Experience vs certification

[DCBC]

I guess my real question is, how important is AOW for a beginner? Should I just dive and get some more dives under my belt first and not worry about it? Or is the training worth it? I can always do my AOW locally too.

I guess what it comes down to is your level of comfort. You dive to have fun. If an Advanced course will provide you with the skill-sets that will improve your diving enjoyment at this stage, go for it. If you're happy diving in your current envelope, wait and just enjoy your vacation.

I've known divers that have dove for years with a Basic / OW certification. They have thousands of dives and are safe to make any dive one could ask them to do. Certification doesn't mean what it once did, so you need to take enough training to insure you are safe. I believe every diver should be trained in rescue, so as to make them a contributing member of the buddy team. This use to be included in most training programs, but is seldom included now. Get the training you need to dive the conditions and dives you want to do and have fun!

 

[tomfcrist]

I agree with DCBC, the standards set today are lacking. So in order to counter that, find a good instructor that will teach beyond the standards, and one that isnt going to say"well you did it once and it wasnt all that good, but whatever heres your card.".....You actually want to learn something when you take a class. What you do in Hawaii depends on your goals....Do you want to learn on your own? Then take some boat trips to shallow dive destinations, and dont forget about the shore diving. If you want to have instruction beyond what you already know, then take the AOW course.....Just realize that AOW doesnt make anyone an "advanced diver", it only gives them a little better instruction over the OW class.

 

[RJP]

I completely disagree with the last two posts. The AOW class will make you a better diver. If it is done correctly and the right electives are in the class then it will significantly help you to get a better foundation upon which you will practice your skills during all the dives you will be doing in the future for experience.

Seeing as that is almost exactly what I said, I'm curious as to why you "completely disagree" with my version of the same recommendation.

:shocked2:

 

[Bronson]

What a great question....experience vs courses. I totally agree with OceanEd. In my case 15 years ago I was in your same situation living on Philly and having only done the OW course and wanted to dive more but lacked confidence. I took the AOW course so that i would be diving with a much more experienced diver who i would learn from and at the same time gain confidence under his supervision. I spent time talking to local dive shops and found an instructor that i felt comfortable with diving. We booked a trip and I learned alot while enjoying the critters that he found for me. It was a great start to many courses that i have taken from that shop over the years.

I would vote for the AOW to add to you experiences and learn from another more experienced diver. Good luck and more importantly have fun.

 

[Codiak]

"I spent time talking to local dive shops and found an instructor that i felt comfortable with diving. "

I think everyone agrees that AOW has some value but most important is the instructor.

To recap Meridith's question:
Few dives
Hawaii in a month
She live in NY, NY

This is much the same as I had in Apr of '07...
5 Dives, Coz in weeks and Land locked in Nebraska in early spring

And my recommendation is the same as I followed...
1) Pick a good rated dive outfit
2) Enjoy your vacation
3) Get training locally, with someone you trust, when it's a bit warmer!!!!


Meridith has gotten some good comments from regular posters.

I'd be interested to get a dive report after her trip which include her final choice in this matter and how she felt it worked out.

Finally for Meridith, remember that "Any diver can call a dive for any reason, and most of us have at least once!" So be calm and enjoy the diving being nervous is normal for new things.

 

[theduckguru]

It's Hawaii. Forget the training and have a great time. 70 degree blue water, super visability, turtles, dolphins, whales. What normal person goes to Hawaii to look at books and instructors?

You can always hire an instructor for a day if a deep dive.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Lots of people successfully do their AOW training on vacations where they dive. The cost of training on Oahu is probably not as much as training in NY, because by going with one operator the package deal will likely be only slightly more money than just doing a bunch of afternoon dives and shore dives.

Morning conditions are when the diving is best here most of the time and shore diving that time of the year is limited. Every boat dive is guided anyway, the AOW course gives you focus for improvement that will be much harder if you are just trying to have fun but still apprehensive.

If you get the AOW manual now and spend a few nights doing 10 or so sections, with the Knowledge Reviews, the training and subsequent fun dives will likely be much more rewarding and fun.

There are many old threads about similar topics in the Hawaii O'hana; try a few ScubaBoard searches, read a few threads, post a Q or two in the O'hana. Your already on a learning path with this thread; keep the ball rolling!

 

[Mike Boswell]

Hi, new to this board so if this isn't the right place for this, please redirect me.

But I am recently OW certified, have 15 dives, and am off to Oahu next month on vacation. I plan to do lots of diving. But I'm not sure whether I should focus more on just getting more experience, doing regular dives, or if I should do my advanced OW, to get some more training, and then do some more dives for experience. I'm not super confident, especially when it comes to my navigation abilities, so I do want to work on that.

So much of it comes down to money. I guess my real question is, how important is AOW for a beginner? Should I just dive and get some more dives under my belt first and not worry about it? Or is the training worth it? I can always do my AOW locally too.

I think you will get the most from your AOW class and your Hawaii trip by not trying to do both together. You will learn plenty just by doing the dives.

February can be stormy/rainy/windy. I think you should dive with a good local boat or a good guide, stay within your limits, and do the AOW class when you get home.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

February can be stormy/rainy/windy. I think you should dive with a good local boat or a good guide, stay within your limits, and do the AOW class when you get home.

There is typically less wind in the Winters in Hawaii, because the Island heating that causes the stronger afternoon winds is much less. The winds we do have are strongest in the afternoon. If Hawaii was stormy/windy/rainy in the tourist areas tourists would not come.

The rain falls mostly on the windward side. Great diving can be done on the leeward side. It almost never rains on the West Side; that's where the cactus grows.

 

[scubadada]

AOW can be educational with a good instructor and can add to one's supervised diving experience. These dives (deep, navigation + 3 more like wreck, peak performance buoyancy, and night) can add signicantly to your dive repertoire. In addition, AOW will allow you to dive sites requiring AOW certification or appropriate recent experience such as the Spiegel Grove and the Duane in Key Largo.

In balance, I think it is worth it for the more serious diver to go ahead and obtain AOW.

Good diving, Craig