I thought I would take a minute to correct some of the misconceptions in this thread.
Although the names differ slightly, pretty much all major agencies have an advanced certification that is roughly at the same level as the others. As stated above, the advanced certification was not created originally by PADI, and they they have not put in other levels in the roughly 50 years since they added AOW. PADI does not impose rules such as this on operators. Dive operators set those rules in coordination with their insurance companies, and they accept the advanced certifications of all agencies when they do.
The Advanced certification level was created in the mid 1960s by the Los Angeles County program with the primary purpose of exposing divers to a variety of dive experiences in the hope that it would help with the high scuba dropout rate. NAUI followed suit shortly thereafter. PADI added it still later.When I started diving many years ago, I don't think there was an AOW certification level. That concept came along later. I don't think I was even aware of the AOW cert until I became a PADI diver in the early 90's.
Although the names differ slightly, pretty much all major agencies have an advanced certification that is roughly at the same level as the others. As stated above, the advanced certification was not created originally by PADI, and they they have not put in other levels in the roughly 50 years since they added AOW. PADI does not impose rules such as this on operators. Dive operators set those rules in coordination with their insurance companies, and they accept the advanced certifications of all agencies when they do.
That is correct. PADI's statement is that you need to dive within the limits of your "training and experience." You are expected to use good judgment to determine if your growing experience is adequate to a planned advanced dive.'m not saying it can't or won't happen but my interpretation of PADI's statement concerning OW certification is that as you gain more experience you are no longer "limited" to the OW suggested limitations. IOW, once you dive past 60 feet (with a qualified dive buddy) you are no longer limited to 60 feet. I think it's fairly clear that PADI's limits are only suggestions, and certainly not some kind of law. To me your wife's 500+ dives are far more meaningful than an "advanced" C-Card belonging to someone with 25 dives or whatever.
PADI teaches technical diving as well.It might be better to look outside PADI, at one of the tech diving agencies.
As I wrote above, pretty much all major agencies have an advanced certification level, with only slight variation in the name.AOW is a PADI specific qualification.
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