Looking back on your OW course

[bamamedic]

My basic instructor went way beyond the minimum and I really appreciate it. However, my compass ability is less than desirable. For my AOW I did the same drill with the towel over my head on land and could hit the target every time, but put me in water and I would follow a random pattern (you might as well draw an arrow on my hand and tell me its North). So when my Adv. Nitrox and Deco Procedures instructor said I didn't even need to carrry a compass I was greatly releaved.

OMG! I really hope I don't have to carry a compass...I just assumed that it would be somewhere in there (just my luck).

All that practice for naught...oh, well.

 

[TheWetRookie]

More time on gas management and how long will the air in one's tank last at different depths. How long will 500 PSI last at depth and in the shallows. This would help prevent a diver from panicing and shooting to the surface if/when they get low on air. I just saw this the other day.

And as already mentioned, general dive planning.

 

[IceIce]

Buoyancy.
For the sake of corals.

 

[Oyster Diver]

OMG! I really hope I don't have to carry a compass...I just assumed that it would be somewhere in there (just my luck).

All that practice for naught...oh, well.

After quickly looking through the TDI manuals for adv nitrox and deco procedures I didn't see compasses mentioned. That doesn't mean that your instructor won't cover them though. I don't think we did because the metal in wrecks can influence the compass and you want to be sure to get back to the anchor line before your planned bottom time is up. Its a fun class, it tought me a lot and definetly made me a safer diver. And the wrecks you get to see are generally better

 

[k ellis]

Well considering that your classes are usually in one weekend I would say I would love to have learned early on how much of a diffrence it makes to go from 3mil shorty to say a 7 mil farmer john. But I learned this as time went on and with trial and error. Other then running in to a snake right in my face I would say my open water went really well!