Question Is AOW a waste of time?

[grantmac]

Drysuit first. Both training and buying. Then mask and fins.
Then AOW.
Then computer. Then BP/W. Then regs and finally tanks (steel ones).

 

[lowwall]

Contact James Mott (co-host of The Great Dive Podcast). He's a thoughtful guy, an independent tech instructor and also a reg tech at a dive shop in your general area. He should be able to help you figure out a path that makes sense.

Mott Underwater

Too many people receive diving certifications without the confidence in themselves that should accompany it. It is not a matter of which certification agency but rather a lack of philosophy in the...

mottunderwater.com

 

[AJ]

My advice to your friend: get a high paying job, get self employed and rich or marry a rich wife. Otherwise, go freediving, forget about Tech diving

It takes a ton of courses, hundreds of dives and quite some dedicated dive vacations before even thinking about going CCR. CCR alone will set you back at least 10.000 to 12.000 euro's or dollars. Getting to that point in time probably the same amount of money. Been there, done that. And I'am not joking about this. CCR diving is a means to a goal not a goal at itself. Start thinking about it when he can afford it and has the skills to appreciate a CCR for the dives he's doing.

 

[steinbil]

Now the big question especially as a Great Lakes diver is the prioritization between AOW, Drysuit, and gear; I'd probably err on the side of "dive more" but it all seems to go in a circle...if I have gear I'd be more prone to dive more since I don't have to deal with janky rental gear...if I buy gear I have less money to go dive...if I dive more I have to rent gear that would be better spent on getting good equipment...

I don't know what local diving is like in the US and in your area, but I would choose the path that gives you the most amount of diving. Can you do shore diving? Is there a community of people you can dive with? If you have to pay for boats and guides to go diving, you're gonna be limited by your budget.

Beginning with the end in mind is all good, but you have to enjoy the process and don't rush it. As long as your finances are tight, stick to recreational diving, it doesn't have to be that expensive, there are tons to see and the most important thing is being underwater, not how deep. The most valuable asset you can have in diving is experience and top quality training, so that's where I'd prioritize spending. When it comes to gear, buy second hand good quality simple gear you can grow with. BP/W would be optimal, and is scalable. Having appropriate gear can enable you to dive more often and all through the season, so I would save up for each piece of, get good deals on second hand stuff and slowly build up your dive locker. A drysuit is important to extend your season, to be more comfortable and it's also a skill you'll need as you advance - but it's a bigger investment, so depending on your circumstances you have to see when that makes sense for you.

Whatever you do, make sure it leads to more diving, and that you enjoy every dive. Thinking long term and having goals are good, but don't fixate on the end goal.

 

[iliketopetsharks]

If you buy your own regs, i'd recommend long hose from the beginning.

And start looking for a sugar mommy.

 

[Centrals]

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Alex Ouroboros]

Ok, so unlike most posts I read all the responses as this all reminds me of my position 20yrs ago,, I,m going to try be realistic about all this so this may go on a bit, and is full of variables so please bear with me,
I’m going to explain my route and why,
By the time I finished OW I’d bought a mask and snorkel, I had no suit of any kind and the first tip I was given was that while I was still thinking how serious to take it (I was already dreaming of virgin liners dripping in brass) an old boy said sign on to the AOW as during the course you got the rental stuff thrown in , so no rental, I did this and on my last dive I saw a guy with a Poseidon wing, doubles and the whole picture of tec that I’d seen in the mags, having a coffee post dive I asked what doubles were like, he laughed walked outside and said it’s only 6m of water here so get em on and go mess around for 20mins, I did exactly what I was told and off I went, I came back to fantastic stories of sea diving etc,
By now the fella is saying get some gear and come with me I’ll show you some stuff,
Now this was all great but of course I’m skint (English for poor) so it took a load of saving I went straight for a twinset but not before I’d bought a cheap but cheerful drysuit with the local shop that had the natural deal of a free drysuit course, I was lucky I didn’t buy any of the crap most folks buy when they are that stage, I never bought a single cylinder, a bcd, a plastic crap reel with 40m of line on it etc, I had an old boy to look at that used to shake his head and laugh at 90% of the crap in your average shop, my advice is thus,

