With most reputable ops yes you need your aow or proof of recent deep diving experience. I would not recommend trying to fudge on this. The grove is 140 or so to the sand and the currents can get very tricky very fast from what I've been told. It's why I waited to plan a trip to do this dive until I had a few 100 ft plus dives, drift experience, learned how to properly shoot a marker, did a couple dives requiring deco, and feel very comfortable doing this type of dive. A year ago I had 23 dives at this time and even tho I had my aow elected to turn down an invite where one of the dives would have been this one. I now have 88 dives, nearly finished with DM, have done the deep specialty, and gotten what i feel is the experience to do this one, including a couple solo dives in excess of 90 ft. Get your AOW, perhaps even nitrox, and then dive as much as possible between now and then including deep and dives in current. Just because someone has an AOW card does not mean they are ready to do the dives they've gotten a taste of when there is no instructor or DM or EXPERIENCED diver present.
