AOW & Nitrox course - What to expect?

[Disco King]

The few I contacted happens ti be PADI. Good to know specialty counts for AOW. Aside buoyancy control I would like to advance diving in current. Then whichever would help me to dive better for a liveabord to Socorro or Galapagos environment. Maybe Deep or Night if they do on these liveaboard trips but I need to research further.

One shop I contacted in MX offered traditional AOW providing the study material, PDF online (not eLearning) so that I can study from home in advance. Do you happen to know whehter the content would be similar? I just want to know whether the eLearning provide more in-debth learning or the benefit lies on getting the credential. What is EAN? I infer that is the eLearning credential based on the context? Sorry completely new to AOW.

My understanding is AOW can be quite different depending on agency - I know PADI, but not the others. So, there’s that...

Yes, do the EAN before the trip (PADI eLearning?) and get the card. You will use it. Once you understand it, you might find yourself using air on the first, deeper dive or two of the day, and then EAN afternoon and night. If you really try to do all the diving you can on a live aboard, your profiles might be more limited on air than you want.

If you want to have EAN count towards PADI AOW, you have to do a formalized dive to have it count. Can’t just count the cert you received using EAN simulated dives. But you’re not really learning anything new that way, so only consider that If you find they don’t offer a 5th dive that appeals to you.

Any thoughts of doIng any other Specialties on the trip? (Night, Deep, Peak Performance Bouyancy, Fish ID, etc...) If so, a PADI Specialty can count towards your PADI AOW. You can’t count one from another agency.

 

[Disco King]

Thanks to your and Marie13' advice, will do Nitrox at home. Your assumption is correct. It is late in the season for lake dive (2 - 3 hour drive) and there is no close salt water where I live.

Not familiar with acronyms. What does it mean by 'MOD' and 'GUE fundies'? I would like to fully understand your suggestions.

As @Marie13 already suggested. I'd recommend getting nitrox at home as it is purely academic. Inadvertently exceeding your MOD is an awareness problem, that can be addressed in a number of ways.

I don't know where you are in the US. I'm assuming a diveable body of water is not conveniently close? (or possibly just conditions you have no interest in diving) Is that why you want to train during your vacation? In general, I think the basic courses should be done at home, including courses like GUE fundies (from which you will benefit the greatest).

I'd only travel to train with specific experts for specific topics that require a high level of experience and skill, like Andy Davis, Tomas Michura, Sami Paakarinen, Steve Martin.

 

[JackD342]

EAN is Enriched Air Nitrox. If you want to split hairs, Nitrox is anything other than 21% O2, whether higher or lower.
PADI AOW eLearning makes you do the academics for more than 5 dives. I think it is the most popular 8. Using the book, you can just do the 5 chapters you will dive. But hey, you still learn something even if you don’t do the dive. When you do your dives, you might find an option you want that wasn’t covered in eLearning, and requires more academic materials purchased. With PADI, EAN academics for AOW are not in either book or online, and you have to buy the separate materials regardless of whether you complete the EAN cert or not.

 

[rongoodman]

Oxygen can be toxic at increased pressures, so Nitrox mixes have a Maximum Operating Depth denoting how deep you can safely breath them. The most common mix is 32% O2, with a MOD of 110'.

GUE is a smaller training agency which has historically specialized in cave and other technical diving. GUE Fundementals is a very rigorous course in the basics of diving which serves as a gateway to their tech courses. You can hardly help coming out of it as a better diver, even if you don't get a pass.

 

[Disco King]

You really do need Nitrox for your liveaboard trip. Without it, you'll be bumping up against the NDLs when doing mutiple dives over multiple days. Depending on the boat's policies, they might want AOW for the deeper dives. Beyond that, what you'll get out of a random AOW course is pretty much of a crap shoot. I'd look into getting some training before you leave, even if it's just in a pool. Knowing where you are would help people here recommend instructors for you. There are some really good courses around that you'll never hear about otherwise. For example, if you're in the NYC-Hartford area, Scuba Shack in Rocky Hills, CN, does a nice class called Core Principles, which is the next best thing to GUE Fundies, taught at a more relaxed pace.

Love your suggestion for the two. Unfortunately, I am in Mempis, TN with limited dive shop options. Both you and
wetb4igetinthewater mentioned 'GUE fundies'. Now I am dying to know what it means.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

GUE (Global Underwater Explorers, Welcome | Global Underwater Explorers) fundies (short for fundamentals) is a gatekeeper skills course for GUE's technical courses (GUE Fundamentals | Global Underwater Explorers). There are similar agencies in UTD and ISE. What I mean by gatekeeper is that prior to taking technical diving courses, one must meet the performance requirements of this skills foundation course.

Unfortunately, in most cases, c-cards are purchased rather than earned. Organizations like GUE, UTD, and ISE (and RAID) have clear, objective standards for what constitutes skills mastery. This is why I encourage divers to seek training in those organizations or instructors with that mindset (like me! )

I hope this answers your questions.

 

[Disco King]

GUE

Definately will look into GUE! Great to know!!

 

[Disco King]

GUE (Global Underwater Explorers, Welcome | Global Underwater Explorers) fundies (short for fundamentals) is a gatekeeper skills course for GUE's technical courses (GUE Fundamentals | Global Underwater Explorers). There are similar agencies in UTD and ISE. What I mean by gatekeeper is that prior to taking technical diving courses, one must meet the performance requirements of this skills foundation course.

Unfortunately, in most cases, c-cards are purchased rather than earned. Organizations like GUE, UTD, and ISE (and RAID) have clear, objective standards for what constitutes skills mastery. This is why I encourage divers to seek training in those organizations or instructors with that mindset (like me! )

I hope this answers your questions.

Awesome! Will look into these. Thank you for the links and notes!

 

[caruso]

As stated. Nitrox is an elearning course. I've advised a few diving buddies to sign up for the PADI Elearning via their local shops so they can do the online part of the course at home, and then pay a visit to their local dive shops to analyze a couple of thanks. None of them were given any sort of quiz. Either way it's an easy course that you don't need to waste a dive on. If you can save some money by making it one of the 5 AOW specialties than why not.

The AOW course itself is only as good or bad, as the instructor.

 

[snowdog61]

Yes for Socorro you will need nitrox and AOW. There were a few dives that were less than 70 fsw but most were 90 ish. Currents can be strong in places. As others have said, you want to maximize your bottom time and the Mantas will make you want to stay.