Ops requiring AOW certs?

[northernone]

Noticed the warning on another thread regarding some dive operators in Florida (and other places?) are requiring an advanced open water certification for certain dives regardless of the divers background or experience.

Which regions have you encountered this?

Relevant because I don't carry my "medium" level cert cards.

Vicariously relevant to my mother, OW since the 1970s, who doesn't see the need for an AOW cert and has yet to need one anywhere she's diving... Not sure it's worth it to her to buy a c card to gain access to some dive ops who only look at certifications if it isn't a common experience to be carded.

If it's truely an insurance liability issue I can understand but I'm surprised.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[Caveeagle]

I did book a trip on a charter out of West Palm in Jan of '16 who "required" AOW and Nitrox for the dives we had planned. Since my youngest kid (18) was not yet AOW, I call the dive op and he agreed to work with us, and just had the DM keep an eye on him and follow a shallower profile. I ended up buddy with him anyway and was fine keeping the dive 20'-30' shallower than the Max depth..

I suspect you could offer up dive logs to show experience, but who knows... I see so many new divers practically going straight to AOW from OW, that I am not sure how much AOW is really worth anyway.. (JMHO)

 

[JimJam2]

From my experience, most/all dive operators in FLA require AOW for the deep wreck dives (Spiegel, Duane and Bibb).
Night dives are OK with OW and long as the stated last dive is within 12 months.
Reef dives are OK with OW and long as the stated last dive is within 24 months.
They didn't check my log book.

 

[northernone]

Glad to hear it. I hope it's more of a easy way to get possible trouble divers off a boat without a direct confrontation.

 

[tilikum]

I never got AOW myself and all my dives were shore dives. I guess I need to collect a card in order to go to FL.

 

[TMHeimer]

My first ever boat dive was to about 80' off Destin on the panhandle. AOW not required, they just asked if I was comfortable with that and buddied me with an instructor's husband ("very experienced"), who left me alone at 78' to go after 3 lobsters. Shortly after I got my AOW anyway, but I imagine it varies. My educated guess (due to observing others) is that if it's a simple 80' dive more ops would accept OW than not (at least up on the "Tundra").

 

[Marie13]

On the Wisconsin (a wreck in Lake Michigan), DRIS requires both AOW *and* Great Lakes diving experience. It's 90-130 ft deep.

 

[tilikum]

How do you get the experience if they don't let you on the boat in the first place? It's a catch - 22.

 

[NAM001]

Years ago I went to COZ and the shop only required OW but a log to show you have recently dove to the satisfaction of hte shop. if not warm and fuzzy, they would reject you till you took a refresher course. If you had a AOW they looked for one dive in the past x months. a master diver card and they said welcome aboard.

 

[tilikum]

Looks like I am sticking with shore dives.