Further course, no deep diving?

[Damselfish]

Sadly, just found out at my dive shop, it is. "Prerequisite is the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Certification." and "To qualify, you must have certification beyond entry level and show proof of 20 or more logged dives documenting experience in deep diving and underwater navigation."

Did you talk to someone, or is this just on their website or brochure? Just wondering if maybe it's been written like that since before PADI changed things and there was even such a thing as Adventure Diver. Maybe they simply never updated something or are even unaware. Might be worth talking to them and pointing this out. (I wonder if they are even actually allowed by PADI to set a requirement for this so different than what PADI says?)

Out of curiosity, I looked at the PADI website and they have a graphic at Basic Online & Advanced Professional Scuba Diving Certification Courses - PADI Scuba Diving Training Organization that still shows AOW as a prerequisite to Rescue. But if you click on Rescue and read the actual description, it says Adventure Diver. So like half the world, they've got out of date info on their website too...

 

[ScubabunnyCR]

If you are looking to become as comfortable as possible without going deep, this can be accomplished going as mentioned previously on the specialty route, but I would recommend hitting up your rescue as a goal once your open water is completed. You don't need AOW only adventure diver which does not need deep dive as a prerequisite.
good luck and have fun!

 

[ScubaBen1]

I completed my AOW at the weekend and have to say that the course was fantastic and I feel like a far better diver for it. Deep was the one really unnerving me but was possibly my favourite dive. As other posters have said it is not necessary to go the full 30m to qualify. The deepest we went was 22m (and with vis at zero this was quite deep enough!). With your medical condition being a worry maybe your instructor can accomodate by taking you just past 18m. Add a nitrox specialty to a short dive with necessary stops and maybe the dive would be conservative enough to ease your worries and get qualified. For me the AOW has really opened my eyes. I couldn't imagine nav being something I'd ever be interesyed in and it bored me a bit on OW. After yesterday however its now the first specialty on my list! I'm a fairly new diver with no medical knowledge so please go with what DAN and your instructor recommend but just wanted to say that AOW in my opinion is definately worth aiming for if at all possible.

 

[Skittl1321]

I asked my instructor about diving Nitrox on air profiles yesterday in my OW class. He said he HIGHLY did NOT recommend that- because it doesn't allow your computer to know it should calculate, and warn, about potential oxygen toxicity. He said setting your computer into a more conservative mode is the best option. He actually told me if I'm not looking for more bottom time, or not doing more than 2 dives a day, Nitrox would be a waste of money. Just don't let my NDL time on my computer get below 5 or 10 to add a level of conservatism to it. (He recommends 5 for everyone.)

I do plan to talk with the shop to see what depth the AOW class goes to, but I have a feeling it is going to be somewhat deep, since they always do a wreck dive as part of the class. (That is my other issue, I need to clarify, but from the write up of the class, it doesn't look like you get to choose your adventure dives, but just do the ones offered.)