We were going to do Deep first and Navigation second. It was a small boat and a strong current and they couldn’t tie off, so we ended up doing PPB first and Navigation second.
I’m kind of disappointed - PPB was basically “stay close to the bottom but don’t touch, and control breathing to control altitude.” I haven’t read the material yet but I have a feeling there’s more than that? We did one skill where I touched my reg to something on the ground. For navigation, we counted kick cycles at the beginning of the dive, and swam a square pattern using kick cycles right at the end. No mention of natural navigating cues or any review from the book. “Navigation is just to get close, like to find the area of a dive site or wreck or something like that.”
We didn’t do the square pattern until I was down to under 500psi. I was thinking he forgot, and if that had happened I”d probably say something to the shop. I feel like I”m getting the absolute bare minimum. There were several other divers who were just recreational diving, so my instructor was also their guide. I was the only student.
Am I too picky? Maybe Hawaii is so transient that it’s hard to find and keep good instructors? I know there are some out there. Or maybe there aren’t enough people taking advanced classes? With every dive I appreciate my OW instructor more and more - she was phenomenal, covering all the reviews, skills, and making sure we all were competent.
I honestly feel like this AOW cert I’m going to get is borderline pointless. I’d rather find a buddy who’s interested, read the material, and practice the skills together.