StSomewhere
Contributor
The "Discover" version is brand new. Its upgradable to their full Nitrox with a couple of dives and (I think) more classroom work.String:
Advance Open Water Certification
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StSomewhere
Contributor
Yes. I wasn't sure so I checked here:String:
Why PADI Enriched Air Diver?
Maximize your time with the upgraded PADI Enriched Air Diver course. Enriched Air Diver saves you time by allowing you to:
Stay underwater longer
Get back into the water sooner
Get your certification while simultaneously completing dives for other PADI courses
Plus, by diving with Enriched Air you may feel less tired on your vacation.
Typical of PADI, if you do their online demo for Discover Nitrox, they specifically cover and quiz you on the fact that there is no scientific basis to prove that Nitrox leaves you feeling fresher/less tired after a dive, but its still there in the marketing materials.
StSomewhere:Typical of PADI, if you do their online demo for Discover Nitrox, they specifically cover and quiz you on the fact that there is no scientific basis to prove that Nitrox leaves you feeling fresher/less tired after a dive, but its still there in the marketing materials.
The course does however leave you feeling significantly poorer and rather conned at having paid 200 euros for something you could basically do on your own in an hour with a book.
StSomewhere
Contributor
FWIW, my IANTD Nitrox certification was an incredible class, it didn't just cover Nitrox at a high level, a lot of time was spent on decompression physiology. It was way more than just getting a card. IIRC, it cost me $99 for the class, about $35 for the book, plus another $50 for two ocean dives. Swimming with stringrays at the Sea Emperor followed by an hour-long drive dive at the barefoot mailman. 
(Also my first BP/W experience, in a Transplate). Best <$200 dive money I've *ever* spent. YMMV.
That said, unless you are blending your own tanks, you're going to need that Nitrox card to get Nitrox fills at your LDS or from a dive op. Even if you didn't learn a thing in your class (which would leave anyone feeing conned I would guess).
Chose your program and instructor carefully.
(Also my first BP/W experience, in a Transplate). Best <$200 dive money I've *ever* spent. YMMV.That said, unless you are blending your own tanks, you're going to need that Nitrox card to get Nitrox fills at your LDS or from a dive op. Even if you didn't learn a thing in your class (which would leave anyone feeing conned I would guess).
Chose your program and instructor carefully.
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StSomewhere:lus, by diving with Enriched Air you may feel less tired on your vacation.
Typical of PADI, if you do their online demo for Discover Nitrox, they specifically cover and quiz you on the fact that there is no scientific basis to prove that Nitrox leaves you feeling fresher/less tired after a dive, but its still there in the marketing materials.
I suspect that "feeling less tired" is caused by having less dissolved nitrogen to cause problems when making a too-fast ascent.
Terry
StSomewhere
Contributor
You're giving too much credit where credit isn't due. Go to PADI's website and take the demo of the Discover Nitrox, including the video clips and the quiz, then go back to the Discover Nitrox marketing site and re-read the blurb about Nitrox making you feel better after a dive. Complete contradiction.Web Monkey:
FWIW, I want to go on the record as *definitely* feel better breathing Nitrox vs. air. Psychosomatic or not.
JRScuba
Contributor
TSandM:Well, I don't know about anybody else, but when I finished my OW cert, I felt like I had been given a license to kill myself
Doing the additional dives for the AOW just really gave me more time in the water under instruction, with a structured dive plan. Although each dive had a specific purpose, they all worked on buoyancy and nav skills as well to some degree.
My instructor made an interesting comment right before our last dive together. He said that diving with students is like diving solo, and that's why he makes sure there are a lot of eyes in the water when he does it. It made so much sense. When you are newly OW certified and ask someone to dive with you, you are almost asking them to solo dive or worse, since they are not only responsible for themselves, but for you, too. At least instructors are paid to take that risk.
Many people take O/W certification to mean they are trained to dive like all the experienced divers. The truth is, it gives you the tools to BECOME an accomplished diver. Consider it like getting your drivers license, it give you the right to drive. To really learn how to drive will take EXPERIENCE.
My instructor said that when he finishes a class, most of them think they are NAVY SEALS. Certification is a state of mind.
It is up to the individual to take their education and hone the skills they learned. Everyone the divers has to realized that the fun and games are over when their head goes underwater.
Yes, when I get buddied up with a newbie it is like diving solo.
In the end you and only you are responsible for yourself. If you do not feel safe diving with someone, don't dive.
Dive Safe and Dive Often
Joe
Very good points Joe. I have dove with experienced divers that have that god complexe also. I only have about 65 dives in the past 2 years or so and am just now starting to feel comfortable. I want to do aow for more experience and training.
Experience is gained by going diving... not by sitting in a classroom after handing over your money...
... That is... unless the LDS offering the classes goes above and beyond like we do.
Here, we include multiple dives in the classes with experienced leadership that even teaches above and beyond the course specifications and requirements for every specialty class.
Some specialties are completely bogus.. and you should have learned them in your basic open water course... such as Boat Diving etc...
Other courses are excellent when done right and will give you valuable knowledge and experience - such as Stress & Rescue classes, Search & Recovery Classes, Advanced Navigation and Night / Limited Visibility Diving.
Other classes are fluff... such as Underwater Photography... and Speafishing / Game Collecting. These can be learned by asking a few simple questions of underwater photographers and spearfishermen.
In the end, some of the training is excellent when done right and will benefit you... but with that said, it is still all about the money. In the old days, before the advent of all these specialties that cost X dollars more, you would have learned most of this in the basic course. Now the basic open water course has been dumbed down. You pay more for it and then you pay for individual specialties you used to get in the course.
As an example - When I started diving 9 years ago, we were trained in Open Water that the recreational dive limit was to 130 feet and that is what we were certified to do. Now, depending on the organization, you are told your training is good to 60 feet or 100 feet and that to go deeper you must take a deep diving class for another $100 or so... Who's kidding who here?
Shame on the agencies for getting greedy and shame on divers for allowing it to happen... and shame on new students not demanding more for their money... this industry has changed and it hasn't been for the better - it's been for the money.
K
... That is... unless the LDS offering the classes goes above and beyond like we do.
Here, we include multiple dives in the classes with experienced leadership that even teaches above and beyond the course specifications and requirements for every specialty class.
Some specialties are completely bogus.. and you should have learned them in your basic open water course... such as Boat Diving etc...
Other courses are excellent when done right and will give you valuable knowledge and experience - such as Stress & Rescue classes, Search & Recovery Classes, Advanced Navigation and Night / Limited Visibility Diving.
Other classes are fluff... such as Underwater Photography... and Speafishing / Game Collecting. These can be learned by asking a few simple questions of underwater photographers and spearfishermen.
In the end, some of the training is excellent when done right and will benefit you... but with that said, it is still all about the money. In the old days, before the advent of all these specialties that cost X dollars more, you would have learned most of this in the basic course. Now the basic open water course has been dumbed down. You pay more for it and then you pay for individual specialties you used to get in the course.
As an example - When I started diving 9 years ago, we were trained in Open Water that the recreational dive limit was to 130 feet and that is what we were certified to do. Now, depending on the organization, you are told your training is good to 60 feet or 100 feet and that to go deeper you must take a deep diving class for another $100 or so... Who's kidding who here?
Shame on the agencies for getting greedy and shame on divers for allowing it to happen... and shame on new students not demanding more for their money... this industry has changed and it hasn't been for the better - it's been for the money.
K
Dutchman:
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