Somehow, I'm getting the feeling you might have been turned off to the idea of an AOW class. Especially with my humerous yet lacking post. For this, I am sorry.
If you're a new diver with maybe a handful of dives under your belt, or perhaps a little experienced, yet not intirely comfortable yet, and or would like some further instruction before you begin doing night dives or diving a little deeper, an AOW course is an excellent way to achieve these things and all under the watchful eye of an instructor. It's a great way to get more dives under your belt, but to keep you diving as you'll have even more of a chance to get comfortable, gain some more valuable experience and instruction. And yes, it is true, some boats will exclude you from diving certain trips without the AOW cert, there are several out here that I know of. Continuing education never hurt anyone and I'm betting you'll enjoy the class.