Thanks for explaining what the Y can offer, Walter.
I am assisting with the LA County Advanced Course now. Got whalloped on some rocks in heavy surf Saturday. We teach certified divers how to manage when conditions change. Diana, you can be very choosy about only diving in places & on days when conditions are optimal, but the sea has a life of its own. When you learn under supervision how to get out of more iffy situations, it is a confidence-builder.
What you cannot afford to do is PANIC. People who know what to do when the surge picks up are less likely to succumb to fear & confusion. I knew when the waves got wild in a rocky environment that I needed to find a relatively clear exit point, wait outside the surf line, look behind me & count the waves of a set. During a lull, I made my move going between visible rocks with a hand in front of me to shield my face from the rocks I could not see.
In the surf line, the waves were a reality regardless, & I knew that I had to hold fast to rocks when I saw one coming, duck low & ride the end of the wave to the next rock. There was no holding on at the end; I was propelled & shielding my face was the best I could do until a lull allowed me to climb onto a high spot & remove my fins. Safe at last. Was it scary? Even after training & practice, it is. Without these, however, I could have endured a head injury, gone unconscious, etc. This is not what people go into diving for. But if we are going to be in the water, we are best off learning how to work with the environment from people who have lived thru these conditions to dive another day.
Should one take AOW (in a locale with imperfect AOW classes)? These are the alternatives: You are already hanging with instructors. See if they would be willing to let you tag along on more challenging dives, ones where you are in less protected environments. Skin dive in higher surf situations; do things without the weight of the SCUBA equipment to get comfortable with the behavior of moving water. Ask buddies if they would repeat OOA practice with you at the end of dives (ie on safety stops). Are there clubs with a variety of skill levels (not just Caribbean vacationer types?) See if you can be part of a foursome including a diving leader (ie DM, instructor) so you can go along to watch really able divers, but also have a buddy of your own to turn back with if you need to leave. Just some thoughts on what helps me to feel safer.