How many dives did you have when you did AOW

[Queen]

There's a pretty good point here... my '71 cert class covered pretty much everything that today's AOW class covers, plus rescue diver and "entry level" decompression procedures. When I did take the AOW course I found myself thinking "Don't they teach *anything* in the regular SCUBA course anymore?"
Rick

Same here, my '79 Open Water class was like commando training, my '84 AOW was challenging and informative. When I was the safety diver last summer at a scubacamp I would spend the classroom time with the kids and was startled at how little was covered in OW these days. Good reason to get into AOW and Rescue ASAP.

 

[HowardE]

While I applaud your confidence, I'll lean toward what others have said...I don't know anyone who has regretted taking the Rescue Diver course, even if it's just for the chance to practice skills they haven't used in a long time. Such 'scenario based' training is valuable to even the most experienced diver.

That's fine, and you can think that. As I've said. I don't see the value for me. I don't need to boost my confidence in my ability to make a rescue. I have on several occasions dealt with things that some people only encouter in "scenarios" and I handle them well.

As I said also, not trying to be cavalier, just pointing out that education and training isn't always the answer. I don't disagree with what you've said, but you certainly won't convince me to go and take a rescue diver class just so that I can have practice with "scenarios" when I know that in real life situations, I do just fine.

 

[ChrisEdwards]

Right after my OW, it just felt like an extension of the OW training. The biggest difference were the night dives. First was brilliant, saw loads of neat stuff, shark, eels out swimming around, turtles and much more.

Second night dive was almost scary, got split up from the group of other divers. Instructor had told us to not go below 60fsw, somehow we got off the reef and we ended up drifting in a dark abyss over a sandy bottom that I think was about 30ft below us.

After about 30 minutes of drifting in just darkness, we came up did our safety stop and surfaced about 400yds from the boat. We deployed our sausage's and gave a couple of quick whistles when we realized, after a couple of minutes, that they weren't loading other divers but hadn't yet seen us.

 

[mjh]

Got certified in 84. Was well over 2000 so we could go on Nitrox.

 

[Guba]

Granted, Howarde. (And I'm not trying to convince you to take a course you obviously feel is superfluous...)

But speaking from a life of facing emergency situations, it's like seat belts. I've seen a LOT of traffic accidents, and though many people argue with seat belt laws, I've never seen an accident that was made worse by wearing them. I have, conversely, seen a lot of accidents in which people's lives were literally saved by the safety restraint. I'll choose to wear my seatbelt regardless of the laws of the state.
In the same fashion, I'm not an expert diver and probably the majority on this board have much more underwater experience than I do. I have, however, seen a lot of emergencies (27 years as a trained firefighter and rescue team member, three years ER technician, a decade as a professional lifeguard, and another decade as a lifeguard trainer/instructor). During all that, I've never seen a situation when I thought, "Man, all that training and drilling was a waste of time." I have, though, appreciated the time I spent in training courses many times over. It's like being a soldier. You may be the best fighter on the block, but against someone who's trained, such as a Navy Seal, you are at a severe disadvantage in a firefight. I believe in stacking the deck in my favor (and the favor of my dive partner) by getting as much training as I can along with as much dive experience as I can.
Until you've had to tow a dying dive buddy back to the boat, that training may seem unnecessary. When that event happens, however, it's invaluable.

 

[brutus_scuba]

I've read the book... That's enough for me. I feel confident that I could make a rescue in any given situation. I don't need a card to prove it.

I've read the Ginnie Springs website. I'm ready for any Cave in the world. Give me a week to read shadow divers and we can go dive the doria if you'd like...

 

[Tortuga James]

I did AOW at around 80 dives. My daughter was at about 25 and I hired an instructor for just the two of us and I found it to be very beneficial. He was very good, and helped me fine tune a few things and I am a much better diver now. No revelations, just fine tuning. The bookwork on the other hand I felt was of little value. We went to 115' on the U352 on air, and I did not notice the effects of being narced, which I sort of regret.

 

[GA Under Water]

My first dive as a "PADI Certified Open Water Diver" was to 74' with and instructor as my first "Adventure Dive" 2 more Dives later (both adventure dives) I picked up "Adventure diver" cert then 2 more Dives after that, AOW. Then it was time to move on. I think I have done 2 "Pleasure Dives" so far. It finally sank in after the 4th Specialty, "hmmmm I have had only 1 dive where I went to have a good time and NOT have to study and train!!"

 

[beejw]

Thanks everyone so far for your input.

::::Rant warning::::

I find it rather stupid (again this is i just MHO) that PADI and most other organisations don't have a required experience level before commencing the AOW course. On paper, a person who does there AOW course right after the OW course is a "more advanced diver" then myself, who is only OW certified. But, I have 32 dives..(Ill have 34 by the time i start my AOW), 2 of those on a wreck, one to 30 meters (with an instructor) and the last 20 or so dives i have done have been very low vis nav dives, sometime withy complex routes (not just navigating a square, but sometimes a star shaped pattern around a rocky outcrop or navigating around a head)...so, what irks me is that someone with 9 dives can go out and dive to 30 meters on a wreck, at night...but i cant because i dont have a peice of plastic that says im "good enough" too. How is someone with 9 dives compared with my 32, and some of you, your hundreds of dives, AOW cert'd or not.

SSI's policy is that you must have 25 dives before commencing the AOW course. I think that this is a very good idea, and other agencies should adopt it. It would probably reduce the incidences of people with insufficient experience in diving in general getting hurt because they were over confident and didnt have a suffcient mastery of the basic skills.

just my 2 psi....not having a go at anyone, but i think that the traning agencies need to re-evaluate there traning scheduals. does anyone agree, or am i a lone soldier here?

 

[H2Andy]

i had over 25 dives. i was too advanced for AOW. the class was a joke.

I then took Rescue, which was challenging. then took cavern, which kicked my butt