Deep Diver Specialty vs Advanced Open Water

[Blackcrusader]

I asked this recently as a sidebar in a different thread but maybe it was lost in the clutter since it wasn't the primary question regarding some operators requiring Advanced Open water cert to go on some trips (such as the USCGC Duane or the Spiegel Grove) Will someone that has completed the full Deep Diver Specialty certification course be allowed on these, or do they require the Advanced card regardless?

Padi OW is certified to the recreational depth limit of 40m. Now it's up to dive operators to decide whether or not a diver requires another certification or not. When my son was in Hawaii he had a converstaion with a dive operator. They did not want to take him on dives claiming Padi OW was only certified to 18m and that he was not experienced enough. He knew that his OW was certified to 40m and asked them to show other wise. When they mentioned training he said he wasnt on training dives as he was certified. He then showed them his DAN bsaic coverage which is to 40m depth for any certified diver.

When he showed them his DC with over 400 dives on it and many dives deeper than 30m depth they relented, let him to a "check out diive" then after that let him join all the dives. They were really only concerned OW divers did not have the experience as if an AOW cert makes someone experienced.

No one needs a deep dive certificate or an AOW unless the dive operator asked for it. A friend of mine on a LOB in Egypt was told that even as a Padi instructor he could not join a dive deeper than 30m as he did not have a Padi Deep dive certififcate lol He pulled out his TDI ANDP which showed 45m depth certification. The LOB had never heard of that certification but then let him dive.

 

[Blackcrusader]

still I think taking the full deep specialty is likely a better use of $$ than taking a bunch of abbreviated instructions

For the Padi Deep Cert I would say waste of money. If you want to deep dives do the TDI ANDP course.
Dive operators will respect that as better training than the PADI Deep Certificate.

 

[Centrals]

For the Padi Deep Cert I would say waste of money. If you want to deep dives do the TDI ANDP course.
Dive operators will respect that as better training than the PADI Deep Certificate.

LOL.
You just do not know much about scuba diving!!!!
I had came across operators in SE Asia required Deep Specialty qualification to dive beyond 40m for recreational dive.
You get plenty to learn.

 

[happy-diver]

LOL.
You just do not know much about scuba diving!!!!
I had came across operators in SE Asia required Deep Specialty qualification to dive beyond 40m for recreational dive.
You get plenty to learn.

LOL.
You just do not know much about scuba diving!!!!
Regarding the bradlw quoted line and his location, Blackcrusader has given an entirely appropriate answer
So your knowledge of your square inch of the world in the context of this thread is irrelevant.
You get plenty to learn.

 

[paddydiver]

I asked this recently as a sidebar in a different thread but maybe it was lost in the clutter since it wasn't the primary question

regarding some operators requiring Advanced Open water cert to go on some trips (such as the USCGC Duane or the Spiegel Grove)
Will someone that has completed the full Deep Diver Specialty certification course be allowed on these, or do they require the Advanced card regardless?

I asked, because in my research to understand how Adv Open water is conducted these days (it's been a long time since I went through it, + my experience was with only one of the agencies (SSI))
I discovered that some of the Adv OW courses are centered around taking some number of specialty courses...but it seems that the courses are not the full specialty course, more like an abbreviated taste of it to introduce the topic.
So
If advanced OW includes an introduction to deep + some other introductions, my thought is taking the full Deep course might be better at preparing a diver to go on a deeper wreck

I understand that the advanced course will also likely include navigation that might also be very useful, but from what I can tell, in most cases there is no requirement to take things that would really improve a diver's skill in regard to diving the deeper or more challenging dives (such as bouyancy vs photograpy or fish identification for example)
and I fully understand that it's good to be on the path for Advanced... but still I think taking the full deep specialty is likely a better use of $$ than taking a bunch of abbreviated instructions

Just do AOW. As some of the others said all you'll get is questions and delays from the shop without it. As part of a decent advanced course you can do Deep, Navigation, Wreck, Peak performance buoyancy and an Intro to Nitrox. So, with a good shop or instructor it's not a bad course, especially if you haven't done any training in a while. Also, in my opnion the Deep speciality is not that great. It's mostly just done so you are certified to dive to 40m in the unlikely event that anyone asks!

 

[Blackcrusader]

Just do AOW. As some of the others said all you'll get is questions and delays from the shop without it. As part of a decent advanced course you can do Deep, Navigation, Wreck, Peak performance buoyancy and an Intro to Nitrox. So, with a good shop or instructor it's not a bad course, especially if you haven't done any training in a while. Also, in my opnion the Deep speciality is not that great. It's mostly just done so you are certified to dive to 40m in the unlikely event that anyone asks!

OW is already certified to 40m just not trained to 40m. So with additional experience an OW diver can start doing deeper dives with other experienced divers.

 

[paddydiver]

OW is already certified to 40m just not trained to 40m. So with additional experience an OW diver can start doing deeper dives with other experienced divers.

You're kind of right, but if anything happened to said OW diver while you were guiding them on deeper dives you might have a hard time arguing your case in a court of law. I mean what is 'experienced'. What is proof of this experience, a self written logbook with dive center stamps? I think what you mean is recreational diving limits are 40m, but you are certainly not certified by any agency to dive deeper then the standards of your training course.

 

[Erich S]

Not certain that this is entirely accurate. NAUI had a third-level course called "Advanced," where one had to go through two courses before this "advanced" course/rating. It was a much more intense course, not just a "sampler" course. Of course, NAUI training evolved and became more streamlined over the years. In the early years, most people went through a very intensive "Basic" course that was more intense and advanced than the current entry-level courses.

Back in the 70s the PADI Basic course was also more intense than the current OW courses. Think it lasted for about 5 weeks.

 

[34109411]

I asked this recently as a sidebar in a different thread but maybe it was lost in the clutter since it wasn't the primary question

regarding some operators requiring Advanced Open water cert to go on some trips (such as the USCGC Duane or the Spiegel Grove)
Will someone that has completed the full Deep Diver Specialty certification course be allowed on these, or do they require the Advanced card regardless?

I asked, because in my research to understand how Adv Open water is conducted these days (it's been a long time since I went through it, + my experience was with only one of the agencies (SSI))
I discovered that some of the Adv OW courses are centered around taking some number of specialty courses...but it seems that the courses are not the full specialty course, more like an abbreviated taste of it to introduce the topic.
So
If advanced OW includes an introduction to deep + some other introductions, my thought is taking the full Deep course might be better at preparing a diver to go on a deeper wreck

I understand that the advanced course will also likely include navigation that might also be very useful, but from what I can tell, in most cases there is no requirement to take things that would really improve a diver's skill in regard to diving the deeper or more challenging dives (such as bouyancy vs photograpy or fish identification for example)
and I fully understand that it's good to be on the path for Advanced... but still I think taking the full deep specialty is likely a better use of $$ than taking a bunch of abbreviated instructions

i did my advance with PADI 20 years ago. back than it allow you to go deeper than 20 meters. I don't recall we did navigation but maybe i am wrong.

There where also like 4-5 speciality to do like buyouncy, deep dive, fish id or something like that again i don't clearly remember.

You rather do your advance and after you do your rescue. I don't know where doing only "deep speciality" could bring you.

But anyway if you learn towards diving deep you should aim at tec 40 and others following course.

I don't know if it change but when i was diving the great blue hole the dive operator ask for advance.

Be safe

 

[boulderjohn]

The Deep Diver Specialty Cert can be as little as 2 dives.

With what agency? PADI requires 4.

Most if not all operators want to see AOW in South Florida including in the Keys. Deep doesn't cut it.

Can you quote a policy statement from an operator? I find this hard to believe.