Advanced Open Water Requirements

[spectrum]

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.

If your OW training has left you feeling capable of the (and it should) then this will set you up to get more out of AOW when you feel a need.

A few dozen novice dives will put you in a good place. Be careful not to wait too long or you may not feel you're getting much from AOW. It's a balance.

Pete

 

[FishOutUvH2O]

Well I guess we can disregard my rant, I just got shown that the "advanced" word in AOW can be confusing.

Jackson-wr- Take the AOW course. There's nothing really "advanced" about it. It's just an extension of the OW course and more of a comfortable way for an entry-level diver to build a little more experience with an actual instructor. Like spectrum eluded to, if you wait until you have a good amount of experience before taking it, you will essentially be paying just for the C-card that has an AOW on it instead of an OW. Since you will probably learn the skills from experience that they teach in AOW.

 

[Dive-aholic]

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.

That would be called tech diving. Although the minimum dive requirement isn't even there for that...

 

[bill-da-ho]

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

This is exactly what we decided to do too, get some experience prior to taking the AOW. cuz after I take that course, I"ll be an Advanced diver.... lol,, just kidding everyone.

 

[ronbeau]

This is not entirely accurate.

I am not sure I understand why you say that that is not entirely accurate. What part of my statement is somewhat inaccurate.

I have discussed this with multiple instructors who are instructors for both NAUI and PADI. They indicated that PADI was definitely more rigid in how and when the instructor must teach certain items.

NAUI sets minimum standards and encourages the instructors to exceed those requirements. For example, I was required by my instructors to get a minimum of 90% to pass every NAUI exam up to and including the NAUI Master Diver exam.
Both of these instructors are NAUI course directors.

There are good and bad instructors with all agencies. My intent is not to turn this into a NAUI vs. PADI thread.

I am just trying to understand why you felt my statement was not entirely accurate.

 

[Walter]

If this had been a discussion about OW, you would've hit the nail squarely on the head. It's not entirely accurate because it applies to the OW class, but not really to the AOW class. This discussion is about AOW. OTOH, while PADI is not rigid in its approach to AOW, it does not allow instructors to add requirements while some other agencies, including NAUI, do.

 

[Dive-aholic]

First you said this:

...while PADI is more rigid regarding course content

Now you're saying this:

...PADI was definitely more rigid in how and when the instructor must teach certain items.

Yes, PADI does define how and when some items must be taught. However, in none of its courses does it define what I can't teach. And it also doesn't state exactly how I must teach different skills.

I teach gas management to all my OW students. I also teach neutral buoyancy to all of my students. And I have all of my students conduct skills while neutrally buoyant in a horizontal position. Yet, at no time am I violating PADI standards.

I'm not trying to make this a NAUI v. PADI thread. I'm simply pointing out an incorrect statement made in the thread. I never mentioned any other agency prior to this and don't intend to after this.

 

[Web Monkey]

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.

It's really a shame that both certs are called the same thing.

The PADI AOW cert is just 5 more dives "sampling" a few specialties, while the SSI cert is 4 complete specialty classes, plus at least 24 dives.

Terry

 

[padrogj]

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

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

the K

I love this quote with the pig. I hope if you dont mind that I use it.
Thanks,
Gary

 

[Stujiro]

SDI works the same way as SSI. 25 dives + 4 specialties = advanced diver.

The padi AOW is called Advanced Adventure diver in SDI. The other difference there is that PADI has language on their AOW that says you are certified to 100 feet, but SDI doesn't.