Enriched Air v. Advanced Open Water Certifications

[dougchartier]

Nitrox cost more and you would not gain much at this point from it! You should dive enough that your skills will allow you to approach the NDL limits on air before moving to the next level. What good does it do to be able to stay for 80min. at 80ft if you burn through your air supply in in 20min at 80ft??? Your skills will improve the more you dive, so take the AOW just to learn and dive more as it will help your comfort level greatly!

Thanks, am I getting the sense from everyone that AOW or peak performance buoyancy is the way to go.

BTW: From what I've been told, I'm good on air consumption. On all the dives I've been on, I gone through my air at same rate or just a little bit faster than the dive master. Can't say how long I can stay deep, though, since we ascended from depth either because someone else in the group was low on air or ascending at that time was part of the dive plan. Aside from that, I'm very interested in dive theory and think the course would be helpful in teaching me about the effects of diving on different mixes and oxyen toxicity. Shorter surface intervals would also be nice, since I'm always rip-roaring ready to get back in the water after a dive.

Thanks!

 

[ligersandtions]

Do you run out of air before you run out of NDL time? If so, nitrox is not going to help you much right now (unless you're doing many dives per day and pushing the limits....at which point, it will allow you to have less nitrogen that you need to off-gas). Once you get to the point where you are having to cut your bottom time short due to wanting to stay within non-decompression limits, THEN you want to take nitrox.

AOW can be a decent class....but it can also be a class where you do five dives and walk out with a card, but no new skills. If you decide to take AOW, find an instructor who will not pass you because you have reached the bear minimum standards. I took the class and got absolutely nothing out of it, with the exception of five more dives (albeit short dives, where I came up with ~2000 psi and never really got to enjoy any of them....you know, with kneeling on the ground for half of each dive) and a plastic card that will allow me to go on boats where they require advanced divers.

But, I have heard of people who got a ton out of their AOW dives....so if you can find an instructor who will push you and teach you and really refine your skills, then it's totally worth it. But as of right now, if your SAC is higher than what forces you to cut your dive short because of lack of air, and if you don't think your LDS will provide a good AOW class, I'd recommend just diving....dive a lot, and don't dive on just vacations. Bottom time, especially if you can find some experienced buddies, will go a lot further than a crappy AOW class.

 

[LowVizWiz]

Here we go again, always somebody trying to get instructors to live off rice and water

Isn't this what they give you during your IDC to get you used to your future wages?

Well, I've seen air PDCs and nitrox FO2 programable PDCs but never seen a Nitrox computer....

Picky, picky, picky j/k

 

[String]

Advanced first. Nitrox is pointless for 18m or shallower so get the 30m ticket then EAN where it could be used

 

[Standingbear56]

If you have to choose between the two, then get AOW first then nitrox. However both courses can be combined. If that option is available to you and within your budget, then go for that.
Take care,
George

 

[leapfrog]

Isn't this what they give you during your IDC to get you used to your future wages?

No, actually I ate breakfast (fruit, cereals and yoghurt) with my Course Director every morning after the five mile run (not joking). Then we ate lunch all together at a place that had a $10 daily special. Evening meal, green eggs and ham.

Picky, picky, picky j/k

Well, you know me. You gotta stick it out there and not be afraid to get it cut off, that's what I always say.

 

[NudeDiver]

Either course would be fine...But looking at your geographic area -NY-I would say do the nitrox class now..Its too cold to do an advance course now and if you did you be paying top dollar as you have to do it in a dry suit and it would most likely be at a private class basis. If I was to teach an advance course now on a private basis it would have to be at a rate of $550/$600.. minimum to cover expenses and boat fees.

But this brings up a good point. One of the more useful things one can get out of an AOW class, esp. if one lives in NY, is drysuit experience. I doubt it's too cold though. My wife just got her AOW - in Alaska. Because she used drysuit as one of the five dives, she was able to get a drysuit cert with only one more dive (total of six) and $100 more. Total price was about $550 for the AOW and drysuit certs, including book, pool time, cert cards, rental gear, etc. For her 5, she had nav, deep, drysuit, search & rescue and naturalist. I don't think she got a huge amount out of the class, beyond getting in six drysuit dives under the watchful eye of an instructor - which is really what we were looking for, since she only had 6 dives coming into the class (now has a total of 12).

Is there some reason he would HAVE to don't out on a boat? Don't you have anywhere you can dive without the boat?? Could be a away to reduce costs.

Cheers!
nd

 

[don Francisco]

Generally I believe that most folks would benefit from taking AOW fairly early, 10-20 dives, in their developement. You want enough experience to know where to focus your efforts, and not so much that the course is anti-climatic.

As to whether to do Nitrox now, it depends on your air consumption, and future dive plans. If you're emptying your tank well before the NDL, Nitrox won't do much for you. However if you're fairly good on air, Nitrox will allow you longer times on mid depth dives.

As someone else mentioned, you might be able to negatiate a combined course discount and kill two fish with one spear.

 

[leapfrog]

As someone else mentioned, you might be able to negatiate a combined course discount and kill two fish with one spear.

Why are you guys always trying to get a discount instead of better training and/or service? Thanks for the analogy. The two fish are presumably the LDS owner and the Instructor? :shocked2:

 

[LowVizWiz]

Why are you guys always trying to get a discount instead of better training and/or service? Thanks for the analogy. The two fish are presumably the LDS owner and the Instructor? :shocked2:

Because money doesn't grow on trees the last time I checked, unless you're dive instructor apparently!

All joking aside, we're all trying to make our greenbacks go farther, I'll continue to support an op who works with me on price and gives me a good value and a good class rather than the cheapest class around, but it's a two way street!

A discount doesn't necessarily mean lesser training. Take it this way, would you rather sell AOW for $350 and EANx for $100 or and AOW/EANx combo for $400? I'd be willing to bet that the costumer would probably end up spending the extra $50 with the op anyway. We both win me thinks!

Wiz