Taking an open water student below 60 ft?

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The certified OW diver should not be taken and should not go past the certification limits unless on a training dive ex. AOW or deep speciality. That's what I have understood from my DM training...
 
The certified OW diver should not be taken and should not go past the certification limits unless on a training dive ex. AOW or deep speciality. That's what I have understood from my DM training...

No, if a diver goes to 61, then 62, then ... etc (but not past 100) they are going to learn more they will on the deep dive as part of AOW (seriously, look at color absorption? Compare dive computer depth readings? How the F do those make a diver safer at 100 feet?).
 
We never went below 35 on my training dives. I didn’t get to 78 until I dove with a op later. Haven’t been deeper than that yet
 
padi OW training dive depth limits:
Depth
Open Water Dives 1 and 2 – 12 metres/40 feet
Open Water Dives 3 and 4 – 18 metres/60 feet
When conducting three dives in one day, the maximum
depth for the last dive is 12 metres/40 feet.
Excursion dives taken before Dive 3 – 12 metres/40 feet
 
and you will be certified to a max depth of 60'

There is a recommendation not to exceed 60’

Once certified, you can dive as deep as you want. There are no police beyond individual dive ops. You are, by common practice, allowed to dive to 130 feet (rec limit) unless the dive op requires an AOW cert. On your own, you can do what you want.

I agree. Not sure why I worded it that way. Maybe I meant to add the word "recommended" max depth - should have proofread what I typed better.

I was limited to 40 feet on my PADI open water dives back in 2008

Ten years earlier in '98, the dives were 50', 60' 60', and 50' for me in Grand Cayman.
 
The certified OW diver should not be taken and should not go past the certification limits unless on a training dive ex. AOW or deep speciality. That's what I have understood from my DM training...
During my DM course I was never told anything about what depths an OW (or other) "should" go to.
There was an extensive thread a long while back about what you do as an OW diver to expand on the "recommended depth of 60' in conditions similar to or better than those you were certified in" (or something like that). Even "similar to" leaves a lot of leeway--such as--same 30' depth, but somewhat bigger surf/surge and viz not quite as good as the weekend I did my checkout dives. Is that OK?, etc.
As well, the thread debated on how exactly should an OW diver increase depth (and other more challenging dive situations--current, etc.) after certification without taking additional courses. It was agreed that one way was to dive with a certified pro, or at least with a diver experienced in that type of diving. Another was just to gradually expand your depth\challenging dive situation so you now have the experience to go say to 100'--or maybe 130'.
Grey areas for sure. Nothing written in stone.
Night diving without taking the course? Lots do that.
It seems to be "be careful, take it slow and don't do anything stupid.
Solo diving without the course? I've not read anything (that I can recall) by PADI saying you should never solo dive, just a whole lot about the safety and other advantages of buddy diving.

For student divers on courses the rules are spelled out in detail. After certification you're on your own. A student once asked me what I thought about solo diving. I said to ask me again after the weekend when you're certified.
 
There was an instructor who would take his students into Blue Spring in Orange City and on their last dive, he would bless them, meaning they were now certified, so he could take them deeper. Wow. How foolish.

If you're training under the aegis of an agency, it's your duty to your student and yourself to abide by those standards. Ah hell, it's your duty to your family to do that. Don't be "that guy" we all have to talk about here for hurting or killing someone by exceeding limits and/or breaking standards.
 
Wow, I am truly shocked at the cynical nickel-and-diming involving students these days. How many classes are they now expected to take, to reach the thirty meters, that we dove, back in the 1970s, in our initial open water class?

And the only reason why I took any further courses, were for fulfill picayune university requirements; that, and the inexpensive access to boats, at that time . . .
 
Wow, I am truly shocked at the cynical nickel-and-diming involving students these days. How many classes are they now expected to take, to reach the thirty meters, that we dove, back in the 1970s, in our initial open water class?

And the only reason why I took any further courses, were for fulfill picayune university requirements; that, and the inexpensive access to boats, at that time . . .

I don't know. I don't teach all Con Ed courses that I can because I don't see the value in most. However, the market reality is that much of the market wants short, quick courses. Some people like to collect cards and feel a sense (unfounded typically) of accomplishment. As PT Barnum said..... So that's who the industry largely caters to. If you look at GUE, they don't have a plethora of courses, but their courses are expensive and long, BUT there is a lot of value to them. You can get value from instructors who teach for mainstream agencies (I hope I provide value), but they have to go beyond agency materials, as when it comes to Con Ed, I think they mostly suck.
 
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