Advanced Open Water Certification

[pnw_diver]

And in the Vancouver (WA) area there's a dive shop called Seven Seas Scuba that has a very active and accepting dive community.

Seven Seas Scuba is my LDS - by all means, come dive with us and meet some new friends and gain more experience. We've got a fun dive up in Hood Canal this weekend.

As far as taking AOW without going below 60' - you can't with PADI at least. However, the various specialty courses are going to be more in-depth than in AOW, so you can get an even better educational experience than AOW by taking the specialties that interest you.

 

[maranda1389]

Maranda, what are you trying to prepare for? If it's just a matter of feeling more comfortable in the water, finding a more experienced diver and going diving will do more for you than a class. Wait until you're comfortable with your OW skills before moving on to the next class ... you'll get more out of it.

You're in the Portland area, I notice. My suggestion is to go hook up with some of your fellow divers through a local dive shop or the local online dive club and establish some dive buddy relationships. There are several excellent divers down your way who I know would be happy to mentor new divers. And in the Vancouver (WA) area there's a dive shop called Seven Seas Scuba that has a very active and accepting dive community.

In fact, I'll be down that way in January for a free seminar on gas management. I'd encourage you to try to make it ... the hardest part about being a new diver is finding reliable dive buddies, and networking through forums, dive clubs and local dive shops is the best way to do that.

Save classes for when you really need to learn what those classes offer ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Yeah, Seven Seas is who I got certified with. My instructor was Jon Daane, don't know if you know him? I have my fiance as a dive buddy but we are the same expirience level. He is totally comfortable in the water but I am not. He doesn't see the point in seeking out more expirienced divers because he is comfortable but I think I will make an effort to do so, even if I do a few dives without my fiance and just an expirienced diver. When is your gas managment class in January? I would love to take it if possible. What does it cover? There have been several dives with Seven Seas that I have wanted to join on but they are very cold water (Clear Lake) and my fiance and I are still in wetsuits and they suggested not doing those dives until we were in drysuits.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yeah, Seven Seas is who I got certified with. My instructor was Jon Daane, don't know if you know him? I have my fiance as a dive buddy but we are the same expirience level. He is totally comfortable in the water but I am not. He doesn't see the point in seeking out more expirienced divers because he is comfortable but I think I will make an effort to do so, even if I do a few dives without my fiance and just an expirienced diver. When is your gas managment class in January? I would love to take it if possible. What does it cover? There have been several dives with Seven Seas that I have wanted to join on but they are very cold water (Clear Lake) and my fiance and I are still in wetsuits and they suggested not doing those dives until we were in drysuits.

I don't know Jon ... I know Nicolle and Janna, and met several others last time I was down there for the seminar.

We haven't set a firm date yet, but will soon ... and I'm sure Seven Seas will let all their clients know about it. The seminar is free. There is no prerequisite ... all are welcome from instructor to uncertified. It basically describes for you how to think about your available air as part of your dive plan, rather than simply relying on your SPG to tell you when to end your dive. There's an article about it on my website, but a live presentation gives you the opportunity to ask questions and interact with fellow divers to share perspectives. It's well worth coming.

About you and your dive buddy ... those situations are very common. For sure I think you would benefit from getting in the water a few times with a mentor ... someone you can feel confident being with on a relatively simply dive. Definitely AOW is not the right way to establish that confidence ... you would get more out of just diving at this point.

The comfort and confidence will come with experience. And take it at your own pace ... if it feels like you're pushing too hard, back off a bit. Talk to the folks at your shop ... my experience with them is that they're a supportive bunch down there, and I'm certain you can find a mentor.

If you and your fiance want to head up my way sometime, I'll dive with ya ... I'm about 2.5 hours north of Portland, just off of I-5. Got a nice little dive site (Redondo) about five minutes from my home that's ideal for the new diver. Maybe I can show you an octopus or two ...

PS - just noticed PNW diver's comment about an upcoming Hood Canal dive. I highly recommend it ... probably gonna be at Sund Rock, which is a great site.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[pnw_diver]

I don't know Jon ... I know Nicolle and Janna, and met several others last time I was down there for the seminar.

I do know Jon - he's a great instructor and all-around good guy.

The comfort and confidence will come with experience. And take it at your own pace ... if it feels like you're pushing too hard, back off a bit. Talk to the folks at your shop ... my experience with them is that they're a supportive bunch down there, and I'm certain you can find a mentor.

Good advice. Dive within your comfort levels - if that means that you're staying in the shallows, so be it. There's plenty to see, and diving is supposed to be fun, not stressful.

PS - just noticed PNW diver's comment about an upcoming Hood Canal dive. I highly recommend it ... probably gonna be at Sund Rock, which is a great site.

The overnighters are staying at Yellow House and I think the official fun dives are going to be there - though there's likely to be diving at Sund Rock as well. That's probably where I'll be diving.

 

[maranda1389]

I do know Jon - he's a great instructor and all-around good guy.



Good advice. Dive within your comfort levels - if that means that you're staying in the shallows, so be it. There's plenty to see, and diving is supposed to be fun, not stressful.



The overnighters are staying at Yellow House and I think the official fun dives are going to be there - though there's likely to be diving at Sund Rock as well. That's probably where I'll be diving.

Jon IS a great instructor. I LOVED working with him! I actually did my first 2 dives (after cert) at Sund Rock. It was so pretty and I was surprised at how much life there was compared to Mike's beach resort where we certified. There was a huge amount of jellyfish though! Took a few stings to the face lol. I would love to come next weekend, I'll see if I can get a sitter for the kids. My fiance works weekends so it would just be me.

 

[maranda1389]

I don't know Jon ... I know Nicolle and Janna, and met several others last time I was down there for the seminar.

