Damselfish
Contributor
2 separate questions here-
- Will you need to have AOW because the op says so? Best to ask the op you're using. Even if they say not, I think it's best to just get the card sometime soon so you don't have to worry any more about it possibly being an issue. Sounds like you're making a fair number of trips, and sooner or later you're bound to run into a place that cares.
- Do you have the skills for the dives? I dunno, but since you have some experience it sounds more likely you do than someone who's fresh out of most OW & AOW classes with very little other experience. You need comfort and skills dealing with strong current, and good buoyancy control. General comfort in the water for when you get swept off and it takes a bit to get picked up is nice too.
Usually an AOW requirement has more to do with depth (especially if the thing driving it is insurance, as insurance companies mostly seem to worry about the wrong stuff when it comes to diving.) The challenge in Palau is more about the currents than depths, and there's no requirement in PADI AOW to do drift diving anyway. Even if someone did a drift dive someplace else as one of their options, that by itself probably doesn't prepare them much. Nor does the bit of experience most people typically get out of those 5 dives prepare them for much of anything by itself either. Doesn't hurt, just doesn't take the place of practice.
- Will you need to have AOW because the op says so? Best to ask the op you're using. Even if they say not, I think it's best to just get the card sometime soon so you don't have to worry any more about it possibly being an issue. Sounds like you're making a fair number of trips, and sooner or later you're bound to run into a place that cares.
- Do you have the skills for the dives? I dunno, but since you have some experience it sounds more likely you do than someone who's fresh out of most OW & AOW classes with very little other experience. You need comfort and skills dealing with strong current, and good buoyancy control. General comfort in the water for when you get swept off and it takes a bit to get picked up is nice too.
Usually an AOW requirement has more to do with depth (especially if the thing driving it is insurance, as insurance companies mostly seem to worry about the wrong stuff when it comes to diving.) The challenge in Palau is more about the currents than depths, and there's no requirement in PADI AOW to do drift diving anyway. Even if someone did a drift dive someplace else as one of their options, that by itself probably doesn't prepare them much. Nor does the bit of experience most people typically get out of those 5 dives prepare them for much of anything by itself either. Doesn't hurt, just doesn't take the place of practice.