OW v. AOW

[Jester]

I guess I can agree that the word "Advanced" is a bit misleading. The purpose of the class is to provide additional dive experience beyond that experienced in OW while in the company of a certified instructor. It's also a way to encourage people to keep diving after they earn their OW certification.

So, since the first certification is "Open Water," maybe we should call this next step "Wide Open Water." Then, you could be a WOW diver!

 

[simbrooks]

Pilot Fish, you havent been here long, and all i can say is that this has been beaten to death already, AOW doesnt mean Advanced in any sense of the word, just a new range of experiences so you can broaden your horizons a bit. The addage of dive within your level of training or within the type of environment you were trained in does limit you somewhat as to the kinds of places you can dive. My OW training was in a lake, max depth was 36ft, but i went and did shore, boat, cavern, night, deeper than 60ft, zero viz types of dives over the course of my first 30 or so dives. The idea behind the minimum dive count for some AOW type courses is so that you have a chance to work on what you learned in OW training in a similar environment to that in which you learned - get used to breathing underwater, work on buoyancy control and the like before task loading yourself up other stress (depth, lack of light, navigating - properly, searching, recovering etc) inducing factors, which should be where the AOW course comes in. Some people have lots of cards in a very short time, dont do much diving outside instruction, others get out there and dive before getting more cards, some of each of those look great UW, others still look a complete state after 100+ dives, its all relative. Like i said, this subject comes up pretty once per month, in this or the new2scuba section along with "which agency should i do it with?" which makes little difference as its the instructor who determines how well they teach the subject and how well you have to do at whatever skills to sign you off on the card.

 

[mossym]

yes, that's true and, again, I think that makes the point. If the average diver would have done 50 dives by the time they go for AOW, wouldn't that mean that the diver that has less than 50 dives is sub average, not average, not experienced enough?

what experience do you need? the idea of aow is to try new dives with an instructor present in case something goes wrong

with what you are saying, people shouldn't do it until they are capable and experienced enough..why then would you waste your money on the course?

 

[dilligaf368]

I don't understand why it makes any difference when a person gets an advanced card. Isn't the key that the diver enjoys the diving and wants to better Him/Her self in controlling diving? The water is constantly changing and the creatures We all look at change.
I think it is better to Improve Your education and UNDERSTAND the tables and tech. applied to diving. Diving is not dangerous when Educated and APPLYING that knowledge. I think too that knowing the diving equipment You are using and physics applyed to Your dive Keeps Yourself out of trouble. Sometimes it's hard to remember that We are only Guests.....................B---------

 

[mossym]

others still look a complete state after 100+ dives, its all relative.

ain't that the truth.

 

[ZenDiver]

AOW is 6 more dives in varying environments under supervision of an Instructor. The number of dives a person has under their belt is arbritary. It starts with the proper attitude and skill level. Some get it quick, some get it slow. Some students I recommend to take AOW out of basic, some I dont.

 

[simbrooks]

ain't that the truth.

But we all still have much to learn, practice and see. Many courses require AOW as a pre-req and those courses help us to experience a larger range of diving more safely, its best to use OW and AOW as a time to get the basics down and just enjoy more dives

 

[mossym]

100% agree, i don't agree with anyone thats says that an aow has better skills than an ow diver, it just means they've tried differnt type's of dives that a new ow might not have..

of course, AOW is a pre req for rescue..now thats a differnet matter

 

[Rick Inman]

Some people have lots of cards in a very short time, dont do much diving outside instruction, others get out there and dive before getting more cards, some of each of those look great UW, others still look a complete state after 100+ dives, its all relative.

Well said. I think the point is to keep learning. AOW, Rescue, nitrox, DIR and especially good mentoring, are all ways people attempt to keep moving forward with their scuba education. And although some ways are superior to others, they can all be good. Remember, in the sport of scuba, the games is never over, you never score the winning touchdown, spike the ball and do your funny dance :monkeydan . You keep learning until you die or quit. And for some of us, that's what keeps it fun.
Doesn't it sometimes seem like everyone you meet says they are a scuba diver? Until you ask them when their last dive was (three years ago in Mexico, or something). These are the ones that stop moving forward, stop learning.
Lots of cards won't make a person a good diver, but many good divers have lots of cards.

 

[mempilot]

I have always felt the the OW and AOW should be combined and called the OW. The skills practiced in the AOW such as navigation, peak bouyancy, understanding deeper than 60fsw, and such are all paramount to making a squared away beginner. Make the course 10 dives instead of 4 and 5. I know this would kill the weekend certification courses in the resort destinations, but we'd end up with better divers. Too many get the OW and never move on. They dive a few times a year or more but never really get it. The added instructional value in combining the two would give the instructor more time to work out the weak points and fine tune a beginner before launching them out of the nest.