Just finished OW training looking at advanced OW

[boulderjohn]

I’ll be honest and add that I didn’t feel that I learned much during AOW. Maybe because I already learned a lot from sites like this one.

Next course I want to take is deep diver and I don’t think I’ll learn much from that one either. My expectation is that it will be more of just getting more experience and maybe boosting confidence a bit. I expect that the next time I truly learn something new will be Rescue and Nitrox.

The name of the certification is a relic of its origin, and it is misleading today.

In the mid 1960s, there were essentially two dive certifications-scuba diver and instructor. As stated earlier, Los Angeles County added AOW as a means of introducing divers to different kinds of scuba experience and hopefully enticing them into continuing to dive. NAUI followed soon after for the same reason. At that time, it was the most advanced certification you could get without becoming an instructor, so the name made sense.

If you go out on your own and do a whole lot of diving before taking a course that was designed to introduce you to different kinds of diving, you probably won't learn much.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

You should know that being certified as an "Advanced Open Water" diver does NOT make you and Advanced Diver in the way it sounds.....its more of a smorgasbord in that you experience some different dives such as more compass navigation, using a liftbag to raise an anchor, identifying fish, learning how to dive from a boat etc...etc...

 

[Seville]

Thanks for all the good info, I’m going to sign up for the advanced course. I think I would feel better getting some of those habits down early on with an instructor. We did our for ocean dives. But I was just getting a little comfortable on the very last one.

 

[scubadada]

LA County still offers the Advanced Diver Program, but it has been on hold due to Covid. This is not your usual AOW program. I was certified as a diver by the LA County Underwater Unit in 1970, I'm sorry I could never find the time to take the ADP before I left California in 1980
Los Angeles County Underwater Unit - Home | Facebook
LA County Scuba’s Advanced Diver Program Provides An Exceptional Value, Quality Education | California Diver Magazine

 

[Diverlady13]

However, one of the best days I've ever spent in training was the Fish ID and Behavior course at Bonaire Dive & Adventure with the late, Jerry Ligon. My wife and I spent the morning in the classroom and then did an afternoon dive with Jerry on Bari Reef. That was in 2008, I have used things I learned ever since, and have tried to pass some on to others. No certification, just incredibly useful information from a real expert, who loved what he taught

I'm definitely not looking down on the Fish ID course. I haven't taken the course, but am working on learning how to identify fish and learning about fish behavior. My husband and I are thinking about taking that course soon as well as the drift diving specialty. We just got back from a LOB in Belize. Happened to have a woman on the trip who is extremely knowledgable about fish and fish behavior. I learned a lot and she was kind enough to ask some friends to send me a copy of their book on fish behavior, so I have some new materials to read before next month's diving.

I guess what I was getting at is that for a very new diver now taking AOW there might be other adventure dives that are better for improving diving skills (buoyancy, air consumption, etc.). For me, having those base skills, and improving them by diving as much as possible, has made it easier to spend more time observing fish, taking better photos, and feeling like I'm ready to move on to more specialized training. (I'm really interested in cave diving.)

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Diverlady13

Fish Behavior by DeLoach and Humann is very good.

 

[Diverlady13]

Fish Behavior by DeLoach and Humann is very good.[/QUOTE]

Yes! That's the one I have. So nice of them to send it to me. Their fish ID books are also very good.

 

[FishWatcher747]

In the PADI online AOW course that you do prior to the course there are 10 possible areas of interest that can be included in the course plus 2 mandatory items. The shop I took it from did the mandatory Navigation and Deep along with Night, Peak Buoyancy and Wreck which are optional. There are 10 possible optional components that you will only do three of.

However there is nothing stopping you from reading up on all of the 10 optional components, taking the online quizzes and giving yourself a broad introduction to diving. That's what I did and found it very helpful.

The question for the new diver just out of OW is how do I keep diving with experienced safe divers? Taking courses is one option. If you have a club or local dive shop with experienced divers that is a big help. I live in the sticks and that is not an option. Then there is travel to dive with a dive operation that puts a guide in the water with you. I did a combination of taking courses and diving with an operation that puts a guide in the water with the customers.

 

[TMHeimer]

In the PADI online AOW course that you do prior to the course there are 10 possible areas of interest that can be included in the course plus 2 mandatory items. The shop I took it from did the mandatory Navigation and Deep along with Night, Peak Buoyancy and Wreck which are optional. There are 10 possible optional components that you will only do three of.

However there is nothing stopping you from reading up on all of the 10 optional components, taking the online quizzes and giving yourself a broad introduction to diving. That's what I did and found it very helpful.

The question for the new diver just out of OW is how do I keep diving with experienced safe divers? Taking courses is one option. If you have a club or local dive shop with experienced divers that is a big help. I live in the sticks and that is not an option. Then there is travel to dive with a dive operation that puts a guide in the water with you. I did a combination of taking courses and diving with an operation that puts a guide in the water with the customers.

Yeah that's what I did--read all the chapters and do the knowledge reviews. Then again, I'm retired and had the time. Good point also that a shop may only offer certain specialty dives and maybe not a particular one that you may want.

 

[Centrals]

Nitrox and multi-level.