Is it all right to toot my own horn here?

[TMHeimer]

Enjoyed your post. Along with age, some aspects remind me of my own journey. Well, minus exotic far flung places. Good luck with the DM.

 

[SFLScubapro]

Nice progression! Grats. I live in South Florida, so we don't worry about the cold. It took me 30 years to get my certs, so you are progressing far faster than me! Grats!!!

MS

 

[bryanmc57]

I did my nitrox as part of my AOW in 1996 and then as specialty(a shorten version) a yr later. The first part of the specialty was exempted because of my nitrox in AOW.

With what agency? I'm not aware of nitrox being an elective dive for PADI AOW. Also, PADI specialties are the long version (AOW deep is 1 dive, deep specialty is 4 or 5 if I remember correctly).

 

[PhatD1ver]

1. EAN certified but not as specialty.
2. Completed the specialty courses on Dry suit, side-mount, wreck and deep.
I could be wrong.

NiTROX/EAN is now called ENRICHED AIR DIVER and is a specialty course...

---------- Post added September 18th, 2015 at 10:14 PM ----------

With what agency? I'm not aware of nitrox being an elective dive for PADI AOW. Also, PADI specialties are the long version (AOW deep is 1 dive, deep specialty is 4 or 5 if I remember correctly).

There are specializes like DEEP, NIGHT, NAVIGATION etc that are extensions of the 'adventure dives' in AOW, but there are also additional specialty skills that aren't introduced in AOW such as dry suit, equipment specialist, cavern, ice, boat, or multi-level diver...

I am only getting into diving as described in the initial post after 30 years from the very first time someone offered to teach me (and I missed that chance)... I'm sure that PADI has evolved over that time, and I'm sure that some of the specialty skills have been incorporated into the Master Scuba Diver qualifications...

In my mind, some of these like boat diver is kind of weird... I've dove off several types of boats thus far and except for a rib I think I know all there is to know about boat diving... it's just I'd rather save my money for something like equipment specialist where I'll learn something I wouldn't learn just diving from boats...

the other thing is that if you are going to have a specialty for 'boat diving' why isn't there one for shore diving? Of the dives I've called after entry, all three were shore dives and conditions were such that I didn't feel comfortable descending... one of those just a few weeks ago... seems like there is so much that could be taught about shore diving to increase safety and dive skills... site selection, shore dive plan preparations and briefing (which are really quite different from a boat brief), checking local tide and sea conditions, knowing how weather will change, visual recognition of current, tides and hazards from shore. Shore dive locations (lakes, quarries, rivers, ocean), Entry/exits, the list goes on and on, so with so much to learn there, why only a boat diver specialty...

I'll say this too... while I don't want to pay for each specialty, I think PADI ought to allow divers to 'AUDIT' specialty courses (and be allowed to still complete a course, but not get a CARD if they just audit)...

---------- Post added September 18th, 2015 at 10:15 PM ----------

Nice progression! Grats. I live in South Florida, so we don't worry about the cold. It took me 30 years to get my certs, so you are progressing far faster than me! Grats!!!

MS

If only I could find a way to make that work out, I'd move there tomorrow.

 

[peocro]

Congratulations for your progression! Glad to see that I am not the only middle aged man totally hooked on diving! Keep up the good work ��

 

[Centrals]

With what agency? I'm not aware of nitrox being an elective dive for PADI AOW. Also, PADI specialties are the long version (AOW deep is 1 dive, deep specialty is 4 or 5 if I remember correctly).

PADI
Only two dives required.
One for AOW and one for Specialty. That was nearly 19yr ago and unfortunately I couldn't find my log book to verify it. But I am pretty sure it was not more than two dives.
I did AOW+ which required 9 dives.

 

[TMHeimer]

I did PADI AOW in 2007 and my "Nitrox Adventure Dive" as signed by my Instructor in my Log was counted as one of my 5.

 

[scrane]

Your story reminds me of my son who got his masters degree before he ever had a real job.