PADI AOW: A total ripoff?

[300bar]

To bad you feel ripped off but,
1 PADI does not have a advanced course but a advanced OPENWATER course what they now have renamed into advantures in diving.
2 anyone taking,naturalist,boatdiving,photografy and the likes deserves to get ripped off.
Get real and do some dives where you do learn/experiance something.
IMO best way to go is Deep.Nav,S&R(more nav.)night and PPB in some places Drysuit.

 

[daniel f aleman]

DIR-F does not replace AOW.

Bob's NAUI course is an example of AOW done correctly, and there are many other instructors that do AOW well. As with any educational product, system, seminar, or class, the student is responsible for what he/she chooses and achieves.

 

[jimdiverman]

As a PADI certified OW, Advance OW, Rescue, Master Scuba Diver, numerous specialties and also experience with other agencies training and lots of different instructors, I can assure you that the instructor can make or break any course at any level. It doesn't matter whether you are taking OW or Recreational Trimix, the instructor is going to make the course worthwhile or worth less... worth less, in that you got out of the course what you read out of the manual, and not much more.

So, for me, having a high quality instructor is more important than the certifying agency or the LDS. Teach me what I need to know to dive the right way, the safe way. Make it fun. Then I grow as a diver, and not just add another C-card to my collection.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Now let's get into damage control, for the lurkers out there considering their own AOW training. First I would look at your terminology; did you recieve a Dry Suit Diver Specialty card as well as your Open Water card? Some divers might only do a Dry Suit Adventure Dive (just the first dive of the Specialty). Similarly, AOW is 5 Adventure Dives, which are just the first dives of the corresponding Specialties.

With regard to the Navigation dive; did you calculate your kick cycles and time for a given distance at your maintainable steady pace? I usually take an average of 100ft runs in opposite directions, to account for surge and current. Did you navigate a square or triangular course with your buddy (one timing and counting while the other maintains heading) taking into account current and surge, and then hopefully change the course and switch duties? If the compass diver swims at a different speed than the counter/timer's maintainable pace the distances are not correct, especially if the counter gets tired before the end. My favorite site works well with a triangle of 300ft legs, and we also note the amount of air used for this 900ft course at an average depth of 25ft. Did you already know your kick cycles, time and air consumption for given distance traveled?

As far as Boy Scouts goes, I find most landlubbers with orienteering experience need some un-learning before learning proper dive navigation, especially if they read the OW and AOW books! I prefer girls with no compass knowledge because they don't think they know it all! Maybe someone else will post similarly on the other subjects.

 

[rawls]

Thrillhouse...Sorry you had a bad experience. Our AOW class includes everything for $230 and also includes an ocean boat dive.

I would encourage you to contact PADI about your experience. You can be assured they will look into it for you.

As others have said, I think the Advanced Open Water label is a bit of a misnomer because, again, as others have said, it doesn't make you an advanced diver (and PADI has renamed the course Adventures in Diving). It is the number of dives you make and the experience you gain on those dives that move you into advanced catagories. What the class does is it advances your knowledge which allows you to gain more experience with diving.

Even taking an Advanced Nitrox course as an intro into tec diving doesn't make you a tec diver. You advance your knowledge regarding introductory tec diving. With the knowledge you have gained you move into more dives of a technical nature then progress to deco, extended range, etc...The thing that will make a person an advanced technical diver is doing many technical dives...

Again I regret you had a bad experience and again I would ery much encourage you to contact PADI. They truly do want to hear feedback from students.

 

[jodomonk]

I feel like the AOW course should be renamed .. OW II . There's nothing really advanced about it. Frankly, it's more about advancing your skills so you can enjoy diving more and get hooked.

Cost wise... a 2-tank boat dive runs about $100... 2-tank guided shore dives are not much less, perhaps $80. Students need 2 of those, plus a night dive ($65). That's ~$265. Add the book, classroom time, PADI charge for the card ($25) and the fact that they are not just group boat dives, but instructor led... and the $350-450 they charge isn't unrealistic.

Totally agree. I feel like AOW is more designed for types like me... beginning divers looking to just get a few more dives under the belt in new situations under the supervision and guidance of an instructor. I doubt the AOW course will benefit anyone with more than about a year of diving (in which they are actually doing a good amount of diving).

In addition to those costs, my course fee also covered any rental gear the diver does not own. Granted, I have all my gear besides BCD, lights (for the night dive), weight, and tanks, but for those who don't own gear yet, the rental fees alone could account for a significant portion of that cost.

One last thing I liked about both my AOW and OW was that we had NO class time. All book reading was done at home, dive briefings were done on sight (and were brief), and we always went over "knowledge review" content at the end of the day to the tune of some fish and chips, chowder, and beers on one occasion.

 

[Thrillhouse]

DIR-F does not replace AOW.

Bob's NAUI course is an example of AOW done correctly, and there are many other instructors that do AOW well. As with any educational product, system, seminar, or class, the student is responsible for what he/she chooses and achieves.

How am I responsible for not learning more about the flora and fauna of our local ecosystems through my course if the information was never provided?

 

[texdiveguy]

Thrillhouse in reading your post I can feel your frustration in what you feel you got for your money through your PADI shop/instructor and your AOW.
Its never good when we invest in a program and don't feel it met our expectations.
IMO the PADI Adv. O/W course is just a sampling of different diving situations most beginner divers will find themselves in at some point in their diving career. I always recomm. to a student at that entry level of training to take: deep/nav./S&R/PPB/night as these are the basics you will most likely need to build from in the future.
I persl. don't think the PADI Adv. In Diving text book is really all that bad considered whom it is gear at---beginning divers with minimal experience. I found in reading through the book years ago it was very helpful in certain areas that I had no diving exposure to....gave me a good thumb nail view of the specific topic.
Hope this one 'less than perfect' outcome as you say, will not hold you up from continueing to take additional training as needed in the future to expand and improve your diving skills.

 

[daniel f aleman]

How am I responsible for not learning more about the flora and fauna of our local ecosystems through my course if the information was never provided?

It is the diver that chooses the instructor and the course. Some of us are telling you politely: there are instructors that will provide you with an AOW course that will teach you what you want to learn.

 

[RikRaeder]

Is there an echo in here? The instructor is the key component of any class. The AOW dives are not comprehensive "specialties" but rather introductions to the specialties. The books are aimed at the lowest common denominator. Experience breeds ability; training only helps. Did I miss anything? Don't feel insulted, Thrillhouse, just roll with it and take what you can from it. Plan ahead a bit more next time.