Getting AOW cert and individual courses

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

Hello, inexperienced diver here. I'm OW certified only, with about 35 dives over the course of a year. Very interested in more training, but a little confused. Sounds like AOW is the next step, along with a nitrox course. I also live in a cold water area, so am interested in dry suit. So, my questions are:

1. If I do separate nitrox and dry suit courses, can that count towards an AOW cert? Meaning, I could do two fewer dives in the certification process if I do those courses first?
2. Seems like the equivalent of AOW differs substantially across certifying organizations. My OW is PADI. Is it best to stay with one organization (e.g. all PADI) for AOW and/or other courses, or does it really matter?
3. If the answers to 1 and 2 are "sure" and "doesn't matter," can an SSI nitrox course count towards a PADI AOW cert (for instance)? Meaning, can you mix and match towards an AOW certification?
4. Is it common or possible to do some of an AOW cert with one instructor (e.g. at home) and the rest elsewhere (e.g. where the water temperature is warmer)? Is it like OW where you can do your checkout dives wherever?

Sorry if these have been answered before -- I didn't have much luck in searching.

Thanks,
Peter

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Hello, inexperienced diver here. I'm OW certified only, with about 35 dives over the course of a year. Very interested in more training, but a little confused. Sounds like AOW is the next step, along with a nitrox course. I also live in a cold water area, so am interested in dry suit. So, my questions are:

1. If I do separate nitrox and dry suit courses, can that count towards an AOW cert? Meaning, I could do two fewer dives in the certification process if I do those courses first?
2. Seems like the equivalent of AOW differs substantially across certifying organizations. My OW is PADI. Is it best to stay with one organization (e.g. all PADI) for AOW and/or other courses, or does it really matter?
3. If the answers to 1 and 2 are "sure" and "doesn't matter," can an SSI nitrox course count towards a PADI AOW cert (for instance)? Meaning, can you mix and match towards an AOW certification?
4. Is it common or possible to do some of an AOW cert with one instructor (e.g. at home) and the rest elsewhere (e.g. where the water temperature is warmer)? Is it like OW where you can do your checkout dives wherever?

Sorry if these have been answered before -- I didn't have much luck in searching.

Thanks,
Peter

Peter,

1. What is your goal? Do you want a c-card so you can dive to 100 feet? Do you want to get the most out of training? Minimal training dives? I'd suggest first getting Jim (James) Lapenta's second book (find it on Amazon) to help guide you. It is an excellent book.

I'd also suggest taking those separately, as a nitrox adventure dive doesn't allow you to get nitrox fills and a dry suit adventure dive doesn't allow you to rent dry suits. Take different adventure dives based on your interest and skills. For example, if you had a really good OW class, you may not want PPB as an adventure dive (or full course). If you just need some tweaking, then including it in AOW may make sense. If you spent almost all your time on your knees in OW, you may want a separate PPB course. That all depends on you. As you probably already know, navigation and deep are required. Talk to prospective instructors on their programs, how they build knowledge/skills on previous dives, etc.

2. Doesn't matter. Everyone recognizes each other's OW pretty much.

3. No.

4. I don't think so, as it isn't clear who gets paid for what for starters.

I hope this helps.

 

[lowflyer]

Hello, inexperienced diver here. I'm OW certified only, with about 35 dives over the course of a year. Very interested in more training, but a little confused. Sounds like AOW is the next step, along with a nitrox course. I also live in a cold water area, so am interested in dry suit. So, my questions are:

1. If I do separate nitrox and dry suit courses, can that count towards an AOW cert? Meaning, I could do two fewer dives in the certification process if I do those courses first?
2. Seems like the equivalent of AOW differs substantially across certifying organizations. My OW is PADI. Is it best to stay with one organization (e.g. all PADI) for AOW and/or other courses, or does it really matter?
3. If the answers to 1 and 2 are "sure" and "doesn't matter," can an SSI nitrox course count towards a PADI AOW cert (for instance)? Meaning, can you mix and match towards an AOW certification?
4. Is it common or possible to do some of an AOW cert with one instructor (e.g. at home) and the rest elsewhere (e.g. where the water temperature is warmer)? Is it like OW where you can do your checkout dives wherever?

Sorry if these have been answered before -- I didn't have much luck in searching.

Thanks,
Peter

Essentially you are asking if doing the Specialty courses can substitute for the Adventure dives in achieving AOW. I believe you can. The Specialty Dry Suit course requires two dives and a more in-depth manual. The Adventure dive requires just one dive and doesn't "certify" you for anything. Enriched Air Specialty is again more in-depth study, but the dives are "optional." You would still have to do three Adventure dives including deep and navigation for AOW.

