Except AOW is not required to get trained in rescue. Switch away from PADI and it's not an issue. YMCA, NAUI, SSI and probably others as well don't require you to jump through that silly hoop.
AOW vs OW
- Thread starter jasondcrawford
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Except AOW is not required to get trained in rescue. Switch away from PADI and it's not an issue. YMCA, NAUI, SSI and probably others as well don't require you to jump through that silly hoop.
Damselfish
Contributor
So, would an op who requires an AOW card to do a deep dive, accept a Rescue card from an agency that doesn't require AOW first? Just wondering.
The card is handy to have if you run into an op that requires it, though some of those will probably accept a log instead. (Arguments about how dumb the whole thing is are a separate matter.) But it's a little like when you could use a birth certificate and ID instead of a passport to travel - doable, but the passport was quicker and more convienient.
The card is handy to have if you run into an op that requires it, though some of those will probably accept a log instead. (Arguments about how dumb the whole thing is are a separate matter.) But it's a little like when you could use a birth certificate and ID instead of a passport to travel - doable, but the passport was quicker and more convienient.
Damselfish
Contributor
but if someone did PADI OW then NAUI Rescue (for example) there is no deep dive involved.
You can have a PADI AOW with exactly 1 dive to 60 feet - not exactly a deep dive and certainly doesn't qualify you to dive deep.
fisherdvm
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Or if you did SSI rescue course, after your SSI OW or Padi OW course, you still would not have the equivalency of the AOW rating. So the rescue card does not replace the AOW, only if it is a PADI one, which implied that you have had some type of AOW before (padi,ssi, or naui aow, etc.).
if a person goes to dive center with a rescue card . or if a person goes to a center with a ow card (the dive center lists the rescue diver as a rescue diver for the dive logs) . the dive center would quicker let a rescue diver deeper than quilafied than a ow diver with out as self rescue is a major part of the course .
not that id condone this practise but it does happen
not that id condone this practise but it does happen
I often don't give my Rescue card, I just use the AOW for dive centers. It just makes my dive a little better at times. That way I don't have to babysit OW who are just certified unless I want to. Meaning sometimes the boat will match you with OW newbies. Many OW certified divers have hundreds more dives than I do so no disrespect to OW divers.
Okay so heres a thought. I understand what the OP is saying about just hucking money down the PADI drain and following the pocket lining path they lay out for people. I doubt that anyone will say they learned much doing the AOW dives, when reading the book was more helpful. Yeah some dive ops won't let you break the holy 60' mark without the card, but what if you have someone with exceptional skills?
Would it make sense for a PADI OW diver to take a PADI Nitrox course, than cross over to TDI and take ADV Nitrox? Think the dive op would let him do the dive? And no don't even start with the Nitrox dosent = deeper stuff. I'm just talking from a standpoint of actually learning something useful and possibly progressing. On the flip side there are those rescue skills that would be lacking by cutting the PADI ambilical cord but they could be picked up elsewhere.
Was just looking at it from a more bang for your buck way. And obviously alot would have to do on what type of diving the diver is progressing towards. Any useful thoughts? Other than for me to go soak my head? LOL
Would it make sense for a PADI OW diver to take a PADI Nitrox course, than cross over to TDI and take ADV Nitrox? Think the dive op would let him do the dive? And no don't even start with the Nitrox dosent = deeper stuff. I'm just talking from a standpoint of actually learning something useful and possibly progressing. On the flip side there are those rescue skills that would be lacking by cutting the PADI ambilical cord but they could be picked up elsewhere.
Was just looking at it from a more bang for your buck way. And obviously alot would have to do on what type of diving the diver is progressing towards. Any useful thoughts? Other than for me to go soak my head? LOL
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