Advanced questions

[Capt.Ed]

I did the same thing...OW to AOW. I think it made a big difference for me. But I'm very confident and comfortable in the water. I used to do a lot of surfing and was a competitive open water swimmer for several years so I feel right at home in the water.

When I took the OW cert dives I was amazed at everything there was to see but still had a $hitload of questions...nothing in particular, just a craving for knowledge and information. I also got paired up with some pretty weak divers during my OW cert and we spent the whole time trying to get them to pass thier skills; my instructor said they shouldn't have been passed out of the pool (they weren't her pool students)...after diving with them I agree. Anyway, my OW instructor suggested that I take the AOW class because it would give me more time with an instructor and give me a chance to safely broaden my horizons. I read the book and did my 5 dives and had a blast. We did a wreck @ 100ft, a deep at 90; the drift, navigation, and boat were all at depth between 30 & 40 feet. Although I'll still proceed cautiously with any dive, I've got the basic skills and confidence to begin going on diving charters with a group and I doubt I'll kill my buddy out of sheer ignorance or stupidity...if he drinks my beer it's ON!

I've got three more weekends of diving lined up and then I'm going to go do the Rescue Cert...somewhere in there I'll get my Nitrox cert as well.

Although it may seem like a lot from a mental and physical perspective, I'd rather have the training. I want to dive for the next 40 years so I figure that the training will help keep me alive.

 

[Capt.Ed]

Agree!

 

[bluefabian]

I guess I have to put in my words on this.

Like most eager new divers, I was filled with enthusiasm in lifting my skills and knowledge into new heights and was ready to take my training into a new level. It has been close to a year that I have been certified and yes, I am still an OW diver. I had enrolled myself into the AOW 10 months back and... I have not completed it by now! This is something that I did by choice - a postponement that I decided so that I am really sure I can go to the next level. I have done a few dives (wreck, navigation, deep) of the requisites but didn't really bother enough to complete it all the way through.

I realized that I was just taking this too fast, too soon with this certs thing. Yeah, I admit that there is an aura of coolness and elegance when you are a step above another diver in the boat. When everybody else is either a Rescue, DM or a vacationing Instructor - you sometimes wonder if you are on the wrong boat! Ha, ha... But collecting certification was definitely not the real reason why I fell in love with this sport. Now I had set the target of at least 100 logged dives before thinking of resuming my AOW training.

As for now, I have been concentrating in diving more and restraining myself from becoming a 'vacation diver'. 1-2 dive outing per month for a city slicker doesn't sound so bad I guess.

Among other things - I am just not impressed with the AOW component and how it is presented. A few adventures dives, navigation and that's it - you're certified! In two-three days if they run it in speed mode. It's just unbelievable that you can be an ADVANCED Open Water or Advanced OPEN WATER (as somebody had said it here) that fast. My biggest disappointment have got to be on my opinion that some of the component of the AOW course should have been included in OW training in the first place. Honestly, it felt more like a profit making plan.

Yes, I have seen an OW + AOW course combo being promoted. Again, it amazes me to let somebody think that they can hold an Advanced card and be experienced enough - more so when it was done in express mode. When it comes to money, the dive industry is one fine example where everything is OK as long as you can show them the note.

Perhaps the only biggest drawback of not having an AOW certification is the 'restricted' kind of dives that I can do. I saw the fine print of having this as a requirement (by a few operator) - YET I have not been in a situation where I was denied a dive being only an OW diver. Again, this is an industry where money can bend things and do wonderful things (from sloppy rent regulator, to miraculously granted access to a site). But I know well enough to dive within my limits.