AOW necessary?

[asherlc]

I'm sure this question has been asked a thousand times before, but the search didn't yield any useful results.

I'm planning a trip to coz in early April for a week, and I'm wondering whether being only OW certified will limit my options. Normally I'd be happy to go ahead and get the AOW either before or while I'm there, but my local dive club does a free AOW course (along with a couple other certs) in August, so if it's not necessary, I'd prefer to just put it off until then.

Is an AOW cert needed to get the most of a week in coz, or will I be fine with just my OW?

 

[Hawkwood]

Have you contacted the operator you will be using to find out the type of dives they run that may or may not be limited by your not having AOW?

Knowing what's coming up can also let you decide how comfortable you may be.

 

[asherlc]

Have you contacted the operator you will be using to find out the type of dives they run that may or may not be limited by your not having AOW?

Knowing what's coming up can also let you decide how comfortable you may be.

Good question... I haven't yet settled on an operator (nor have even booked tickets, but wrangling work vacation schedules is beside the point). I'm leaning toward Aldora from what I've read, so might be good to ask them.

 

[cvchief]

Heck no it is Mexico. They will decide if you are a dufus based on diving, not cards.

That being said, AOW is a fun course if not really advanced.

 

[Hawkwood]

...
That being said, AOW is a fun course if not really advanced.

And potentially a nice way to get some "private" time on the reefs with an Instructor as your guide to Cozumel diving.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Good question... I haven't yet settled on an operator (nor have even booked tickets, but wrangling work vacation schedules is beside the point). I'm leaning toward Aldora from what I've read, so might be good to ask them.

I was impressed with Aldora. From what I could tell, they are pretty good about matching dives to each diver's experience level and goals.

Along the lines of what cvchief said, I would be surprised if any Mexican dive operators put as much emphasis on having an AOW card as some US-based operators. In the FL Keys, for example, most won't take you to the major wrecks without AOW.

 

[boulderjohn]

I went to Cozumel for my first trip after being certified, and I had similar concerns. I ended up getting my AOW the first two days I was there. I think it was very helpful to me.

With different dive operators in Cozumel, there are different issues with people of differing ability levels on dives. The bigger operators with several boats will try to divide the customers by ability, so if you are on a boat with people who have similar qualifications to yours, you can be assured of doing an appropriate dive.

You can have a problem with mixed groups. The DM will look at the ability of the group and lead a dive that can be done by the least experienced diver in the group, and that can be done on almost any site. Two groups can splash down on a site like Palancar Caves and have two entirely different dives, depending upon the DM's judgment of what is appropriate. The last time I was in Cozumel doing recreational dives, I was on a boat in which the DM expected everyone to be an advanced diver, and he took us down to a great site called Columbia Deep. He discovered immediately that one of the divers was very much a beginner, and he literally held her hand as we swam past all the great features we would have been entering with a more experienced group. You can be sure the experienced divers in the group were grumbling unhappily throughout the dive.

 

[pinshootr]

As soon as we told them we dive in the Great Lakes they moved on to the next diver!

 

[PatW]

Many of the dives in Cozumel are deeper than OW qualifies one for. It is a good qualification to have.

 

[gopbroek]

Not a real issue, I have been thinking of getting one after my 500th dive, in case I need one for another location. My LDS (Tres Pelicanos) does a pretty good job assessing new divers on the initial contact and grouping / planning the dives accordingly. They have a very high rate of experianced and repeat divers who need minimal supervsion so often out of 8 divers only half are actually loading the DM. Also they often run an extra DM (or any time there are more than 8 divers, park rule and good sense) who can give extra attention to a less experienced diver or there is always the option for a private DM.
With a second or private DM just about any site, including Columbia deep (a favorite of mine) can be run with both a shallow (relatively) or deep group and meet up at the end of the drift.