brizzolatti
Contributor
Hi guys. I've just done AOW in Tobago and thought I would post a short report since there are regular questions asked about AOW.
First, I am glad I waited a short time between getting OW and doing AOW. Simpy because I already felt comfortable with a few dives under my belt so that I could focus on the specific dives I was doing rather than still on the basics.
Deep dive and underwater navigation are compulsory. The deep dive was at a site where there is the wreck of the Maverick. It is a small ro-ro ferry sunk deliberately in 1997 and lying in 30m of water. This was the dive I was most apprehensive about but it felt great. We descended a permanent line and gradually the hull came into view. We swam round about it, through it and then along the bottom car deck. It was also my first wreck dive and I think I could get a new interest! BT was 30 minutes, water temp 28 degrees, conditions pretty calm. All in all, a nice way to start.
Navigation I did at a sandy area just off Kariwak reef. It was pretty uneventful. I did all the routines (had to do the square twice because I made a mess first time!)
As my 3 other dives, I chose drift, peak performance buoyancy and wreck. The wreck was at the site of a broken up wreck called Dutchman's Wreck at Mount Irvine Bay - there were a few canons in the surrounding reef but not much more. Again water was 28 degrees, calm and vis around 15-20m. BT 45 minutes.
Drift was a cool dive at a site called Flying Reef. There was a reasonable current without it being too strong - though you did feel its strength when you tried to go against it, which took some exertion. It was great just floating along. I could get into that, too.
The PPB exercises we did again at Kariwak and then had a nice tour of the reef. I enjoyed trying to perfect neutral buoyancy orally inflating the BCD. Kept putting in a bit too much air at first, then I got it.
I did the course with Undersea Tobago based at the Coco Reef hotel. It's a pretty good set up. All were boat dives, the longest trip being the Maverick and other wreck sites (maybe 30 minutes).
I'm glad I've done the course and now aim to get a lot more dives in and then maybe think about Rescue Diver in due course. I'll post something on Tobago in the travel forum in due course.
PS - I should have said, I bought the course book before I left and did all the knowledge reviews so that I wouldn't have too much time reading and writing in Tobago.
First, I am glad I waited a short time between getting OW and doing AOW. Simpy because I already felt comfortable with a few dives under my belt so that I could focus on the specific dives I was doing rather than still on the basics.
Deep dive and underwater navigation are compulsory. The deep dive was at a site where there is the wreck of the Maverick. It is a small ro-ro ferry sunk deliberately in 1997 and lying in 30m of water. This was the dive I was most apprehensive about but it felt great. We descended a permanent line and gradually the hull came into view. We swam round about it, through it and then along the bottom car deck. It was also my first wreck dive and I think I could get a new interest! BT was 30 minutes, water temp 28 degrees, conditions pretty calm. All in all, a nice way to start.
Navigation I did at a sandy area just off Kariwak reef. It was pretty uneventful. I did all the routines (had to do the square twice because I made a mess first time!)
As my 3 other dives, I chose drift, peak performance buoyancy and wreck. The wreck was at the site of a broken up wreck called Dutchman's Wreck at Mount Irvine Bay - there were a few canons in the surrounding reef but not much more. Again water was 28 degrees, calm and vis around 15-20m. BT 45 minutes.
Drift was a cool dive at a site called Flying Reef. There was a reasonable current without it being too strong - though you did feel its strength when you tried to go against it, which took some exertion. It was great just floating along. I could get into that, too.
The PPB exercises we did again at Kariwak and then had a nice tour of the reef. I enjoyed trying to perfect neutral buoyancy orally inflating the BCD. Kept putting in a bit too much air at first, then I got it.
I did the course with Undersea Tobago based at the Coco Reef hotel. It's a pretty good set up. All were boat dives, the longest trip being the Maverick and other wreck sites (maybe 30 minutes).
I'm glad I've done the course and now aim to get a lot more dives in and then maybe think about Rescue Diver in due course. I'll post something on Tobago in the travel forum in due course.
PS - I should have said, I bought the course book before I left and did all the knowledge reviews so that I wouldn't have too much time reading and writing in Tobago.
