Open water + advanced in one go?

[pixiefish]

Hello

I am a new poster and so new to scuba I haven't had a go yet; I have searched this forum but haven't found an answer to this question, I'm sure it must have been discussed before so apologies in advance!

What is the general opinion on taking the open water and advanced open water in one go (over a week-10 days or so?). Is it acceptable or is it preferable to just do the open water, then dive a a bit at that level before taking it further?

I am planning a backpacking trip around Central America next year. I am going to head to Utila to try out scuba; definitely aim for the Open Water, but possibly the Advanced as well? I am looking at packages where you end up with the Advanced with 13 dives under your belt (over 7 days).....after Utila, I will probably head to Belize and possibly dive there also - the attraction of doing the Advanced in Utila would be the possibility of 'better' diving in Belize. If I got the bug, I might also go to the Corn Islands later in the trip, and maybe around Santa Marta, Columbia as well (I want to head there anyway).

I probably wouldn't book to do the whole beginner-advanced thing; unless there was a significant cost saving over just booking the Open Water and then deciding to continue once there. I don't know yet if I'm going to love it or not! But was just wondering whether it was frowned upon or not.

 

[Walter]

It depends on what you want to accomplish. If you just want the cards, go ahead. If you want to get a better education, look for the best open water class you can find. I've posted some tips on how to find such a class here. At that point, get some experience diving, about 20 - 25 dives, then take an advanced class that's more than 5 or 6 experience dives.

 

[Blackwood]

There are varied opinions.

Party 1 will tell you to wait, as you'll get more out of the class after you have some independent dives and are somewhat more comfortable in the water.

Party 2 will tell you that AOW is the second half of what used to be one class, and that you should take it all at once, especially if you are nervous about diving independently (i.e. unsupervised).

Party 3 will tell you that the best way to improve your diving is to dive, and that getting real experience and diving with mentors is generally more effective than formal classes with a professional instructor, so to only take AOW when you need it as a means to a specific end (i.e. satisfying a hard pre-requisite, gaining access to certain dive sites on boats which require it, etc.).

There are probably Parties 4-10, but most of these discussions end up revolving around 1-3.

I'm in Party 3 (and for point of reference am rescue, trimix, stage decompression and overhead "certified" without ever having gone through an AOW program). Have fun in Honduras. I'm jealous.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

It is best to have at least 20 dives to get comfortable diving before adding AOW. Some agencies require 20-25 dives before you can get AOW. In many PADI AOW dives you are adding new skills to your diving (air planning for deep dives, compass navigation, etc) All of these are easier if you have basic diving skills (buoyancy, for example) down. If you have to spend half you time thinking about correct buoyancy and half the time worrying about air consumption or navigating, there isn't as much time to enjoy the dive.

It is true that many dive boats view an AOW card as a requirement for "advanced sites," but with just 13 dives, your unlikely to be skilled enough to enjoy those dives, and possibly not skilled enough to deal with possible problems that could occur.

If there is one class that I might recommend taking in two week OW package, it might be the "peak performance buoyancy" I feel it's the class most likely to improve your diving skill and enjoyment as a new diver. If you were taking the class in the UK, I might change that suggestion to drysuit, as it opens up much more diving in cold water.

 

[muddiver]

It would be helpful to know what certification agency you are talking about. The asumption is always that one is looking at PADI courses and the consinsus is that PADI Open Water should include everything in AOW so you should take both. If you are talking NAUI, or other agencies< then it is a different anamal all together.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I am of the camp that thinks AOW straight out of OW is a waste of money. You'll still be struggling with the basic skills you will have been introduced to in OW, and it is unlikely you'll get anything out of AOW other than a handful of supervised dives. If that's worth the cost of the class to you ... and that's all you want out of it, then go ahead. But to be honest, it's probably cheaper to just hire a divemaster or find a mentor who will take you diving the first few times.

If you're truly interested in an AOW class that will teach you something new, then get in some diving and get comfortable with the basics first. Then find an instructor who includes more than a few dives in the AOW class.

To my concern, the biggest problem with AOW straight out of OW is that it often leaves people with the impression that since they're now certified for deep diving or low visibility diving, that they're actually qualified to do those dives. All too often, nothing could be further than the truth.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[BDSC]

I did my OW class in 91 and did my AOW class in 92. By the time I took the AOW class, I had about 40 to 50 dives I think it was. Included in that diving were night dives, wreck dives, and dives to about 115 to 120 ft. I was doing the deeper dives with my friend who is a DM.

So by the time I took the AOW course, I had done pretty much all the dives. The one thing I did learn was more about navigation. I asked my instructor if I still needed the AOW course and he pretty much told me that if you want to dive off the coast of NC, some of the boats require it. So I took the course.

I would definitely suggest waiting for awhile and getting in as many dives as possible and then seeing about taking the course. Knowing what I now know, if I were doing it all over, I would have stopped with the OW course.

 

[dbulmer]

I think you should do a try dive first to see if you fancy going further and if you like it then do the OW course. AOW I'd leave for a while until you have some fun dives (and spare cash ) !

 

[paddler3d]

I was lazy and waited until I had around 140 dives before I got my AOW and the only reason I did that was I needed it for Dive Master.

I'd go to Utilia and get your OW and do some dives in the wonderful warm waters. If diving is something that tickles your fancy, get your AOW when you get back to you local waters in the UK.

 

[Brian Sharpe]

You mention your desire to dive when you're in Central America.....do you plan on diving back home in the UK?

If that's a possibility I would suggest you take your OW course at home before heading off to the nice clear, warm water you'll encounter on holidays. Get some dives in and then do your AOW at home too. You'll really enjoy the warm water diving but will acquire a taste/comfort level for colder water, heavier exposure protection etc.

The LDS I originally trained with tried to sign you up for AOW before you barely had the reg out of your mouth from the OW course. The advise I received, and am grateful for, was to get some dives in, work on basic skills and get comfortable in the water then move on to AOW (and do it locally rather than a Caribbean quickie)