PADI AOW Certification

[stuartv]

Of course it says "or equivalent."

Your earlier statement was:

The AOW card by itself has value.

You then justified that statement by giving an example where the actual card would be required (by you).

Now you're saying that you don't have to have the actual card. You can just have equivalent training (and/or experience?).

It seems to me that the "or equivalent" clause completely undermines the notion that the actual AOW card has value. Apparently, there is nothing you can do with one that you cannot do without one (as long as you have the appropriate training and/or experience).

I doubt if a divers such as you describe has ever existed in the history of diving.

Well, I have 35 dives, 5 full specialty certs (plus DAN DEMP and NAS Part 1 - 6 if you count SDI Nitrox and TDI Nitrox separately), and no AOW card....

By the way, your statement that TDI Nitrox is required for the TDI tech courses is incorrect. That, too, is an "or equivalent" requirement.

Understood. In the context, my statement was simply to make the point that SDI Computer Nitrox would not meet the prereq for the TDI Adv Nitrox course, but TDI Nitrox (or equivalent) would.

 

[boulderjohn]

You then justified that statement by giving an example where the actual card would be required (by you).

Now you're saying that you don't have to have the actual card. You can just have equivalent training (and/or experience?).

Not experience. You have to have an equivalent certification. I don't care if the AOW is from PADI, NAUI, SSI, SDI, etc. Some agencies have equivalent certifications with different names. It's still an AOW level certification, and I will accept it.

Try showing your log book to a dive operator that requires AOE to do a certain dive. See how far that gets you. There are simply some cases where that certification is required.
https://vimeo.com/48190726

 

[stuartv]

Try showing your log book to a dive operator that requires AOE to do a certain dive. See how far that gets you. There are simply some cases where that certification is required.

As I said earlier, I have been on numerous dives now (2 different shops in the Outer Banks, and 1 shop in Mexico) where they stated that Advanced was required. I did not have to show them my log book. All they ever asked to see was my OW C card and my Nitrox card.

However, I do understand that you are saying some dive operators WILL actually ask for the credentials. And I have no reason to think that that is not true. But, in that case, are you saying that there are ones where showing them my Deep, Wreck, and other C cards, plus my log book, will not be good enough and they are going to deny me the dive because I don't have an actual AOW card?

To be sure, I do and always would call ahead to confirm with a dive operator that I want to go with that, when they say Advanced is required, I don't have the AOW card, but I make sure that the credentials I do have will be deemed acceptable. Well, I say that, I did not actually check in advance with either charter operator in the Outer Banks. I just assumed I would be fine if I showed them the credentials I have. And, like I said, they didn't even ask.

 

[jringold]

OMG! John, I seriously lost it with that vid. I was setting in my office laughing so hard that someone actually came by to check on me. That totally made my day. I was having one of "those days" until I watched that.

 

[MikeT73]

Hmm can't do deep without AOW or Adventure. But you can do advanced rebreather diver with just OW. That makes a lot of sense.

Lmao I was just reading that part.

Not experience. You have to have an equivalent certification. I don't care if the AOW is from PADI, NAUI, SSI, SDI, etc. Some agencies have equivalent certifications with different names. It's still an AOW level certification, and I will accept it.

Try showing your log book to a dive operator that requires AOE to do a certain dive. See how far that gets you. There are simply some cases where that certification is required.
https://vimeo.com/48190726

"Those DIR guys laughed at my snorkel!!"...aaand that's about where I lost it lol. Epic video sir!

 

[sandanbob]

As a side note (really) I wish that C-cards (at least from PADI, since that is where my training is) would do a card that listed all training. I wrote to them about 17 years ago and suggested it. My analogy was of a drivers license. If I have permission to drive a motorcycle in addition to a car, I don't carry two cards- the one card lists the second. I was told at that time that they had just upgraded their card processing equipment, and didn't want to invest in more to change it. I haven't done any training since 2000, so I don't know if that is still the case. What do other agencies do?

 

[stuartv]

What do other agencies do?

I'm all SDI and TDI. I have a separate card for each certification and each specialty. So, just like PADI.

What you suggested would be nice. But, I could see where it might be hard to fit everything on one card once your cert and specialty list starts getting up there. Dunno.... OTOH, since it seems like nobody ever asks for anything but C card and Nitrox card, maybe you just need to carry your highest level C card (OW, AOW, Master Scuba Diver, DM, or whatever) and your Nitrox card and leave the rest stored someplace safe. At least then you're only carrying two.

 

[sandanbob]

Right, Stuart. Or, if you had a single card, and were running out of room, it could include the specialties you wanted, or the most requested/required (nitrox, night, deep, cave/wreck) for example. Not many dive operations would require the Ice Diving specialty, or underwater photography, I would think. Anyway- it was a thought, way back when.

 

[boulderjohn]

However, I do understand that you are saying some dive operators WILL actually ask for the credentials. And I have no reason to think that that is not true. But, in that case, are you saying that there are ones where showing them my Deep, Wreck, and other C cards, plus my log book, will not be good enough and they are going to deny me the dive because I don't have an actual AOW card?

The Hitler AOW video is, of course, satire, but the essence of good satire is that it is based on truth.

If a dive operator's insurance policy calls for it to require AOW for certain dives, then that operator is taking a serious risk by allowing someone without AOW to do those dives. If I allow a student into my tech classes who does not meet the stated prerequisites, then I am violating standards. If everything goes well, no one will know and I will be fine. If that student instead has an accident and dies, you can bet your sweet bibby that my allowing the student to take the class without the required qualifications will come up in the subsequent lawsuit, and I will be toast. You can bet I am going to require that students meet all requirements of every standard.

 

[mjbickford]

FWIW: i have been on dive trips where my AOW card was required to be checked, log book signed off was not sufficent, and also a "refresher" supervised dive before we could join in the 2 tank daily trips. This was in a fairly popular destination with pretty benign conditions.

I have also been on operations where no cards were ever shown... all that was required was confidence, a good bluff, and telling them your certified. Even outright telling them may not have been required.



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