As for question 4, yes again, there is a way to do it, but much more expensive than sticking with one instructor. You would, for example, do the online learning, then pay instructors in different places to sign off on the adventure dives. These costs would add up. Some instructors might balk at doing the final sign off, but I know some who would.

 

[boulderjohn]

First of all, understand that the PADI AOW course and its requirements are somewhat changed starting this year.

As has been always true, the AOW dive in a specialty area counts as the first dive in that specialty certification. The reverse is also logically true--if you have the specialty, then your first dive in the specialty counts toward your AOW.

What is different this year is that in the past, only the adventure dives identified in the AOW manual counted toward AOW. Now if you do a diving specialty that is not one of those dives, it will count toward the AOW.

I agree with all those who say do the nitrox course separately and get the certification without applying it to AOW. There is no dive required for that specialty because nothing of any value happens on the dive itself. Use the AOW course to have genuine diving experiences where you actually learn something.

 

[BoltSnap]

When I take diving courses, I always want more training and more diving and not try to nickle and dime the instructor teaching the course to get away with less training and less diving. I don't see the point of wanting to reduce training in the course. It isn't the c-card that matters, it is the quality and amount of training that are the supreme deciding factors on deciding what course with what instructor to take no less training and less diving. The more training the better!

 

[Bubblesong]

We are also from Boston, we already have PADI AOW and Rescue and just got the Nitrox from SSI, ECDivers, with online study plus classroom hours.
We are looking to get Dry suit certified, either PADI at Mass Divers (or else SSI, and ECDivers just got new rental suits to try on! ).
The way we approached our training was get AOW and Rescue in warm Carribean water first. Then we plan to get dry suit trained, and we plan to repeat the training dives in cold water, to get experience in two very different environments, with different types of equipment.
It just seems like trying to learn all the training and tasks, while also trying to get used to a DRYSUIT is too much task loading all at once.
do you have a favorite Boston LDS?

 

[soggybadger]

When I take diving courses, I always want more training and more diving and not try to nickle and dime the instructor teaching the course to get away with less training and less diving. I don't see the point of wanting to reduce training in the course. It isn't the c-card that matters, it is the quality and amount of training that are the supreme deciding factors on deciding what course with what instructor to take no less training and less diving. The more training the better!

Same here. Now going to do my deep cert and have already done one of the dives for Aow but won't be complaining about doing it again. The more training dives i get for a cert the better imo. If the instructor said i needed a hundred dives to pass I'd think it was great.

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree with doing it all in one place. Simpler and probably less costly.

 

[Tug]

Hello, inexperienced diver here. I'm OW certified only, with about 35 dives over the course of a year. Very interested in more training, but a little confused. Sounds like AOW is the next step, along with a nitrox course. I also live in a cold water area, so am interested in dry suit.

We are looking to get Dry suit certified, either PADI at Mass Divers (or else SSI, and ECDivers just got new rental suits to try on! ).
The way we approached our training was get AOW and Rescue in warm Carribean water first. Then we plan to get dry suit trained, and we plan to repeat the training dives in cold water, to get experience in two very different environments, with different types of equipment.
It just seems like trying to learn all the training and tasks, while also trying to get used to a DRYSUIT is too much task loading all at once.
do you have a favorite Boston LDS?

It seems like your main question about combining courses got answered so I wanted to touch base on the drysuit course.

If you're looking to take a drysuit class, hands down the two shops I'd recommend are Boston Scuba and East Coast Divers. Both offer drysuit classes, have a great bunch of instructors and where they differ is what brands they carry and how they carry out the classes. East Coast Divers primarily sells Santi and Aqualung suits and does they classes from shore while Boston Scuba sells DUI suits and does all their classes from their boat. Between the three brands there is a suit for pretty much anyone.

@Francesea, there shouldn't really be a reason for you to repeat the whole AOW class again to gain experience diving locally. Taking the drysuit class will give you some local dives under the watchful eyes of an instructor to get you used to diving locally. If you find that you're looking to gain more experience, then something like a refresher class or a private DM on a dive might be another good way to get a little more comfortable.

 

[Bubblesong]

@Tug I wouldn't pay to take whole AOW and Rescue classes, because I can review book and Online courses on my own, and just pay an instructor to run through check out dives again. Wouldn't be as expensive as whole class, but I definitely want professional feedback on my "moves". I love ECDivers, although I also find good instruction at other local shops.