students using rebreathers.

The new materials are available starting today. Contact your PADI Sales Rep or order online from the PADI Pro's Site. Here are some useful part numbers:

Revised PPB instructor guide: part no. 70236

New student crewpak: 60177. Includes:

• New PPB student manual: 79315
• Revised PPB student DVD: 70858

PADI Announce the soon to be launched eCard

As a 2012 membership renewal benefit all PADI Members will receive a free PADI eCard for their highest core level (including Course Director and IDC Staff). The PADI eCard is an electronic version of the PADI certification card.

The eCard will be available for diver replacement cards in fourth quarter 2011. Initially, the eCard will be available through Replacement Card Online only. Divers obtaining a replacement card will have the choice of an eCard, a plastic card or both. In addition, PADI Members can use PIC Online credits to sell eCards to existing PADI Divers through the Online Processing Center on the PADI Pros’ Site. PADI Members can then utilize the power of smartphone technology when certifying divers.

PADI eCard is hosted, managed and displayed using the PADI App, initially accessible on Apple, Android and Blackberry smartphones, but development for other operating systems will follow. Security of the eCard is a primary concern, so PADI has integrated features such as QR coding (a specific, two-dimensional code) to make authentication straightforward and easy.

 

PADI eCard development demonstrates PADI’s commitment to positive identification certification cards and sets a new bar for delivery, embracing environmental stewardship by reducing the amount of plastics, paper and transportation used to deliver certifications to divers, for those who choose to use it.