Advice: hitting the ground running, or biting off more than I can chew?

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I'd also just trust the instructor. It's their judgment call. No one on the internet is in a better position than them.

I completely disagree with this statement.

Just trusting instructors is the reason why my fundies course is helping me break a lot of bad habits.

Check out Jim Lapenta's book here: https://www.amazon.com/SCUBA-Practi...?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1493592952&sr=1-2 to help you find a good AOW instructor.

 

[scubadada]

Just do the AOW as and when you can. I wouldn't sweat it. Diving in the ocean isn't as scary as some people are making out. I regularly dive in far worst conditions then you will experience and have a great time. AOW is experiencing 5 different types of diving and seeing if they are for you. It's meant to be 5 glorified fun dives. Nothing more and nothing less.

I'd also just trust the instructor. It's their judgment call. No one on the internet is in a better position than them.

And don't stress the neutral buoyancy and trim stuff. In openwater, it's a nice party trick but not the most important thing in the world. And the course might make you better anyway. As you develop and dive more it will happen. Diving with more experienced people will help. It's become a big thing on the internet as a marketing ploy - the reality is in open water is generally doesn't matter at all.

I disagree with nearly eveything you say.

 

[HantsDiver]

I completely disagree with this statement.

Just trusting instructors is the reason why I'm having to my fundies course is helping me break a lot of bad habits.

Check out Jim Lapenta's book here: https://www.amazon.com/SCUBA-Practi...?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1493592952&sr=1-2 to help you find a good AOW instructor.

Trusting the instructor to make a judgment call if something is safe has nothing to do with your personal diving skills.

I have a question for you. I have done fundamentals and have a technical pass. I dive regularly with GUE divers. Does that make me a better diver than you? Does that make me a better diver than most of the people on here who don't have GUE/DIR training? I don't think it does.

 

[HantsDiver]

I disagree with nearly eveything you say.

Okay - we are all entitled to our own opinion. If you care to explain why I am wrong I'm always open to learning.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I have a question for you. I have done fundamentals and have a technical pass. I dive regularly with GUE divers. Does that make me a better diver than you? Does that make me a better diver than most of the people on here who don't have GUE/DIR training? I don't think it does.

I would say that in terms of fundamental dive skills, yes, you are a better diver than me. But not so good that you can create a better hover demonstration than what came out of UDC.

I won't answer your second question, as I don't know anything about the dive skills of most of the people around here. I can only comment for myself.

 

[The Chairman]

It's become a big thing on the internet as a marketing ploy - the reality is in open water is generally doesn't matter at all.

I'm not sure what you think I'm marketing, but I believe that trim and buoyancy are foundational skills.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Trusting the instructor to make a judgment call if something is safe has nothing to do with your personal diving skills.

It isn't about safety that I'm concerned. It is about having a meaningful class. In no way, shape, or form is AOW just a bunch of 5 fun dives. I believe in AOW programs where skills are built upon students come out with something meaningful at the end.

 

[scubadada]

Okay - we are all entitled to our own opinion. If you care to explain why I am wrong I'm always open to learning.

AOW should not be 5 glorified fun dives, that's not the correct expectation. Buoyancy and trim are not party tricks, they're dive fundamentals. You come across as a flippant young man, perhaps that is to be expected.

 

[HantsDiver]

I would say that in terms of fundamental dive skills, yes, you are a better diver than me. But not so good that you can create a better hover demonstration than what came out of UDC.

I won't answer your second question, as I don't know anything about the dive skills of most of the people around here. I can only comment for myself.

The point is that some skills do not need to be done in trim or with neutral buoyancy. In fact if I and the usual team I dive with saw someone wriggling around removing the bcd/wing in the water like that (video) we'd be going to rescue them. It didn't add anything. Shutdowns are another thing in open water. It's totally required to do them in trim in overhead environments. In open water we should do them whatever way works best. Another is getting gas out of our drysuit - I'd much rather any member of my team go out of trim that struggle to vent gas.

I'm not sure what you think I'm marketing, but I believe that trim and buoyancy are foundational skills.

I wasn't really thinking about anyone in particular. So apologies if I caused offense. I think I have said before that we have different opinions on trim, which is fair enough.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

The point is that some skills do not need to be done in trim or with neutral buoyancy. In fact if I and the usual team I dive with saw someone wriggling around removing the bcd/wing in the water like that we'd be going to rescue them. It didn't add anything. Shutdowns are another thing in open water. It's totally required to do them in trim in overhead environments. In open water we should do them whatever way works best. Another is getting gas out of our drysuit - I'd much rather any member of my team go out of trim that struggle to vent gas.

That's fine, but I still think you are a better diver. Whether it is necessary on how to conduct skills in trim isn't relevant. My point is, if things go south, don't you want to be equipped with quality dive skills?

Plus, being trim and all has resulted in longer dives for me, but also made me buy a heated vest as I exert myself sufficiently less to getting colder faster (water is about 45 degrees here).