We haven't set a firm date yet, but will soon ... and I'm sure Seven Seas will let all their clients know about it. The seminar is free. There is no prerequisite ... all are welcome from instructor to uncertified. It basically describes for you how to think about your available air as part of your dive plan, rather than simply relying on your SPG to tell you when to end your dive. There's an article about it on my website, but a live presentation gives you the opportunity to ask questions and interact with fellow divers to share perspectives. It's well worth coming.

About you and your dive buddy ... those situations are very common. For sure I think you would benefit from getting in the water a few times with a mentor ... someone you can feel confident being with on a relatively simply dive. Definitely AOW is not the right way to establish that confidence ... you would get more out of just diving at this point.

The comfort and confidence will come with experience. And take it at your own pace ... if it feels like you're pushing too hard, back off a bit. Talk to the folks at your shop ... my experience with them is that they're a supportive bunch down there, and I'm certain you can find a mentor.

If you and your fiance want to head up my way sometime, I'll dive with ya ... I'm about 2.5 hours north of Portland, just off of I-5. Got a nice little dive site (Redondo) about five minutes from my home that's ideal for the new diver. Maybe I can show you an octopus or two ...

PS - just noticed PNW diver's comment about an upcoming Hood Canal dive. I highly recommend it ... probably gonna be at Sund Rock, which is a great site.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Yeah, I have actually dove Sund Rock and it was pretty awesome. I was pretty preoccupied by all the Lincods and jelly fish so I was a little more relaxed. I would love to come dive down your way! I have been DYING to see an octopus, that would be so cool. 2.5 hours isn't much longer than it takes to get to Hood Canal either. We'll have to get together an dive sometime!

 

[CamG]

Greetings Maranda and you have been given some of the best advice possible.
As you can tell TSandM, Jim Lapenta, Bob (Grateful Diver) are some of the best here on Scuba Board!
If I were you I would make the seminar with Bob happen.
It sounds as though you have a good network of divers in your area to gain the valuable comfort and experience.
TAKE YOUR TIME! THERE IS NO HURRY!

We all have evolved as divers on our own paths.
My wife sailed through training like it was nothing, me on the other hand spent an entire pool session to complete mask skills one on one with a instructor.
Do not let anyone else push or manipulate you into dives you are not comfortable with.
Master your skills then when YOU ARE READY, move on.
I have witnessed slow starters make the mistake of pushing to hard and end up burnout or worse quit diving all together.

Link up with other divers like yourself who desire to train to master your skills and get started. Divers learn and gain valuable experience by diving.
STAY IN THE WATER!
The second most important rule of Scuba? "HAVE FUN!"
If you are not having fun then really think hard about it and it is ok to admit you would rather do something else or choose a easier dive plan.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
CamG Keep diving....Keep training....Keep learning!

 

[oly5050user]

I am wanting to get Advanced Open Water Certified but I have NO desire to go 100ft what-so-ever. I didn't even like going 60ft down much less 100ft. What skills do you do in Advanced Open Water classes? Is it possible to do the course without going 100ft. down?

No need to go to 100' for AOW course.
If with PADI start out with single adventure dives ( 5 adventure dives IS the advance course)that are credited towards advance certification.Sort of doing it ala cart instead of all at one time.
You will need to do core dives of navigation and deep (60'-100')to earn advance certification.So start with a navigation dive in shallow water ,then maybe a peak performance bouyancy dive,wreck or photo,night and last can be a easy 60 to 70' dive and there you have an advance certification.These dives with an instructor can provide a good measure of experience if done correctly and actuall objectives are met.

 

[k ellis]

Really great advice given I must agree. If you are totaly into diving then do go to the seminar and continue to read up about diffrent types of diving and the risk involved with each particular one. When I first started diving I could not even float or swim so I had to learn on a crash course and was able to pass it. With that in mind I said I too would never go deeper then around 30 or so feet.

As time went on though I felt more and more comfortable with the diving and found myself wanting to dive deeper and deeper. Now I do fresh water dives at a cap of around 60 feet and ocean dives typicaly 80 feet with a handful deeper.

Seeking out a mentor though be careful because what you may perceive to be an experienced diver (Say a dive master) may or may not always be the right person to choose. Just because they logged hundreds of dives they may or may not be egotistical and I have beleive it or not seen many professional grade divers from dive master up really think the sun set on them when it came to diving. Instead talk with them and enjoy diving with them in YOUR comfort zone to get a feel of how good of a buddy they are and when you are confident that they will make a good dive buddy explain to them your goals whether it be diving deeper or exploring wrecks (Non pentrational of course) and go at your comfortable pace.

Last but not least though if your seeking more experience in a non professional manner many areas have dive clubs with alot of divers always looking to go out and dive. Check your area out and be social with other members. After all the social aspect of diving is one of its greatest attributes!

 

[Garrobo]

As stated before by many posters in the past the main reason for most divers to do the AOW cert is so that they can do dives like the Oriskany where the operators in the area won't take you out unless you have it or you want to go forward with other certifications. Actually it is a cash cow for the certification agencies and the operators since you need it to go further in your training. You memorize a bunch of questions and answers and then go do five dives of which a couple are mandatory. The others are so much BS that it hurts to laugh about it. Like "boat dive", "night dive", etc. As far as "deep" diving goes, if you think you need this cert, just tell your instructor that you want something else or just dive to the minimum. I am sure that he/she will help you out. Actually, if you are so averse to "deep" diving (I don't call anything "deep" untill you get around 30-40 metres on one AL80) maybe you should think again about the sport. Maybe it's not for you or you should forget about AOW and just buzz around some shallow reefs where you are more comfortable, enjoy yourself and stick with your OW cert like most people.