Right. Yes, the AOW class just gives you a subset of each specialty. Specifically, it gives you one dive from each specialty. It might be good for someone who isn't sure what specialties they want to invest in, so they want to pick 3 and try one dive of each. I say 3 because you get 5 dives in the AOW class but 2 of them are mandated to be Deep and Underwater Nav. So, if you were thinking about U/w photography or Night or whatever, you could get a taste of each in the AOW course and then decide which ones to pursue for full specialty certification.
That said, you sound just like me last November. As soon as I finished OW, I took Buoyancy Control and Nitrox and then proceeded from there. I don't care about the card. I'm just interested in being a better diver, who is properly trained and qualified to do the dives I am interested in (which is, currently, visiting wrecks, mostly).
Good luck with it!
Oh, and something I wish someone had told me: There is the Recreational Nitrox course, which SDI calls Computer Nitrox. I'm not sure what PADI calls it. Then there is a Technical Nitrox course, offered by TDI. I imagine other technical agencies offer something equivalent. Anyway... I took the SDI Computer Nitrox course. Then, later, took the TDI Nitrox course. The courses were exactly the same except for the TDI course teaching all the SDI material plus tables and related formulas and basic arithmetic. Both courses were one evening in a classroom with no dives required. Both courses result in you being certified to use Nitrox with up to 40% oxygen. You need the Advanced Nitrox certification to use gases with greater than 40% oxygen.
I would have saved myself some time and money if I had just taken the TDI Nitrox course to begin with, versus taking the SDI course and then the TDI course. But, I only say that because I am now moving on to taking TDI Intro to Tech and then TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures (2 courses combined). The TDI Nitrox course is a prereq to Advanced Nitrox (big surprise). So, if you think you might EVER eventually want to move up to doing decompression diving, you might want to skip the PADI or SDI Nitrox course and go straight to the TDI Nitrox (or equivalent) course. It costs a little more, but it's the same time investment. OTOH, if you are confident you will never care about moving on to deco diving, then the extra money may not be worth it to you. The extra money does get you some extra education, though - at least compared to how a lot of people teach the recreational Nitrox course, I think - so you might still think it's worth it.
That said, you sound just like me last November. As soon as I finished OW, I took Buoyancy Control and Nitrox and then proceeded from there. I don't care about the card. I'm just interested in being a better diver, who is properly trained and qualified to do the dives I am interested in (which is, currently, visiting wrecks, mostly).
Good luck with it!
Oh, and something I wish someone had told me: There is the Recreational Nitrox course, which SDI calls Computer Nitrox. I'm not sure what PADI calls it. Then there is a Technical Nitrox course, offered by TDI. I imagine other technical agencies offer something equivalent. Anyway... I took the SDI Computer Nitrox course. Then, later, took the TDI Nitrox course. The courses were exactly the same except for the TDI course teaching all the SDI material plus tables and related formulas and basic arithmetic. Both courses were one evening in a classroom with no dives required. Both courses result in you being certified to use Nitrox with up to 40% oxygen. You need the Advanced Nitrox certification to use gases with greater than 40% oxygen.
I would have saved myself some time and money if I had just taken the TDI Nitrox course to begin with, versus taking the SDI course and then the TDI course. But, I only say that because I am now moving on to taking TDI Intro to Tech and then TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures (2 courses combined). The TDI Nitrox course is a prereq to Advanced Nitrox (big surprise). So, if you think you might EVER eventually want to move up to doing decompression diving, you might want to skip the PADI or SDI Nitrox course and go straight to the TDI Nitrox (or equivalent) course. It costs a little more, but it's the same time investment. OTOH, if you are confident you will never care about moving on to deco diving, then the extra money may not be worth it to you. The extra money does get you some extra education, though - at least compared to how a lot of people teach the recreational Nitrox course, I think - so you might still think it's worth it.