AOW if it includes equipment rental.
Drysuit, you’ll need one so may as well get straight used to it,
Second hand twinset, manifolded & without slob nob,
SS backplate, decent wing (not double bladder) and continuous webbing set up again second hand, I bought a halcyon (complete with cinch) for the wife not a year ago for £500..
decent fins,,, jet fins or RK3 the rest go in the bin, jets if you have floaty feet, RK3 if not ,,, second hand.
Regs poseidon or Apeks either on a good deal or secondhand with a full service and proven to work.
Get hold of the “fundies” GUE book, read it and learn, just go from there, just dive dive dive, if you can get in with a good shop or instructor pimp yourself out as a bitch, you’ll get good equipment deals and servicing and if your giving a hand free diving sometimes. Just go from there, don’t try getting to deep or ballsey to quick it is dangerous so build a lot of experience, after a few hundred dives and been around a bit and meeting people your diving will naturally progress. Billy Deans best quote I ever heard was “if you walk the frontier one day you’ll meet Indians” so bear that in mind.

You can pm if you ever want advice, good luck.

Ps, it took 20yrs,, I’m now mod3 CCR on multiple units, been on deep weeks 40miles out, dived Lusitania so many times I’m almost bored of it, invited on secret trips and a top up commercial diver…. It’s been a journey with ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change a moment, and I’m still learning every dive, always have an open mind.

 

[Lorenzoid]

What happened to "begin with the end in mind?"

I am a recent grad and haven't had the liquidity to dive at the frequency I'd like.

I am well aware that diving at that level takes many years and a great deal of expense, even for those who dive frequently.

To me, the saying "begin with the end in mind" means that if a diver has some end goal in mind then it makes sense to choose an initial path that heads in the direction of that end goal. I don't interpret that saying as meaning a diver should remain laser-focused on some end goal that may be years and a long sequence of courses off in the distance. The end goal for some people might be to see deep wrecks in the Great Lakes, and for other people it might be to become the best damn coral reef diver they can be, or to become a great photographer. The "path" can include gear choices, mentors and buddies, and of course courses. Just get on a path that goes in the right direction for you and keep making your way along.

It's nice to daydream about CCRs, but it seems pointless to me (admittedly not a CCR guy) to talk about a point so far down the path. My advice from a "begin with the end in mind" perspective would be to get on a tech-oriented path by learning drysuit diving and double tanks, do a lot of that kind of diving, have fun, and reserve the CCR stuff for daydreams for a while. At this early point, any path you meander down in the direction of the tech realm can conceivably get you to your dream diving someday.

 

[Alex Ouroboros]

I don't know what local diving is like in the US and in your area, but I would choose the path that gives you the most amount of diving. Can you do shore diving? Is there a community of people you can dive with? If you have to pay for boats and guides to go diving, you're gonna be limited by your budget.

Beginning with the end in mind is all good, but you have to enjoy the process and don't rush it. As long as your finances are tight, stick to recreational diving, it doesn't have to be that expensive, there are tons to see and the most important thing is being underwater, not how deep. The most valuable asset you can have in diving is experience and top quality training, so that's where I'd prioritize spending. When it comes to gear, buy second hand good quality simple gear you can grow with. BP/W would be optimal, and is scalable. Having appropriate gear can enable you to dive more often and all through the season, so I would save up for each piece of, get good deals on second hand stuff and slowly build up your dive locker. A drysuit is important to extend your season, to be more comfortable and it's also a skill you'll need as you advance - but it's a bigger investment, so depending on your circumstances you have to see when that makes sense for you.

Whatever you do, make sure it leads to more diving, and that you enjoy every dive. Thinking long term and having goals are good, but don't fixate on the end goal.

Exactly right, I can’t remember the old poem they used to chant about “too much plastic and not enough ink” but as time goes on it gets more truth in it.. are you uk?

 

[steinbil]

Exactly right, I can’t remember the old poem they used to chant about “too much plastic and not enough ink” but as time goes on it gets more truth in it.. are you uk?

I'm in Norway, but I think the scene is similar, with a lot of dive clubs and unorganized diving. Charter/boutique diving is not really a thing here.