AOW Cert is it necessary?

[truva]

My wife and I took the YMCA OW class about 15 years ago, we have something just under 1000 dives since and still only carry our YMCA OW cards. We have never had a problem with just showing that OW card anywhere in the Caribbean and certainly not Florida. My question concerns the AOW certification, what benefit is this to experienced divers?

I have read here that some have had issues with not being able to dive some place (a recreational dive) without the AOW cert. Anyone actually witnessed this happen and what were the circumstances?

Truva

 

[salty]

As long as you have a good log book you shouldent have a problem. The only time I ever traveled all i bothered showing was my log. Once the DM saw that my last dive was four days ago and was to 130 feet for 45 minets in 50 degree water he dident even bother to make me do a check out dive.

The log book tells all that and your attatude when you first show up.

 

[wetvet]

Im not sure how sticky they would be up here (in Ontario) about it. I know of several operations that insist on seeing an AOW card before they will let you on charters to some of the deeper wrecks. I'm not sure how they would respond to a dive log. A lot of stuff in Canada is pretty "by the book" (steel tanks do NOT get filled to 3400 pounds.....especially for strangers), so I would be a bit worried.

Wetvet

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Thanks for asking that question. I only have an OW card-10 years ago, and close to 200 dives...I have always been under the impression that I couldn't dive some advanced wrecks cause I don't ahve AOW..
The worst part about it, is that I have done all the dives for AOW, and they are logged dives, yet don't have the piece of plastic...why should I spend $$ just to have a card??

 

[ElectricZombie]

Well, I think the advanced certificaiton is worthless and doesn't really say anything about your skill level. If you want the card, then take the class. I don't think you'll be any better for it though.

However, there are a few boats around here that prefer divers have an advanced card for certain dives. If they know you or can have someone vouch for you, it's usually not an issue.

 

[LowTide]

some of the boats will not take OW divers to places deeper than 60 ft, i guess it just depends on the operators. i took the class for 60 bucks, it was a pre req for my rescue. adding training can never hurt

 

[truva]

That 60-foot deal must just be a PADI thing? I have never even been questioned about it in places like the Caymans, which I think would be the hardest on people seeing how it’s kind of deep if you don’t pay attention . I certainly understand questioning an OW cert holder in Canada; a dry suit is something else entirely. When I took the Y’s OW class the only depth limit I remember was the 130 foot accepted recreational limit. The first dive we did after being “certified” was off Panama City Beach in about 100 feet on one of the wrecks down there. I do not think that was an uncommon occurrence at the time and I have never seen anyone get bumped of a trip. I have a buddy that holds a PADI OW cert and he hasn’t been questioned, that I know of.

I would like to take a rescue course because I have started to dive with newly certified divers and I can see the value in that course. But I really wouldn’t want to take the AOW if the only value it has to me is being a prerequisite…

Truva

 

[archman]

I'm a divemaster and never bothered with getting an AOW cert. Almost every instructor I've met finds that terribly odd, and questions my diving ability because of it. There's a deep public ingraining of the AOW cert. as some sort of prerequisite to advanced (i.e. deeper than 60 foot) diving.

 

[cdiver2]

As long as you have a good log book you shouldent have a problem. The only time I ever traveled all i bothered showing was my log. Once the DM saw that my last dive was four days ago and was to 130 feet for 45 minets in 50 degree water he dident even bother to make me do a check out dive.

The log book tells all that and your attatude when you first show up.

My wife and I have dived all over the world and never been asked for our log books just certification, after all you can write anything you want in a log book.
To play it safe I would do the AOW

 

[coberry7]

I dove deep in the Caymans with nothing more than an OW cert. They didn't care. After all, once you get your cert. you are responsible for determining whether or not you are qualified to dive any particular dive.

My mother and my buddy had the same experiences. On Brac, and on GC, and in FLA.

Log book? Nobody anywhere has ever asked to see my logbook. Except when I became an instructor.

The only time I ever needed my AOW cert. was to prove that I had that card so that I could progress to rescue diver, and on to OW instructor.

Then again, each operator might operate differently! One by the book, the other by whatever rules they want to follow.

Colin Berry