My AOW Experience

[CamG]

Greetings Jeni and congrats !
That is a great report that I am certain will help those contemplating AOW.
The art of relaxation takes time for all of us and we all have different stressors to work through.
When we do relax look out the weight is coming off!
My belt lost like 10lbs and after another 100 dives lost 5-6lbs more.

The peak performance buoyancy of the AOW was probably the most useful information I have ever learned.
It ingrained the skills to achieve proper buoyancy and then we were MADE to prove this in the water! Our instructor prided himself in teaching proper buoyancy from OW to AOW and as you progressed expected more.

The search and recovery / navigation was really fun and have used those skills to find items, recover said items and make some fat $$$$!

My AOW experience was a awesome one and spurred me onto more training to master skills.
It is where I started to get a glimpse that AOW was not a end all but rather a rock in the path.
All our paths are different and some are pleased to remain at any level and others keep climbing there is no right or wrong simply what dive goals do you set as an individual.
The most important lesson bar none from AOW was the quote from my instructor,
"Divers learn in the water!, Train hard, dive often, then dive some more!
Master your skills they will serve you well, keep them fresh because they will save your ass!"
I have found those words very useful since May of 2007.
I count myself a beginner on the path to my dive goals

Great report and those contemplating AOW take the time to get the most from the class and master the skills from OW-AOW they will serve you well!

Safe diving all,

CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

 

[SoccerJeni]

Thanks everyone! I loved every minute of it! And it's very important to feel good about your instructors and I definitely did! I can't wait until that relaxation thing sets in fully and I can drop the weight like you did GamG.

Originally I had signed up to take a rescue class next month. That would be my next time diving. I've been debating back and forth the best way to progress on a budget, and I've finally made a decision. I'm going to invest money into my own gear. I'm a guaranteed to take Rescue, no doubt about it. However, I have now determined it's best for me to get familiar with the same gear, pracitce some of the skills I just learned and get those more intune, then take Rescue.

The instructors and DMs I was diving with suggested I consider the DM class as well, and that is something I'm considering, but I think I'd like to get a lot more experience under my belt so I forsee that being something I do next year (Winter 2012).

 

[James R]

Congrats! Being at 63' was nothing after being in 92' of water, also pitch black, huh?

 

[ScubaSam]

Jeni, sounds like you got a lot out of your training, gained new skills and lots of confidence which is fantastic. Good job!!

Rescue was my next class after my AOW but only after I got a few more dozen post AOW dives under my belt. Rescue is a great class for self-rescue as well as making you aware of possible issues with buddies, the dive and the environment.

It's always important to be able to reach your own valve(s) underwater.

Congratulations on your AOW!!

 

[fjpatrum]

Okay, this is going to sound rude but what's the point of a "deep" dive that only goes to 63 feet? I'm assuming that's as deep as you had available at the time but it doesn't seem like it does anything to actually teach you about the effects of narcosis or anything. Did you perform any skills at depth to time yourself or check for being narc'd or anything like that? (Can you even be narc'd at 60 FFW? I would think not...)

Thanks for sharing, Jeni. I am on the fence about taking AOW because I don't see a lot of point but getting clear indications of what you liked and didn't like, and what you found helpful is a great way for others to consider the course.

 

[Kenny13]

Congratulations. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the experience and learned something at the same time. One day I'm gonna get to take my AOW as well, and I hope to get as much out of it as it seems you did.

 

[snowdog]

Congratulation on your AOW!
I have found the instructor(s) (and rest of students) make the journey (OW, AOW, Rescue, DM&#8230 special.
Someone told me once, “The more you learn, the more you realize there is to learn!”

 

[Cave Diver]

(Can you even be narc'd at 60 FFW? I would think not...)

Yes. And the deep dive on AOW *should* be about a little more than being narced.

 

[fjpatrum]

Thanks, CaveDiver. I hadn't realized narcosis happens at shallower depths, though I probably should have. Maybe that's the reason I'm grinning ear to ear every time I dive.

 

[Hawkwood]

It sounds like Jeni was doing AOW with PADI. The Deep Adventure Dive has nothing to do with being "narc'd". That was changed a few(?) years ago. The objectives of the Deep Adventure Dive revolve around planning and executing a "deep" dive. Deep in the context of AOW is deeper than OW - greater than 60 feet and less than 130 feet. The Deep Adventure Dive is not just about the dive itself, but also the knowledge development related to deeper dives. The dive itself is to include the following elements:

• Executing a descent using a reference as a tactile or visual guide;
  
• Describing and recording changes of color at depth;
  
• Comparing depths shown on computers or depth gauges;
  
• Using a depth gauge and timing device (or a dive computer with an ascent-rate indicator) to measure an ascent rate not to exceed 18 metres/60 feet per minute; and,
  
• Performing a 3-minute safety stop at 5 metres/15 feet before surfacing.