Building on OW cert

[boulderjohn]

I want to talk about my skiing experience.

I was an adult when I had my first ski lesson and was turned loose on the slopes. As a struggling graduate student, I could not afford lessons, so I learned on my own and by watching others to see what they were doing. It did not occur to me that the people with me on the beginner slopes might not be my best role models.

Living in Colorado, I had a lot of skiing opportunities, and I got better and better over time. Eventually, I took some lessons, and when I did, I learned that I had become better and better at doing everything wrong. Those lessons helped me move away from those bad (but thoroughly ingrained) habits, but those habits would never completely disappear. That became clear when I got involved with a citizen racing team and took racing lessons. Even though I had reached the point in my open slope skiing that I was doing things pretty well, as soon as I got into the gates and things got hairy, those old bad habits would return and screw me up.

 

[George Monnat Jr]

I had 19 years between my OW and AOW but my wife went almost immediately. Being a DM for both classes, the majority of student responses is they're glad they did it quickly or wish they had. There are some who prefer the other way, so as with anything it's more a personal preference than following a trend. If you really liked your instructor and they have an AOW class soon, I'd say do that (to make sure you continue with that instructor). If you didn't like the instructor or are unsure, then I'd say dive around and find an instructor you love.

 

[jadairiii]

I'll be the first here, check out a Fundamentals course through GUE. It will give you a nitrox certification and by the end your buoyancy/trim/comfort level will be off the charts. Even if you dont "drink the kool aid" you will be a better diver for it.

 

[flyboy08]

If you believe you have mastered all the skills of an OW diver, then by all means take selected specialty classes and or the AOW.

Me, I think having 30-50 dives under ones belt is a good launching pad to further ones education....heck, just learning the equipment you’ll be using, not liking and trying, will take a few dozen dives...

Why rush it?

 

[Addicted2H2O]

I'll be the first here, check out a Fundamentals course through GUE. It will give you a nitrox certification and by the end your buoyancy/trim/comfort level will be off the charts. Even if you dont "drink the kool aid" you will be a better diver for it.

The reason I didn't recommend a fundies course is cost and availability. I of course didn't look at the OP's location but I don't believe GUE courses aren't taught everywhere are they?

 

[northernone]

Here's a little different angle.

Dive dive dive. You could go a lifetime without another moment with an instructor and be perfectly happy enjoying your new hobby safely. There's tons to experience within the scope of what you've already been trained to do. If you find something that you want to do underwater that you need more training to do safety, it will be obvious at that point and you can sign up for a class/find a mentor/hire an instructor.

Cameron

 

[Lorenzoid]

At the risk of repeating what others have said, just relax and enjoy your dives on the upcoming Mexico trip. Then take AOW at the earliest opportunity. If nothing else, AOW lets you do five (?) dives of different types under the guidance of an instructor, and that in itself should be fun. If your instructor is good, you may even learn something new. If you don't want to wait until the local waters warm up, you could take AOW during another trip. My wife did AOW in Cabo, which is probably the closest warm water to you.

After that, well, please come back and post about your experiences and seek more advice on what to do next. Planning too many steps ahead is pointless in my opinion.

 

[jadairiii]

The reason I didn't recommend a fundies course is cost and availability. I of course didn't look at the OP's location but I don't believe GUE courses aren't taught everywhere are they?

You're right, but it is taught in a lot of places, but the OP is in LA. GUE is out there, plus the OP is just a hop from Zero Gravity. Nice place to take fundies! Plenty of options

And when you calculate the years of buying crappy gear and having bad skills, well, Fundies is cheap.

 

[Damselfish]

And when you calculate the years of buying crappy gear and having bad skills, well, Fundies is cheap.

Plenty of people don't take Fundies - and don't buy crappy gear or have bad skills, just sayin' - that's the sort of comment that gets GUE folks a bad rep. (Which happily seems to have toned down from the past.)

 

[boulderjohn]

Just some background information...

AOW was created to give newer divers some more information about diving and to expose them to different kinds of diving in the hopes of piquing their interest in some of those dives.

GUE Fundamentals was created to give experienced divers the training they needed to start cave diver training. It requires that all students use very specific kinds of gear.