Cavern Cert

[SuPrBuGmAn]

When did OW cards downgrade there limits shallower than 130'? Do recreational tables still go this deep? Do classes still teach about narcosis and not biting off more than you can chew?

My cavern cert says 130' max depth and/or 200' of total penetration from the surface, whichever comes first. Got it without AOW.

 

[willgr1]

No, it's not. My full cave is through NACD and I don't have AOW....

you're right, i stopped reading after i saw AOW in the pre-reqs....that's what I get for not reading further...

i never took AOW
I'm IANTD tech. cave.

Then perhaps it's up to the instructor based on experience. According to the IANTD website it is required. I did my tech cave with two other Divemasters, so qualifications were never questioned.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I've always thought it was funny when it was assumed a diver was good when he had a Divemaster or Instructor cert.

 

[a22shady]

Thanks for the advice

 

[willgr1]

I've always thought it was funny when it was assumed a diver was good when he had a Divemaster or Instructor cert.

i meant that we all had obviously completed AOW which was a pre-reg.....I in no way was referring to the actual skill level of the divers....

 

[crd_kats]

Well, I've had some issues getting on dive boats where their insurance specifically states you need AOW (I'm OW Nitrox & Full cave, no AOW or recreational certs besides nitrox). Anywhere else I would assume they have the common sense to realize cavern is typically harder than AOW. Cavern certifies a max depth of 100ft, or 130ft linear penetration from the surface, whichever is lesser. Cavern class certainly doesn't prepare you for wreck diving, other than the most basic skills dealing with overhead environments.

This is just my opinion, but I think it makes more sense to take cavern & intro together, then apprentice/full together.

my cavern card says 130'

Yes, it's good to know cavern doesn't require the AOW. Although, my rec ow certifies me to 100', the dive ops in Key Largo almost didn't allow me on the boat without an AOW. They finally consented on my the merit of my dive log. Since, I've gotten my AOW only for this reason. The irony is we only did dives to 70' throughout my AOW class. I can only shrug and move on...

Sorry for the hijack.

 

[a22shady]

Where some of the training has some true merrit. I can absolutly see where others may be just about having a course for the sake of having in other words to get a few xtra Dollars $$$$.

 

[ucfdiver]

Yes, it's good to know cavern doesn't require the AOW. Although, my rec ow certifies me to 100', the dive ops in Key Largo almost didn't allow me on the boat without an AOW. They finally consented on my the merit of my dive log. Since, I've gotten my AOW only for this reason. The irony is we only did dives to 70' throughout my AOW class. I can only shrug and move on...

Sorry for the hijack.

I had a dive OP in Ft Laud. nearly refuse to let me no a night dive because I didn't have AOW.

It's not like AOW is worth anything with the majority of instructors out there, I don't see why it's required other than a marketing scam.

 

[K Mejean]

NAUI has their limits set at
Open water = 60'
Advanced open water = 130'
They use the Advanced course to teach other skills like deep diving and night diving. As well as others. The purpose is to not task load new divers. They get open water certified and then they can come back for further training and skills.
Yes they still teach about Narcosis in Open water class.
We all know there is no such thing as the scuba police so you don't have to get an advanced cert to go deeper than 60' or dive at night and so on but if I have read it here once then I have read it here a thousand times.... DON'T DIVE BEYOND YOUR TRAINING!!!!! The same rules apply to open water. While you guys may just think its a ploy to get more cash I believe the course has merrit and really does teach you some needed skills. And with the way our society has become very lawsuit happy I would not be surprised to find the majority of dive operators requiring it for the deeper/ more advanced dives.

 

[timle]

Don't confuse training and legal requirements. As the first reply stated they had trouble from an insurance point of view.

Cavern is a great course (I'm referring to a cave diving agency course because that is what I have taken) but from an insurance perspective is not AOW.

AOW can be great, given a good instructor. If you don't plan on cave diving alot, I'd take the long weekend, do my research to find a challenging AOW, and take that. 2 birds 1 stone (boat access (insurance) and worthwhile training).