AOW required for diving in Maldives, Thailand, Seychelles?

[Quero]

It will depend a good deal on the operator. There aren't government regulations in this part of the world saying that this or that dive is accessible only to AOW divers....
For example, in the case of Phuket (with which I'm intimately familiar, unsurprisingly!) you can join any trip as an OW diver. Some operators may limit depth, however, because of accident and liability worries. The situation is similar in other areas. I generally counsel AOW for our liveaboard trips here in the Andaman Sea because there are night dives, deep dives, and dives where there are other circumstances, such as currents, that are less common on the "easier" dives that most OW divers do. I would wager that your wife would receive as good a quality of AOW training from me here on Phuket as she would at home, and in much more enjoyable conditions. I often provide AOW courses on board liveaboard boats as well, so there is convenience as well as the fact that when I do those sorts of courses, my student divers are with me for three times the number of dives than in a standard AOW course.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

The fact is some dive ops and locations require and AOW card for some of their dives, OR a private DM OR they may accept proof of experience in similar conditions in a log book showing experience in that kind of environment. I find this strange, though it is true. I prefer an experience dOW diver with a hundred dives to an AOW with 10 dives. My wife has an open water cert, hundreds of ocean dives, and has never been denied a dive. She also dives with me, and I am a current and insured PADI divemaster. That always makes life easier. The bottom line is this- you will have a lot less hassle ion trips like those you mention if you get the AOW certification. And here's the bonus: You can, if you apply yourself, learn some new skills, refine current skills, and actually become a more competent diver in the process!
DivemasterDennis

 

[alien]

Maldives has huge currents you need to be AOW and a competent diver.

 

[Peter Bomberg]

Thanks, Seychelles it is then

 

[supergaijin]

Maldives has huge currents you need to be AOW and a competent diver.

This is a bit simplistic at best.

Certain sites in the Maldives eg. the channel dives are prone to current... and this is dependant upon tide/wind/oceanic current strength). My channels in Laamu Atoll can have zero current when the conditons are 'bad'; strong to moderate bring the site alive. Not all divers are capable to dive these conditions. AOW doesn't mean much in terms of 'capability'.

Certain sites are better at depth eg. the reef starts at 20m, or the top reef is not so flash but the corals at 25m are fantastic.

IMO some of the 'best' diving in the Maldives is at about 6-9m underwater. Honestly. It depends of course on what you want to see, and what you judge as 'best'. Many people come specifically for whale-sharks and often bookmark Maamigili for that activity... and the sharks are at (or just under) the surface.

Turtles are often shallow, Mantas are often shallow. Reef sharks are often shallow- some species prefer deeper water of course. Dedicated photographers often prefer shallow, 'Happy Snappers' also benefit from being shallow.

 

[Quero]

Maldives has huge currents you need to be AOW and a competent diver.

That's a bit of a misrepresentation. While there are places in the Maldives with wicked currents, it's certainly not the case you have to be AOW and highly skilled in order to enjoy a holiday there. The first time I went to the Maldives I was an OW diver with 5 dives and my equally-inexperienced dive buddy was my still-in-school daughter. My (then) young-teen son was certified in the Maldives, as well. It's certainly possible to have a great time diving in the Maldives without AOW.