Advanced Open Water?

[Centrals]

For me, I became much more aware of the need to monitor no decompression limits as I started going deeper. It gave me an understanding of how Nitrox could be used to increase NDL's.

What is the your recommended safest PPO2 for Nitrox?

 

[Foxfish]

What is the your recommended safest PPO2 for Nitrox?

I go with the recommendations of SDI which was 1.4 b for diving with a tank at PPO2 less than 40%. Keep in mind there are time limits at the maximum operating depth. Maybe start a thread on the advanced forum if you want to discuss this further.

The guidelines for diving with Nitrox are intended to be straightforward. If you are doing five dives a day to the maximum operating depth on a liveaboard for say a week you may need think about the time limits a bit more carefully. This is a subject that is being discussed on the 'advanced' discussions.

 

[Errol Kalayci]

If you are interested in becoming more knowledgable and comfortable in the water as you stated, you should consider taking Global Underwater Explorer's Fundamentals course. read about us and the course at www.gue.com

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

We made both Oriskany dives with AL100's (their$). We went to 130 feet only. I was on the boat with 1200psi or better left after both dives. In my opinion unless you are an air hog you don't need a 100 for a 130 foot dive. An 80 would do for me. If we'd gone to the deck, like we wanted to do, but the operator refused to do, we might have needed the 100's.

... and at 130 feet, how much air would you have needed to reach the surface safely if your dive buddy swam up to you and slashed his hand across his throat?

In scuba diving, we don't just make plans for what goes right ... we plan contingencies for what can go wrong. Those who don't often end up being the subject of conversations in the Incidents and Accidents forum ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added September 16th, 2013 at 09:06 AM ----------

I am missing something here. I got my OWC a few weeks ago and can't wait to go back to the DR and do AOW. More dives. Yippie! Yes, my buoyancy skills are those of a beginner. Maybe I could take a course that just specialized in buoyancy control and work on improving those skills? And then maybe I could take a class in navigation. My perception of AOW is as a continuation of my education as a diver. When or how could taking a class in buoyancy or navigation ever be a bad idea? How can I not be ready to be better? I would much rather build a solid foundation and learn good habits now than have someone try to break me of my bad habits later.

The problem with most AOW courses is that they make no attempt to "fix" bad habits ... the intent of the class is to introduce you to different environments. There's usually little to no attempt to address your buoyancy control during the class. The other problem is that a lot of people aren't looking to improve their skills ... they're looking for a card that gives them access to "bucket list" dives. Providing that access without addressing the skills is foohardy ... but often the reality.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[crosshairs]

We made both Oriskany dives with AL100's (their$). We went to 130 feet only. I was on the boat with 1200psi or better left after both dives. In my opinion unless you are an air hog you don't need a 100 for a 130 foot dive. An 80 would do for me. If we'd gone to the deck, like we wanted to do, but the operator refused to do, we might have needed the 100's.

What you need to remember though is your carrying your buddy's air on your back and he/she is carrying yours.......so you need enough for the both of you to get safely back to the surface

 

[jezellw]

Exactly. It's a cash cow for the cert agencies and dive shop operators.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

In some cases. There are instructors though that teach advanced classes where you do learn new skills and knowledge, have to meet certain requirements just to start the class, push you to your limits and give you new ones, and where you can fail. No guarantee you'll even get a card without meeting the instructor's standards that are way above and beyond the agency's. Bob and I and some others offer this type of class.

For example in my Advanced there are six dives required. Advanced Skills, UW Nav, Night/Low Vis, Deep, Search and Recovery, Buddy Skills and Assist. You may sub wreck for Search and Recovery. Or another Nav, Low Vis, Deep, Adv Skills, or Buddy S& A. That's it. Those are your choices. Buoyancy and Trim are not a separate dive. They are required and worked on during all dives. Plus you need to have it down pretty well before you even start. Ie basic skills neutral and horizontal and not change depth by more than 2 feet either way. By the end of the six dives you'll be expected to have halfed that or better.

There's also 8 hours of classroom in addition to the oh 4 -6 hours more on site over two days. And I wrote my class. It's not out of an agency book. But much of it has become the SEI Advanced Level classes. I was a co- author and editor for the new levels.