Advanced Open Water Requirements

[jackson_wr]

Apologies if this has been asked before (I'm sure it has but I didn't find it).

I went out to the PADI web site and they don't list any dive number requirements for the advanced course. Is there a number of logged dives that you need before you take the class or in addition to the actual course?

Many thanks (in advance) for your help

RJ

 

[ronbeau]

Apologies if this has been asked before (I'm sure it has but I didn't find it).

I went out to the PADI web site and they don't list any dive number requirements for the advanced course. Is there a number of logged dives that you need before you take the class or in addition to the actual course?

Many thanks (in advance) for your help

RJ

That is because the only thing required before taking the advanced course is your Open Water certification.

You will not be an advanced diver after completing that course. When I completed my NAUI advanced course I felt like a new open water diver with an few more dives and some additional knowledge.

The "advanced" portion of the certification is misleading but none of the agencies appear to have come up with a more accurate name for the certification.

Different instructors may have expanded content within the course. NAUI instructors have the ability to add more content while PADI is more rigid regarding course content.

 

[Rand]

Yup, as long as you are open water certified, you can take advanced open water. You will find differing opinions on whether or not to take AOW right after your initial certification. For me, I felt it was beneficial rolling right into it after the OW cert dives (did both in same trip).
In fact, a lot of dive ops offer both OW and AOW in the same trip.

It is sort of a transition to diving on your own. The instructor is still there with you, but he/she is more hands off for the AOW dives.

I also agree that there is nothing "advanced" about them. Yes they are beneficial and it is stuff that you should be required to know anyway, but the fact is that AOW is required if you want to advance to further certifications. So, I say take it as soon as you can.

 

[spectrum]

jackson_wr

As others have said you can do it immediately after OW. I think SSI is the only one with a pre-requisite of substantial independent diving prior to AOW.

Pete

 

[The Kraken]

One of those things to which I feel PADI has given a dubious name.

Perhaps PADI should have entitled its levels OW-1 and OW-2.

I've met divers who, having completed their basic OW, immediately took their AOW course and actually considered/promoted themselves as "advanced" divers.

You can put a crown on a pig and call it a princess, but it's still a pig.

the K

 

[tstormdiver]

jackson_wr

As others have said you can do it immediately after OW. I think SSI is the only one with a pre-requisite of substantial independent diving prior to AOW.

Pete

You are correct. SSI requires the completion of 4 specialties + 24 logged dives in order to apply for Adv. Open Water Diver. How ever you may take the specialties before or after the logged dives are done (the specialty dives themselves can also count towards part of the 24 dives). SSI requires the continuing education courses plus the additional dives for experience.

 

[Dive-aholic]

NAUI instructors have the ability to add more content while PADI is more rigid regarding course content.

This is not entirely accurate.

 

[WVMike]

One of those things to which I feel PADI has given a dubious name.

Perhaps PADI should have entitled its levels OW-1 and OW-2.

I've met divers who, having completed their basic OW, immediately took their AOW course and actually considered/promoted themselves as "advanced" divers.

You can put a crown on a pig and call it a princess, but it's still a pig.

the K

Just this morning I was thinking maybe, MATOW. (More Advanced Than Open Water).

K, how did the pictures from the Invasion turn out?

 

[FishOutUvH2O]

Apologies if this has been asked before (I'm sure it has but I didn't find it).

I went out to the PADI web site and they don't list any dive number requirements for the advanced course. Is there a number of logged dives that you need before you take the class or in addition to the actual course?

Many thanks (in advance) for your help

RJ

I certified last week and and the next dives I will make will be for the AOW on Tuesday in Cozumel.

One of those things to which I feel PADI has given a dubious name.

Perhaps PADI should have entitled its levels OW-1 and OW-2.

I've met divers who, having completed their basic OW, immediately took their AOW course and actually considered/promoted themselves as "advanced" divers.

You can put a crown on a pig and call it a princess, but it's still a pig.

the K

. . . You will not be an advanced diver after completing that course. When I completed my NAUI advanced course I felt like a new open water diver with an few more dives and some additional knowledge.

The "advanced" portion of the certification is misleading but none of the agencies appear to have come up with a more accurate name for the certification. . .

The issue of AOW not making you an "advanced" diver seems to come-up every time someone mentions the AOW course. Could someone point me to a thread where a member actually said on the board that is was the AOW course alone that made them an advanced diver? I could use a good laugh. It would seem to me that if you heard someone say this in a real-world situation that you should be thanking them. They've just given you an indisputable way of determining that you would not want to buddy-up with them.

Seriously though, continuing to tell us newbie divers on the board that taking the AOW won't make us advanced divers is kind of a waste of time. We already understand that OW is an entry level course, so by extension, AOW is simply an advanced entry-level course that gives us just a little more knowledge and experience than we got from OW. Anyone who would actually say they're an "advanced diver" because of the AOW course, obviously hasn't let the facts stand in the way of what they're saying. So no amount of "educating" from the board is going to change what they say. And anyone who believes them has never taken a dive course, so probably doesn't dive anyway and is in no danger from their incompetence. So please, wait until someone actually indicates that they believe they will be "advanced" after the AOW, before correcting them. Beat me up all you want, I'm going on vacation in Cozumel, see you guys in a couple of weeks.

 

[jackson_wr]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I'm very new to this sport and completely agree that nothing beats actual experience. Also being a skydiver, having an advanced rating doesn't necessarily make you any safer in the air. In that sport one of the more advanced ratings require specific skills and a minimum of 500 jumps. I was looking for something similar here.

I think I'll take my new Open Water out for a spin at shallower depths with some of my friends that have more experience, log some time until I feel comfortable and then go for the advanced.

Thanks again for the input.

RJ