I'm going to do my Advanced Open Water

[Time_Bandit]

Hi People, this is my first post.....so be gentle.

Anyway, looking at doing the Advanced Open Water Padi course (I qualified in Open Water last year) and was wondering what advice anyone might give on which Adventure dives I should do.

I know Deep and Navigation are compulsory. I was going to do Wreck and probably Peak Performance but wasn't 100 % sure.

Also for my last one i was going to do Multi-Level, but some one said that was almost a pointless dive. They recommended Night and said how thrilling that was.

So if anyone could give me some advice (or experiences of these dives) I would much appreciate it...

Thanks in advance

 

[archman]

Deep, Night, and Nav are pretty standard. Good stuff.

 

[Time_Bandit]

Thanks for the quick reply.

As I say Deep and Nav are compulsory any way.

Just looking for advice on what others....I am def thinking of night now as well.

 

[Trinigordo]

I am looking into the AOW, I liked drift, night, search and rescue and wreck for options
but hey thats just me.

Gordo

 

[spectrum]

Deep is universal as a requirement (I thnk) and you will want to do it for sure anyhow.
Navigation is very standard. (But easilly learned with a magazine article in your back yard follwed by a few simple confidence building dives)
Night is popular and I love night diving! You will also find that many daytime dives, especially in fresh water become night dives below the thermociine.
If some sort of "buddy rescue" whick is like "resecue diver lite" is offered it may be worth considering. Same for search and recovery.
Multi-level sounds like a read the book topic.
Try to knock off Nitrox in conjunction with another specialty. For nitrox you want the lectures, hands on gas testing exercises, and dive planning but the dives are non events, you just dive. You can just as well do soething else while breathing the gas.
If you don't feel on top of your buopyancy that's a popular one.

Now the other question that has been covered on a monthly basis..... With 0-15 dives in your profile is this the right time for YOU to do AOW. Some divers do it just get more mask time with an instructor and are still getting comfortable with the basics. They are too busy fussing with buoyancy to make sense of much else and AOW is a blurr of dives.

If you are not comfortable making basic dives with a trusted buddy you may need mentoring or additional OW work,

If you are comfortable with the basics and ready to devote your attention to learning new skills then have a great time enjoying Advanced Open Water.

I'm not passing judgement, just suggesting that you consider your timing.

Pete

 

[The Kraken]

My suggestions would be:

Search & Recovery

Peak Performance Buoyancy

Multilevel & Computer Diving

The above mentioned three help you hone the underwater skills that are required in the other "adventure dives" and can serve only to make you a better diver.

the K

 

[Time_Bandit]

Thanks...the only thing I thought about Search and Recovery was that I was never going to use it as a recreational diver.

 

[Trinigordo]

Yeah but PPB and Multilevel sound boring and very textbookish

 

[Time_Bandit]

Sorry Spectrum....missed your post....

Anyway thank you also for your advice. I totally take your good point.

I am reasonably comfortable with the basics although I'm sure like most new divers I still worry about my buoyancy etc.

 

[Trinigordo]

I am a new diver and have no problems with buoyancy, while my buoyancy isn't perfected its a non-issue for me and I more than have it under control. In my AOW I am definitely doing night, wreck, deep, navigator and drift

Gordo