Going back to square one

[fgaruti]

I have a PADI OW certification (from 2003). I have probably around 8 dives (after cert). I am looking this year at diving much more. I really want to feel comfortable under water. I feel that PADI OW is just the main basics for you not to get hurt, but it doesn't make you any kind of a proficient diver at all. Since I live in a city (Mexico City) there are few options to dive nearby regularily (cheap ones I mean). The only cheap/close one would be Las Estacas which is a sweet water shallow river. I really want to become a more proficient diver, log in more hours underwater, feel really confident. For example, even if I did my routines when I got certified, I would love to go over many drills once again. Sometimes I do not dive for a year or more (thoguh I am thinking of changing that), and I feel I have to go back to square one every time I get in the water again.

My objectives would be to become a safe, proficient diver that moves and operates with confidence underwater. I know this is only achieved with experience. And that is why I am not so fond of the training I received with PADI OW cert. Although I feel I have the minimum to "make it", I don't feel I have the maximum one could have done.

The thing is I have two options now basically:

1) Take Advanced OW here in Mexico City. AOW seems like sort of a useless course in my mind. They talk about 2 days work in the city + 5 OW dives. The OW dives will end up happening at some beach, with the time pressure that always entails. I do not feel I will achieve the objectives I want. I feel it is another "resort diver" step, with very little practical experience and little pool work time. I understand the importance of actual open water experience. But I believe a lot more pool practical time does make you a better diver. Specially when the open water happens in a "vacation" time frame. The operator as well as you are on a limited time frame (that's the way I feel). As a side note I do not understand very well how I get where I want to be. Peak bouyancy is listed as a "course" when is something I would consider a necessity even for regular OW divers, for example.

2) Take CMAS 1 Star at the public university (starts in a month). Although it will be boring to go over a lot of stuff again, what really catches my eye about this course is that it takes quite a while. It is every Saturday 2.5 hours (theory) and every Sunday 5 hours (practica in pool). The course goes from mid august to the end of december. It sure sounds like a LOT of practice and pool time. They do one outing to the sweet water river for two days in october and open water dives in january at the end of the course. It is going to cost me more or less the same as the AOW course (maybe a bit more). From people that took this course years ago (other instructors) it seems like a really GOOD course that leaves you with great underwater proficiency.

I would really like to have much more practice time in the PADI workframe. It seems that's not the way PADI is designed to be (I would have thought AOW provided that extended practice I am missing, but again I feel it becomes resort-driven instead of better scuba diver driven). I am seriously thinking about taking a step back (which sound boring for the first few classes probably) but doing things right again (going with this CMAS basic cert with MUCH MORE practice time).

Again, I am free to dive right now, and I can and have done it. I just would love to be a REALLY GOOD diver through experience. And I feel I am missing a lot of trainging for that. The dives you make do make you a better diver. But you are diving on your holiday/vacation, you are not going through drills, situations, etc.

I would like some opinions/other points of view on this. Thanks in advance.

 

[knotical]

Your option 2 sounds like an excellent choice. Additional but less thorough options: - take a Scuba Review or re-take the Open Water course, either with PADI or another agency.

 

[Crowley]

The PADI AOW course is, I think, misunderstood - and the disagreement most people have with the course is the word "Advanced". Yes, of course it's a resort course - so research your resort carefully before signing up. Will it make you a super advanced diver? Nope. But if you want to stick to dictionary definitions about the word "advanced" - i.e. "progressed further" then it does exactly that. The AOW course introduces you to some new techniques and experiences and then rather like a road driving license - relies on you to take that information and use it to improve your own diving.

Needless to say other organisations and instructors do things differently. CMAS - and the British equivalent BSAC, for example, spend a lot of time in the classrom and pool before braving the open ocean. Is one better than the other? I'm actually not going to offer an opinion, because I have taught and dived with some seriously crappy students from pretty much all of the major agencies and clubs.

So - getting on to my actual point. You are already a certified diver, you already have some theortiecal knowledge and you want to improve on that. I recommend doing the AOW course because it is useful (if basic) training for recreational divers - and also allows you to get to 30 metres in recreational diving!

I would also recommend you talk to your LDS and perhaps look at other options instead of courses. Perhaps find an experienced local instructor who will sit with you in a pool and take you diving and assist with buoyancy/trim techniques and feed you far more information than is provided even via the more extensive courses. You don't have to be on a course to learn stuff.

You have the right attititude to diving - so whichever course you decide to do - take the information that is provided, however "basic" it might appear to be, and build on it.

And as always, there is no substitute for practice!!

Good luck -


Crowley