Question Is AOW a waste of time?

[lostsheep]

My only point is there is a path and you never HAVE to bail to air.

I don’t care what we call it, I’m just using the colloquial terms that seem to be agreed upon.

EDIT: don’t skip AOW

 

[tursiops]

colloquial terms that seem to be agreed upon.

LOL

 

[TheCatFish]

You need the credentials so the instructor's liability isn't grass if/when something happens to the student one day. Sad fact. Your friend needs to save up a good $5000 and buy some solid secondhand gear from a trustworthy tech diver and pay for some courses. It's all for the sake of paperwork and liability. You want DAN to cover your health needs. DAN won't be helping you if you are diving outside of your training limits. Property management of various dive sites will occasionally also ask for your instructor's name and they will take note of it for legal purposes later should the need arise.

Part of it is skills, part of it is covering your butt if something goes south. Nobody wants to be the reason why everyone's favorite dive sites get shut down by the state.