Advanced Open Water Disappointment

[rob.mwpropane]

I would do everything @tursiops said to do in regards to communicating with the shop and PADI. It could partially be the shops fault too like @dlofting said, so do both.
I wouldn’t retake AOW, all that is is just an intro to specialties that you might take later. You had your intro, even though it was somewhat lame, now find better instructors and do the actual specialties you’re interested in, the full class.
A lot of learning to dive is teaming up with other divers whom you like their style and get mentored.
At least it used to be that way before they had every specialty under the sun including how to properly pee in your wetsuit.
I learned peak performance buoyancy by diving with a guy once that was really good and had his weight so dialed in it was perfect. There was no instructor involved. I just followed his advice and began incrementally removing weight until I had it perfect. I can confidently say that in 99% of cases where people stuggle with buoyancy control they are overweighted. There seems to be an ingrained culture of extreme overweighting in dive instruction ever since the invention of the modern BC. I’m very suspect about how they teach mainstream PBB. I think they mostly just teach people how to use the inflator button and make them better elevator divers.
And the fact that your instructor had you guys on your knees the whole time except for the PBB part just shows how the culture of overweighting has become so standard in modern instruction.
I doubt that instructor would know what proper buoyancy was if it bit him in the ass.

Agreed 100%. Getting out and diving with like minded divers did far more for me than any class ever did. Experience underwater just moving stuff around does wonders, doesn't have to be deep. My 1st 8 hours out of OW were spent in a pool by myself just practicing and moving stuff around.

I really want to get better at diving.

Go diving. Find something local and get in as often as you can and you will get better. Read as much as you can and go try some things for yourself. Screw up some things, read some more, rinse and repeat.

Getting on a dive boat is not part of the intended purpose of AOW.

Most of the people that I've come into contact with did AOW because it's needed to get on deeper dives from boats.... or at least that's how it's sold from multiple outlets.

@Arkman my experience with AOW was much the same as you. I had OW, nitrox, and AOW by dive 9 and I did not feel "advanced" anything. If anything I felt ripped off. It was a money grab. Thankfully I hit the brakes and realized I just needed more time underwater... not more classes. Get good at the fundamentals of diving then maybe take another class. I have not done GUE fundies but with what I read on here that's more of what you're interested in. Get as much diving in the next 6 months and then see where you're at and what opportunities might have opened up. Good luck... and don't beat yourself up too bad over the AOW, it's happened to a lot of us.

 

[Arkman]

I had OW, nitrox, and AOW by dive 9 and I did not feel "advanced" anything. If anything I felt ripped off. It was a money grab.

Yeah for sure. That is what it seems like and TBH I was kind of expecting that from the start. That said, I really did think I would learn something. Which I guess I did in a way. I learned that in 41 degree water at 96', experiencing some narcosis. I was (at least on that dive) prepared to help my buddy diver when he was experiencing bad anxiety. I am greatful for my SSI Stress and Rescue course because not only was I prepared to offer help, I was prepared to do it in a way that wouldn't have caused harm to me.

I did end up sending the shop owner an email today. Who knows if it will go anywhere or not, but I did my part.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Then why the heck is it so commonly required?

$$$$

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

…Getting on a dive boat is not part of the intended purpose of AOW.

It wasn’t initially, but now it seems to be pretty much what it’s mainly used for. More dive boats than not require AOW (at least where I dive) as some sort of invisible insurance policy that the diver knows WTF they’re doing. It’s not always true of course, but for running charters that’s about as good as is practical and has become the default “pass”. It’s better than nothing.

 

[Outbound]

It wasn’t initially, but now it seems to be pretty much what it’s mainly used for. More dive boats than not require AOW (at least where I dive) as some sort of invisible insurance policy that the diver knows WTF they’re doing. It’s not always true of course, but for running charters that’s about as good as is practical and has become the default “pass”. It’s better than nothing.

I agree. But how do you square this statement with the one above, where you claim requiring AOW is all about the money?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I agree. But how do you square this statement with the one above, where you claim requiring AOW is all about the money?

We will never know unless we attend the Bilderberg meetings to find out what PADI is doing in its quest for world domination (insert Drew Richardson laughing diabolically).

Seriously, the insurance companies know that dive instruction sucks. They have to have some standard that doesn't crush business (and then no policies). It's a tradeoff where they hope for the best.

 

[tursiops]

I agree. But how do you square this statement with the one above, where you claim requiring AOW is all about the money?

So there are at least three good reasons for AOW:
1) It lets you sample five specialties to see where your interests might lie. It does not claim to train you with the content of a full specialty.
2) It is a prerequisite for some follow-on training, for example it is the usual prereq for Rescue, although all you really need is Adventure Diver, not AOW; it also is a prereq for certain specialties, i.e., Ice, or Cavern.
3) It gets you on a dive boat due to diver operator requirements, perhaps driven by their insurance policy.

There is another usually unspoken reason:
4) It lets you sample that instructor and dive shop, so you can make an informed judgement on whether to take any more course from them.

And there is one more logistical/financial reason:
5) The first dive of the specialty usually counts toward the full specialty, so instead of having to do (say) four dives for the Search and Recovery or the Deep specialty, you might only have to do the remaining three dives of the specialty (four total are required), thus potentially costing less, and allowing the specialty to be done in just one day instead of being stretched out over two (only 3 training dives a day are allowed).

For the OP, reasons number 3 and 4 least would appear to have been satisfied, especially #4.

 

[Outbound]

So there are at least three good reasons for AOW:
1) It lets you sample five specialties to see where your interests might lie. It does not claim to train you with the content of a full specialty.
2) It is a prerequisite for some follow-on training, for example it is the usual prereq for Rescue, although all you really need is Adventure Diver, not AOW; it also is a prereq for certain specialties, i.e., Ice, or Cavern.
3) It gets you on a dive boat due to diver operator requirements, perhaps driven by their insurance policy.

There is another usually unspoken reason:
4) It lets you sample that instructor and dive shop, so you can make an informed judgement on whether to take any more course from them.

And ther is one more logistical/financial reason:
5) The first dive of the specialty usually counts toward the full specialty, so instead of having to do (say) four dives for the Search and Recovery or the Deep specialty, you might only have to do the remaining three dives of the specialty (four total are required), thus potentially costing less, and allowing the specialty to be done in just one day instead of being stretched out over two (only 3 training dives a day are allowed).

For the OP, reasons number 3 and 4 least would appear to have beem satisfied, especially #4.

I understand all of this. I was specifically asking for an explanation from another poster as to how the typical "it's all about the money" argument (which gets thrown around these boards a lot - especially when it comes to anything PADI related) has anything to do with a dive operator requiring AOW as per your point #3 above. Because unless someone is prepared to blow the whistle on some super secret arrangement whereby dive operators are getting kick-backs from PADI AOW courses, this is just more of the usual BS tossed around on scubaboard.

 

[tursiops]

I understand all of this. I was specifically asking for an explanation from another poster as to how the typical "it's all about the money" argument (which gets thrown around these boards a lot - especially when it comes to anything PADI related) has anything to do with a dive operator requiring AOW as per your point #3 above. Because unless someone is prepared to blow the whistle on some super secret arrangement whereby dive operators are getting kick-backs from PADI AOW courses, this is just more of the usual BS tossed around on scubaboard.

You are not likely find any valid support for that "it's all about the money" argument. It is just used as a way to bash PADI (and other agencies, and dive shops) for daring to charge anything for instruction, unless you are a GUE instructor, and then you get a pass on the hate....sort of.

 

[pauldw]

I just got done with my advanced open waters this weekend I wanted to share my thoughts.

So...standard dive training?