Continuing education path

[Zef]

I agree with most of what has been advised so far and will reiterate that I think a good progression is OW, AOW, Nitrox, Nav, Rescue. You will cover the basics of search and recovery during rescue, so A full course may be a bit redundant…perhaps take that as one of the dives during advanced.

The first 3 listed above are key certs to have that open up the number of dive sites operators will allow you to dive, and nav will help with your general diving as well as help with rescue/search and recovery. After that, unless you wanted to teach I would recommend a GUE fundamentals course to improve overall skill set and reinforce buddy team concepts of diving. Of course you can always skip the PADI/NAUI/SSI/etc. recreational path and go with GUE type courses moving forward as an option.

-Z

 

[Robert H. Diver]

Nitrox, deep, rescue.

 

[boulderjohn]

I didn't realize that. So you are saying if we do the AOW version of navigation and then want to take the entire class it counts for the first dive of the 3 required?

Yes.

The idea of AOW, from its inception by the Los Angeles County program more than a half century ago, was to introduce you to different kinds of dives in the hopes that one or more would pique your interest and keep you diving. If you like that introduction and want more, then you can go on and take a specialty in that area. If, on the other hand, you think you learned enough through your introduction in AOW, then you don't go on to the specialty, and you save yourself the cost and time of taking it.

When I took AOW, night diving was a requirement. I truly enjoyed that night dive, but I didn't think I needed any more training with it. I have done countless night dives since, but that introduction was all I needed for it.

I live at high altitude, and when students are wondering what AOW dives to do, I like to do altitude diving. I like it because once you have taught the academic portion of the class, there is nothing more for the student to learn, and there are no skills whatsoever on the dive. Doing the altitude dive therefore teaches the student all they need to know about diving at altitude, and I get a full dive to work on whatever diving skills the student needs the most. Doing the full altitude specialty would be a waste.

 

[rx7diver]

My wife and I were discussing how to move forward in our diving education. We thought about doing the advanced open water but as we talked about it we realized we may want to do it the "long way". As recreational divers that will probably only go on dive trips a few times a year we are in no rush. ...
Just wondered if anyone had any thoughts?

My recommendations (in order):

1. OW
2. AOW
3. Rescue (including CPR and AED)
4. DAN Emergency Oxygen for Scuba Diving Injuries (previously called DAN Oxygen Provider)

5. (Deep, maybe)
6. (Cavern, maybe)

rx7diver

 

[Wibble]

My recommendations (in order):

1. OW
2. AOW
3. Rescue (including CPR and AED)
4. DAN Emergency Oxygen for Scuba Diving Injuries (previously called DAN Oxygen Provider)

5. (Deep, maybe)
6. (Cavern, maybe)

rx7diver

Drysuit will be #2 if diving in cold water!

 

[rx7diver]

Drysuit will be #2 if diving in cold water!

If the intention is to dive in very cold water, maybe the OW training should be done in a drysuit from the outset.

rx7diver

 

[Marie13]

If the intention is to dive in very cold water, maybe the OW training should be done in a drysuit from the outset.

rx7diver

That’s how I did it. Too many people here think that doing OW and drysuit at the same time is too complicated.

 

[rx7diver]

That’s how I did it. Too many people here think that doing OW and drysuit at the same time is too complicated.

A close friend who volunteered at the Monterey Bay Aquarium watched a group of high school-aged kids undergoing training nearby. I think they might have been Boy Scouts. They were being trained in drysuits. I remember being surprised by this. She chatted up the instructor (who had some kind of formal relationship with the MBA; maybe the program was an MBA program). He said that that's the way his program does things.

rx7diver

 

[brsnow]

stress/rescue paired with DAN cpr,first aid, and oxygen has been the most impactful for me.

 

[formernuke]

First responder and O2 provider ASAP

Then nitrox. I recommend getting 20 or so dives in prior to AOW. If you know something you really want to do then take that specific speciality.

If you plan on cold water drysuit makes it much more enjoyable.