Drysuit/AOW

[PittCaleb]

Keep in mind, many dive shops will strongly recommend a set of classes for AOW that might be relevant to that area or your desired type of diving. Here on the Jersey shore, if you want to be AOW, you truly need Deep, Wreck & Boat diving specialties. I also have NITROX & Dry Suit in my 1st year of diving. If I would have taken Photography, NITROX & Reef, i would be wholly unprepared for diving off the Jersey Shore...

Take what you want, but your LDS may know whats best for you.

PittCaleb

 

[Kresna]

I think it is also depend on the available instructor in a certain LDS in a certain area. For example it is very difficult if not impossible to find dry suit instructor or ice diving in tropical country. If no wreck around your area so you can't practice wreck diving in open water. Also altitude diving is not popular in pacific islands, so, not many instructor for this. And some LDS may not have instructor who certified for certain specialties e.g. underwater photography, Science of Diving, Equipment Tech, etc.

I agree that most of LDS offered AOWD as a bundled of Nav, Deep, NIght/Viz, Perfect Buoyancy and maybe Wave Tidal & Current as these are not so 'special'. You got the basic in OW Course but attending this course will certainly make you a better diver.

On the other hand, i dont know why should i take boat diver specialty. I am curious if i can get something new about this more than a common sense. But i rather put my money for other specialty that i really need to learn. Before i took my AOWD, i have logged 30+ dives and all of them were boat dive and never been rejected or aske whether i certified to dive from the boat. So i think I need a shore dive specialty instead

just my 2 c.
Kresna

 

[LowDrag]

Keep in mind, many dive shops will strongly recommend a set of classes for AOW that might be relevant to that area or your desired type of diving. Here on the Jersey shore, if you want to be AOW, you truly need Deep, Wreck & Boat diving specialties. I also have NITROX & Dry Suit in my 1st year of diving. If I would have taken Photography, NITROX & Reef, i would be wholly unprepared for diving off the Jersey Shore...

Take what you want, but your LDS may know whats best for you.

PittCaleb

I talked to my LDS the other night and that is exactly what they are doing. My LDS is packaging Night/Low Viz, Navigation, Deep Diving and Perfect Buoyancy. I asked them about changing it up and they said that would be okay but these courses are packaged to meet local diving needs. After these specialties I plan to take Drysuit and Nitrox.

 

[al248005]

Wow..never thought this thread would get this many replies. Thanks for all the great replies. I decided to go with Drysuit, Navigation, Deep, and Search/Recovery. The reason I chose drysuit instead of limited viz is because I have around 40 dives or so under my belt...all in viz less than 5' except for 4 or 5. I talked this over with the LDS owner and he kind of suggested the same thing due to the fact I have a good amount of experience in limited viz and I would get more benefit out of the drysuit class. Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[MikeMarlow]

There are two levels of NITROX. Level one is to 32% and doesn't require dives. Level two is to 40% and requires dives. Level two would count towards AOWI.

Mike