I have a question about my AOW certification.

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It is my understanding that in the AOW deep dive, you go to about 100'. For the specialty, you go to 130'. In both cases, I think you'll use the card to see how light changes as you go deeper. Depending on your instructor, you may be doing some sort of a problem at depth to see the effect of narcosis on you in your AOW. I don't have the instructor requirements, so I am not sure if it must be done. It was for my deep diver specialty (I've had about a dozen different instructors over 2 agencies).

Hopefully and instructor can chime in. I'm just bringing this up as the OP talks about going to 120'.
 
AOW is 100. Deep specialty is 130. As far as colors go around here below 60 generally you need a light. The color washout phenomenon doesn't require going much below 50. I don't find it useful on the deep dive. I'd rather take the time to do a task loading exercise. If you're going to go deep you'll carry a light anyway in my area and you'll see the true color. Mostly greys and browns.

---------- Post added July 31st, 2015 at 08:22 PM ----------

The task I use to check narcosis is have them run a reel while managing their light and keeping track of a buddy. Followed by me pulling an out of air as we start to ascend.
 
IMO, the key learning in an AOW class is how fast you go through your air. I can explain the math to you, but experiencing it is an entirely different thing. More importantly, what you discover is individual issues. Here are two examples.

In the first two AOW dives, Diver A had show a tendency to go through his air pretty quickly. We calculated his SAC rate, and decided it was pretty high. Prior to the deep dive, we set up a careful multi-level plan that called for ascents based on when he or his buddy hit certain PSI levels. He hit those planned ascent levels so quickly it was astounding. He finished the dive with 400 PSI in his AL 80. I was not using an AL 80, but if I had been, I would have finished with 2200 PSI, and I am not some kind of diving superman. What was his primary learning from that dive? He had no business doing a dive like that without more training, practice, and a bigger tank. If he had just done that dive without being in a class, who knows what would have happened?

The second example is Dive B, an extreme athlete,competing at the very highest level in his primary sport. He cruised though earlier stuff, and he had a SAC rate to write home about on his AOW dives. Then he did the deep dive specialty. When we went to 130 feet, he turned into a totally different person. His eyes bugged wide. His SAC rate went through the roof. We had to end the dive very, very early.

Those are the things you need to learn when preparing for deep dives. Colors? Seriously--who cares?
 
Ok I'm AOW certified. Now let's say I want to vacation in the Keys and dive the Vandenberg or dive a deep 120' reef. Would I need to provide proof of any additional training?

I would never dive to 120' without redundancy. That said, you don't necessarily need to go that deep to see a lot of stuff
 
This would be a great post for the "AOW? Joke? Meaningless?" thread. It really reinforces the idea that what is taught in OW class does not prepare you for the deep dives.


IMO, the key learning in an AOW class is how fast you go through your air. I can explain the math to you, but experiencing it is an entirely different thing. More importantly, what you discover is individual issues. Here are two examples.

In the first two AOW dives, Diver A had show a tendency to go through his air pretty quickly. We calculated his SAC rate, and decided it was pretty high. Prior to the deep dive, we set up a careful multi-level plan that called for ascents based on when he or his buddy hit certain PSI levels. He hit those planned ascent levels so quickly it was astounding. He finished the dive with 400 PSI in his AL 80. I was not using an AL 80, but if I had been, I would have finished with 2200 PSI, and I am not some kind of diving superman. What was his primary learning from that dive? He had no business doing a dive like that without more training, practice, and a bigger tank. If he had just done that dive without being in a class, who knows what would have happened?

The second example is Dive B, an extreme athlete,competing at the very highest level in his primary sport. He cruised though earlier stuff, and he had a SAC rate to write home about on his AOW dives. Then he did the deep dive specialty. When we went to 130 feet, he turned into a totally different person. His eyes bugged wide. His SAC rate went through the roof. We had to end the dive very, very early.

Those are the things you need to learn when preparing for deep dives. Colors? Seriously--who cares?
 
Back to the original OP. A lot depends on who you dive with. In my experience, you'll be asked for your AOW to dive the Vberg. The crew may keep an eye on you as you setup and if it looks like you know what you are doing and you pay attention to the dive briefing, no questions will be asked. Otherwise you may be approached to dive with a guide or they may ask you to join with another diver (who is known to them, surreptitiously someone that can keep an eye on you for the first dive without additional cost to you) and if you do OK on the first dive they won't worry about you on the second. If the the OP is good, you'll never know you've been checked up on. The better/best option is for you to know your own abilities and ask for/and pay for a guide if you have any concerns at least for your first couple of dips. All IMHO, YMMV. Have fun and be safe. :)
 
IMO, the key learning in an AOW class is how fast you go through your air. I can explain the math to you, but experiencing it is an entirely different thing.

The problem is that a diver will get used to checking the SPG at a regular interval and not changing the interval when they change their depth. This can become a real problem if they are diving their pressure rather than having and following a dive plan. Toss in forgetting to do it at all, or not seeing the pressure when looking at it because of Narcosis and they are well into an incident pit. It is a real revelation when or if you figure it out.



Bob
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That's my point, people, by and large, are not taught that diving can be deadly, they are taught how safe it is, and they are not equipped with the skills, taught and trained to the level required to be useful in an emergency.
 
I would never dive to 120' without redundancy. That said, you don't necessarily need to go that deep to see a lot of stuff

I would never dive to 120', period. Especially if there are currents. There's plenty to see at less than 100' -- heck, less than 50'.

I don't need to experience every exciting thing underwater. We do have the AOW cert -- but, as the OP says, so what?

- Bill
 
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