PADI AOW Certification: A Really Dumb Question

[Randallr]

I’m almost looking at it as an excuse to do a long weekend trip into the sun and have fun and learn things. At least, that’s what you’re all persuading me!

 

[AdivingBel]

AOW & Solo are the two certs I would recommend as an excuse for travelling. Have fun.

 

[Jiminy]

Certification Requirements
....
For Advanced Open Water Diver, student divers meet performance requirements:
• Complete five Adventure Dives including Deep and Underwater Navigation.
• Complete the five Knowledge Reviews for the completed Adventure Dives.

from the 2017 instructor manual starts at pg 75

http://www.idckohtaothailand.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/PADI-Instructor-Manual-2017.pdf

 

[Charles2]

Hi, all - here’s a stupidly basic question. Next month will mark my 35th anniversary of my PADI Open Water Certification. I never bothered to get AOW, and it never made a difference. I’ve been doing deep dives (100-120’), night dives, wreck dives almost from the beginning. Recently, some dive shops have gotten skittish about my not having an AOW card; one LDS wouldn’t let me dive the Spiegel Grovei in Fla., and made me bring my entire dive log stretching back decades to prove I’d done equivalent wreck dives before. So to avoid future such hassles, I’m figuring on getting my AOW cert.

This is the only reason that I got any certificates past Scuba Diver. I got my certification in 1966 and that was only because some places were beginning to ask for a card in order to fill tanks. Later on, there were several sites and dive shops that required proof of over 50 dives in order to dive. Since I had never kept a log book, I had nothing but some ragged old equipment to prove that I met their requirement. That was when I went out and got a Master Scuba Diver cert. I will have to say that I did learn something from that as well as it being a good refresher.

 

[JackD342]

Caruso, if you don’t do the e-learning review, does that mean you have to take a test in the dive shop?

I loved the e part of my nitro certification a few years ago - it made it all easier. I’m just still unclear of what if anything gets tested in the AOW cert program.

Again, unless some atypical Specialty dive is included in the course, there is no test. But you do have to either do the eLearning, or read the book + watch the video + do the Knowledge Reviews. Same content whether done through eLearning or traditional materials. I also forgot to mention that aside from the five Knowledge Reviews, there is also a "Think Like a Diver" section and Knowledge Review to complete. All Knowledge Reviews are reviewed and corrected with the instructor.

 

[Snoweman]

An instructor in FL told me a dive shop that takes someone with OW only deeper than 60' is liable for any accidents, whether it is their fault or not. I'm not a shop owner or a lawyer. I am taking the word of the instructor.

 

[TMHeimer]

I don't recall a video from back in 2006, but could be wrong.

 

[tursiops]

Certification Requirements
....
For Advanced Open Water Diver, student divers meet performance requirements:
• Complete five Adventure Dives including Deep and Underwater Navigation.
• Complete the five Knowledge Reviews for the completed Adventure Dives.

from the 2017 instructor manual starts at pg 75

http://www.idckohtaothailand.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/PADI-Instructor-Manual-2017.pdf

That is out of date. There is now an additional requirement to do the Knowledge Review of the Thinking Like a Diver section of the manual/eLearning.

 

[caruso]

Caruso, if you don’t do the e-learning review, does that mean you have to take a test in the dive shop?

The e-learning is simply the online version of the written book and costs more because hey, technology is expensive and it's another good excuse for the diving organizations such as PADI to fill their coffers.

Regardless of whether you waste money on the e-learning or read the relevant chapters in an old fashioned book, there is no test, only knowledge review questions and answers that your instructor is supposed to review with you at some point during the process.

I get that you prefer the online course rather than a book, and I'll agree that it can be a bit more interesting with nice pictures and you don't have to wet your finger to turn the pages but realize that the chapters are rather short and if it takes you more than 10 minutes to read each one you've probably got a learning disability. The book is free if you can find someone to lend it to you and find a cooperative dive op to copy the review questions, the elearning course is to the best of my recollection, over $100.

The only real test per say is the instructors evaluation of your skills during the 5 dives but unlike the basic open water certification, the odds of failure are extremely low. I've never heard of anyone failing and I can't imagine why they would unless they've led a very sheltered diving life prior to taking the AOW course.

 

[TMHeimer]

[QUOTE="caruso, post: 8537761,
unless they've led a very sheltered diving life prior to taking the AOW course.[/QUOTE]

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My wife would figure I would fail.