I'm feeling a little stupid about AOW versus specialties

[frozen newbie]

Some of the only questions I got wrong on my OW certification test were about the various certification levels in the PADI program. I'm still confused What is the difference between a "specialty" certification and getting my AOW? Once I have finished AOW do I still need night and deep diving specialties? I am so dense about this it has been explained over and over and I just don't get the chart

 

[Ann Marie]

Don't feel stupid, lots of people have the same issue. Here's how I explain the program:

Think of AOW as a dinner appetizer. You get to sample a few different things and if you like something you can go back for more (specialty). Or if you already think know what you are already interested in, order up the main course (specialty) or dive right in (I crack myself up!).

AOW consists of a deep dive and a navigation dive which are mandatory as well as 3 others that you, your instructor, class choose giving you a 'taste' of the different types of diving. A specialty course will focus on that one type of specific diving.

Take the deep dive, with your instructor you will do 1 deep dive (doing/learning skills) to a maximum of 100 feet for the AOW. With the deep specialty you'll do 4 dives (doing/learning different skills on each dive). Your last dive in that course you could go to a maximum of 130 feet.

(I'm trying to keep this simple so I'm not talking about pro and cons of going that deep, size of tanks, gas management, etc....)

Most people that take the AOW course do so, at least in my opinion, so that they can 'sample' the various different dives that they can do before deciding if they want to invest more time and money into a specific specialty. Also, some courses don't need more than the introduction dive that you would get with the AOW.

Hope this helps.

 

[Straegen]

Great explanation... I was curious about that as well.

 

[frozen newbie]

That did really help thanks much!

 

[SandyRobinson]

Not to confuse things but some agencies such as SSI have an AOW approach that is a little different than that of PADI. Instead their AOW certification consists of taking 4 specialty courses. For example, one could take Deep, Navigation, Nitrox, and Night specialty courses to obtain the SSI AOW. There are advantages and disavantages to both concepts - I do not think either is wrong. You just need to determine which concept is best for you. Good luck and have fun with your continued training which is the important thing.

 

[Pitchblack]

As a little note, each dive you do on the Advanced course will count as the first dive on that particular speciality wich you've chosen.

In other words, after taking for an example drysuitdiving on your aow course, instead of 3 dives on the specieality course you only need to do 2 to reach up to certification standards.

 

[gcbryan]

Just to add a little more observation/opinion...most/many people just take AOW and don't take any more of the specialties unless it's Drysuit, Nitrox or something specific you really feel that you need. Many would just move on to Rescue for instance.

On the other hand those who don't live where there is great local diving readily available seem to be the ones taking more of the specialties as a way to get in more diving.

So, for many people AOW exposes them to other aspects of diving and then experience (diving) fills in the gaps and specialties aren't necessarily needed or taken.

 

[Garrobo]

I finally took the PADI AOW because the ops who I talked to down in Pensacola want you to have this cert to dive the deck of the Oriskany now that it's below 150 feet. No other reason. I took deep, shipwreck, navigation, multilevel and boat. What a joke. I'd done all of these dives dozens of times before. Just a money grab as far as I'm concerned.

 

[wreckchick]

Operators in P'cola are letting people go to the deck with AOW? That cert is to 100' and even with the Deep Specialty it's only 130'.

150' is outside recreational limits, you should consider some sort of extended range program if you want to dive that deep.

Rachel

 

[simcoediver]

The deck is at 140 ft, the uppermost sections are at 70ft.(I know this as I dove it last month.) And yes you need AOW to dive the Orinksiny.The charters will not take you out if you only have OW. You are responsible for making sure you do not go below your maximum trained limits which is 130 ft in Padis case.