How do you choose your Advanced Open Water speciality

[Jake 10]

Just like @Eric Sedletzky said when it comes to “advanced” …. And I quote: “discussions get peoples’ panties all up in a wad here on scubaboard.”

 

[boulderjohn]

Hey hey, my my, AOW will never die. Better to accept it, than to flail away. hey hey, my my.

Apologies to Neil Young

Cute!

But I seriously think you are right. The name of that certification is so enmeshed in the world of diving that no one entity can end it.

"Experienced" and "at least 50" just don't go together. But that's the media/people's general impression. We get annoyed when the media refers to scuba tanks as oxygen tanks.

Many years ago, I did a week of diving with Dive Paradise in Cozumel, the largest operator on the island. With their many boats, they claimed to at least try to separate divers by ability. They also had something they called their Experienced Diver Program, which in theory (almost never in reality) could put experienced divers together for more advanced dives at a more advanced price. I was trying and failing to push the issue in their office, because it wasn't happening for me. They got out their paperwork, looked it over, and told me that with 125 dives, I had far, far more dives than any of their other current customers. I had no potential buddies with that vast experience.

While I'm sure that they have more experienced divers than that on other weeks, that experience that week suggested to me something I still believe--as far as most divers in the world are concerned, AOW really is advanced diving.

What happens over time to many divers is like a hiker climbing a mountain--the hill in front of you looks like the top of the mountain until you reach it and see another hill ahead of you. Eventually a scuba diver reaches one of those figurative hilltops, looks back at the AOW experience and thinks "what a joke it is to call that advanced," not realizing that there are people several hills farther along looking back at them as as near beginners.

I was an instructor when I started technical diving and had a rude awakening about my level of skill. Now as a trimix instructor and cave diver I look ahead at the people so far better than I that I am too embarrassed to use the word "advanced" to describe my relatively meager skills.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Just like @Eric Sedletzky said when it comes to “advanced” …. And I quote: “discussions get peoples’ panties all up in a wad here on scubaboard.”

What would the mods have to do if this phenomenon didn't occur?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Cute!

But I seriously think you are right. The name of that certification is so enmeshed in the world of diving that no one entity can end it.


Many years ago, I did a week of diving with Dive Paradise in Cozumel, the largest operator on the island. With their many boats, they claimed to at least try to separate divers by ability. They also had some they called their Experienced Diver Program, which in theory (almost never in reality) could put experienced divers together for more advanced dives at a more advanced price. I was trying and failing to push the issue in their office, because it wasn't happening for me. They got out their paperwork, looked it over, and told me that with 125 dives, I had far, far more dives than any of their other current customers. I had no potential buddies with that vast experience.

While I'm sure that they have more experienced divers than that on other weeks, that experience that week suggested to me something I still believe--as far as most divers in the world are concerned, AOW really is advanced diving.

What happens over time to many divers is like a hiker climbing a mountain--the hill in front of you looks like the top of the mountain until you reach it and see another hill ahead of you. Eventually a scuba diver reaches one of those figurative hilltops, looks back at the AOW experience and thinks "what a joke it is to call that advanced," not realizing that there are people several hills farther along looking back at their new level as near beginner.

I was an instructor when I started technical diving and had a rude awakening about my level of skill. Now as a trimix instructor and cave diver I look ahead at the people so far better than I that I am too embarrassed to use the word "advanced" to describe my relatively meager skills.

Since I've been to the top of Kilimanjaro at almost 5900 meters, I don't consider myself an "experienced climber". I did after all just walk. There were 17 of us, with a support staff of over 50. It amazed me how much the porters would have to bring up each day.

 

[boulderjohn]

I got certified as a technical instructor and (with the help of some other friends) worked up the idea of teaching truly advanced but still recreational courses, courses that would teach more advanced theory, dive planning, and skills. I thought it would be a big seller to the general population associated with our dive shop and going on their well-attended dive travel trips.

Nope!

The lesson I learned was that the overwhelming majority (and that phrase is inadequate) are pleased as punch to be OW or AOW divers. Even the instructors and DMs in the shop were generally of the "Meh! I don't need any of that" attitude.

 

[Jake 10]

What would the mods have to do if this phenomenon didn't occur?

They will have more time to dive … or they would have to un-wad all those panties

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

That's to help restore kelp, right?

Yes.
No kelp means no fish, no abalone, a drastic reduction in cover both in surface kelp and bottom dwelling kelp AKA false bottom, and all the other sea life that depends on kelp forests to exist. Kelp is also a CO2 sink very necessary for removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. It’s a disaster on epic proportions that nobody is paying attention to! We need divers!!!
Divers are the new giant sea stars and sea otters. We are the new predators of purple sea urchins.
Sorry for the hijack but you asked.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Is that PADI?

Oh no, that’s my hand written little plaque you can treasure and keep in your little treasure box to take out once in a while and marvel at. It’s way better than anything PADI could ever do, and you don’t even have to pay for it!
And, if I’m in a good enough mood that day you might even get a delicious barbecued tri tip lunch at the dive site! The catch is you have to actually dive and get a limit if urchins before you get even one morsel.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Oh no, that’s my hand written little plaque you can treasure and keep in your little treasure box to take out once in a while and marvel at. It’s way better than anything PADI could ever do, and you don’t even have to pay for it!
And, if I’m in a good enough mood that day you might even get a delicious barbecued tri tip lunch at the dive site! The catch is you have to actually dive and get a limit if urchins before you get even one morsel.

I could validate your certification course if you wish to join the Association of Recreational Scuba Educators.

 

[scubadada]

Oh no, that’s my hand written little plaque you can treasure and keep in your little treasure box to take out once in a while and marvel at. It’s way better than anything PADI could ever do, and you don’t even have to pay for it!
And, if I’m in a good enough mood that day you might even get a delicious barbecued tri tip lunch at the dive site! The catch is you have to actually dive and get a limit if urchins before you get even one morsel.

Priceless, thanks