Dutchman
Contributor
Does anyone ever not pass the AOW course? What would be the guidelines for failure?
Aow
- Thread starter Dutchman
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ronbeau
Contributor
Dutchman:
I can't speak relative to PADI but for NAUI, the AOW the student could fail the written exam. My LDS requires a grade of 90% or better on all written exams from OW through Master Diver.
I suppose the student could panic and try to bolt for the surface from 80 or 90 feet.
Having said that the written exam for AOW is the easiest of the three exams I have taken so far (OW, Nitrox and AOW).
I plan to take the NAUI Rescue diver course by the beginning of next Scuba season (I live in New England).
My undrstanding is that the Rescue course is the most physically demanding course (excluding Dive Master through Instructor courses) for in the water skills.
Damselfish
Contributor
I suppose it's possible to fail PADI AOW but never heard of it happening. It's not that hard and the goal of OW/AOW classes seems to be to get you to pass and (hopefully) work at things until you do. There's no written test to fail for PADI AOW so you'd probably have to be a disaster in the water - Polaris on the deep dive, panic on a night dive, get permanently lost on the nav dive. 
I do know someone who failed Rescue.
I do know someone who failed Rescue.stardust
Contributor
Damselfish:- Polaris on the deep dive, panic on a night dive, get permanently lost on the nav dive.
What does that mean to Polaris? I can make educated guesses but just curious, thanks. I hope I don't do it, it can't be good.:blinking:
Damselfish
Contributor
sorry, means to make like a missle and shoot for the surface.
Certainly any bolting for the surface, panic on any dive. Also for me lack of respectable bouyancy control, inability to plan the dives, inability to follow the plan, inability to abort the dive in a timely manner, inability to respond to "problems". By inability I mean either out right inability or inadequate proficiency whichever applies.
These would all be reasons to not pass or certify a person at that time. Unless the problems are really severe most instructors would just continue to work with the AOW student until they got it.
These would all be reasons to not pass or certify a person at that time. Unless the problems are really severe most instructors would just continue to work with the AOW student until they got it.
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As much as I enjoy being a NAUI instructor, I have to say that I think the AOW test is too easy ... someone would have to almost try to fail the AOW exam. I mean, really, how hard can it be to get 50 true/false questions right when they're all right out of the book.ronbeau:
OK ... there are three that can be misread. But even if you missed them all that would still give you a 94%.
I haven't yet failed an AOW student ... but that's partly because I like to dive with my students before they take the class, and I'll tell them if I think they're not ready for it yet ... and arrange for them to take it at a later date.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
