'Maximum' dive depth based on certification

[Esprise Me]

Hopefully this is on-topic: as some have pointed out, PADI maintains that their OW cert is for up to 60 feet, AOW is for up to 100 feet, and you need the deep diver specialty to go all the way to the recreational depth limits. But then in some places they seem to suggest experience matters as much as or more than formal training, which is also what common sense would dictate. So if I'm AOW but not deep specialty certified, does my DAN insurance cover me if I get bent diving between 100-130 feet? Does it matter if I'm with an instructor at the time, or how much experience I have at those depths? (Hypothetical at this point; I haven't been below 100 feet.)

 

[Diving Dubai]

For your insurance, refer to the policy wording.

Depth ratings are part of standards for courses, you are free to do what you like outside of training although some centres limit Diver’s upon their certification.

I’m my experience students are okay at depth with an instructor, but sometime feel anxious when they dive the same without.

There is no problem taking incremental steps with people who’s experience and knowledge you trust, as long as you abide by your personal limits and dive conservatively.

I’m also a huge proponent of people taking Tec 40 as soon as they can. While you may never wish to use Deco, the theory and extended knowledge you get in the course is hugely beneficial to your recreational diving

 

[caydiver]

Yep to what I meant about guided and unguided dives with regard to buddy team. In all fairness experience does factor. We have some regulars that get more freedom because we know they are skilled, safe divers. Do we take someone’s word for their impeccable skills — NO

 

[AdivingBel]

Here in Cayman many OW divers are confused when the first dive usually is 80 to 100 feet. The difference is that it is guided and they are with a DM. Buddy dives are different. Then you would be limited to the depth of the diver with the lowest certification. We don’t have depth police but we don’t want something going wrong on our watch. It’s not always just about the money and I would rather have a solid reputation as an op going forward rather than one who lets divers do whatever they please as long as we see the credit card. More importantly not putting staff at risk either. There are five ops and destinations that check boxes for everyone.

Yep to what I meant about guided and unguided dives with regard to buddy team. In all fairness experience does factor. We have some regulars that get more freedom because we know they are skilled, safe divers. Do we take someone’s word for their impeccable skills — NO

As long as you make it very clear on your website or other point of contact prior to booking that these are your rules...no surprises...all good . Your boat, your rules.

 

[AdivingBel]

PADI maintains that their OW cert is for up to 60 feet, AOW is for up to 100 feet, and you need the deep diver specialty to go all the way to the recreational depth limits.

Some people "maintain" this...PADI doesn't. The depth limits are for training dives. They offer recommendations post training until you progressively exceed them through experience OR additional training. PADI doesn't set or enforce limits on non-training dives within recreational depths (other than jr's).

The insurance I've used covers me recreationally to 130 ft. or sometimes shorthanded to 40m/120 ft. (Americans and the metric system ). You'll need to read the fine print on your policy.

 

[tursiops]

Some people "maintain" this...PADI doesn't. The depth limits are for training dives. They offer recommendations post training until you progressively exceed them through experience OR additional training. PADI doesn't set or enforce limits on non-training dives within recreational depths (other than jr's).

I wish this were a read-mandatory sticky, because it gets said over and over and people still insist "PADI limits dive depths."

 

[AdivingBel]

I wish this were a read-mandatory sticky, because it gets said over and over and people still insist "PADI limits dive depths."

My concern (maybe concern is too strong a word ) is that given we now live in a world where "perception is reality," continuing to propagate misinformation about depth limits may eventually make it the defacto standard (if it isn't already, hopefully not at least in the Caribbean & Mexico ) and down the rabbit hole we go... which is sad for OW divers and another example of why we can't have nice things...

LOL...that's a bit dramatic, but sometimes it just feels that way...

 

[scubadada]

I would imagine my progression is not much different from other older divers. I was first certified by the LA County Underwater Unit in 1970 and dived actively in Southern California for 10 years. I did not log my dives and have a poor memory of depths and times. I had a SPG, a capillary depth gauge, and a watch. We dived Navy tables.

Skip ahead 17 years and I was recertified with my 12 year old son by PADI on Grand Cayman. Our cert dives were to 40, 40, 60, and 60 feet. Over the next 75 dives, 18 were over 100 feet, with a max of 121 feet. Finally, in 2004, at about 80 dives, I did AOW. My deep dive was to108 feet. We also finished Deep Diver with 3 more dives to 116,130, and 102 feet. The last dive was an unguided dive on a Grand Cayman wall, planned and executed by us. I was not asked for my AOW cert until about a year later in Key Largo. It certainly made diving much easier.

So, now, at over 1800 dives, I have over 300 dives below 100 ft, only about 30 below 130 feet. I very much appreciate @Diving Dubai comment regarding Tec 40. Consistent with much of my other diving, I have done light deco without the benefit of additional training. About 5% of my diving includes less than 10, a maximum of 15 minutes of deco on back gas. 50% offers very little advantage over back gas for these dives, a couple of minutes. I do have redundant gas and usually dive solo. I have experience in a wide variety of environments and I am very comfortable with my dive profiles.

Very best and good diving,

Craig

 

[rsingler]

misinformation about depth limits may eventually make it the defacto standard

I don't disagree with you. After all, that was my exact frustration in Hawaii as an experienced OW diver.
But considering the extent to which training has been broken down into easily digestible bites, it's really not a bad thing if getting your 80-100' dive off the wall in Grand Cayman requires an advanced card. I mean, listening to @Sam Miller III 's stories of watermanship requirements suggests that an extra few days of class and an extra 4 dives is not too much to ask, to get a newly "required" Advanced Open Water ticket. It's clearly better for new divers to get more training, albeit at a cost.

Yeah, it offends an experienced diver's sense of justice to have an artificial requirement like that. But is it really surprising, in today's litigious climate?

 

[dmaziuk]

Thankfully CMAS *** standards are much less restrictive. Air limits for a *** (Gold) CMAS diver are 57M or 190', which makes sense since at or below that depth you are impaired. If you don't want to dive that deep, that's ok too, but your CMAS club affiliated dive insurance will cover you to a depth of 57M.

Michael

I See A Great Need: can we merge this that A&I thread where WOB kills everyone at 60 metres on air (but they're all so narc'ed they never notice)? Zombie Divers, all those CMAS V.S. guys.