PADI AOW Requirements/Options

[Phoenix1]

After a brief search here, I couldn't find this (nor is the PADI site clear:

What do you have to do (and what are your options) these days for PADI Advanced Open Water certification? I got certified in 1492, so I don't remember . . . .

I've been able to collect the following general info:

1. You need OW certification; no extensive experience thereafter necessary. (My wife got certified on day 2, and we went right into AOW on day 3.)

2. It looks like you have book work to complete and a test to pass.

3. Then you have two mandatory dives (deep and navigation) and 3 additional dives from a list that always ends with "and much more."

4. On the list are drift dives, boat dives, night dives, and several others listed on the PADI site in the blue box at Advanced Open Water Diver Course from PADI Professional Scuba Divers' Training Organization Are those all the choices?

5. I imagine your choices depend on where you go. (Altitude diving, eg, not offered in the Caribbean.)

6. I further assume that just because you've done a boat or night dive before the course, that does not count. You have to do the boat or night dive with the AOW instructor.

What have I missed? (Sorry this is so elemental.)

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I think you nailed it as far as the requirements. I think you should also plan on owning a compass and using it alot. I emphasize three things in my AOW open water dives- navigation, buoyancy, and dive planning. Those are woven into stress dives- ie, deep, night, search and recovery (task loading). Among the other "dives of choice" not listed by you are: altitude, search and recovery, multi-level, wreck, and probably others i don't recall. Here in landlocked Colorado our habit is to do altitude (they are all altitude dives, but we emphasize dive planning (and navigation) on this dive; deep, navigation, search and recovery, and wreck. (we have a sunken plane to use as the object of that one).
While it is permissible to go right from open water to aow training, I really think divers get much more out of the advanced class if they have 20 or more dives following their initial certification before taking the advance class, but that is a personal bias. I think all divers benefit from the advanced class, and I also believe that all divers become better divers for having taken it.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Hawkwood]

..

2. It looks like you have book work to complete and a test to pass.

..

Close.

You will review the appropriate "chapter" (i.e. the particular Adventure Dive you are going to participate in) in the Adventures in Diving manual and complete the Knowledge Review for that chapter. You will review the KR with your instructor along with any other additional information that the instructor deems pertinent. No "test" per se.

 

[Buoyant1]

Correct! Depending on where you might be taking your training, may limit your "adventure dives"! I took mine locally at my home quarry, and was limited to night, search and recovery, and peak buoyancy. (with the mandatory deep and nav)

I was on a trip to the Keys, and a guy on my one trip took, wreck, boat, and night. Personally, the S&R and peak buoyancy were decent choices! (seeing what the guy did for boat, was pretty lame!)


It's easy, and as someone said, better to take after you get a few dives under your belt, just to get out diving, and not be only doing "classes"! (I did something like 40 dives in between...just because my schedule didn't mesh with the LDS)


As far as already doing some of the dives, it doesn't count! I was already doing deep dives, and when it came time to do my deep dive with the class, the instructor KNEW that fact, and I actually LEAD the deep dive. (and I had a semi-night dive already, as well)

It's worth doing just because getting that card, will open up doors, and not force you to hire guides when on different trips...

Good luck!!

 

[freewillie]

Wow, you certified the same year Columbus sailed the ocean blue?!!

as to your questions,

1. Yes, you are eligible for AOW having just completed OW training. As DM Dennis pointed out and I agree at least a few dives after OW training would be helpful before you considered AOW training. Controlling your bouyancy should be second nature and automatic before you try dropping down to 100' feet. While descending on the line you shouldn't have to be thinking, "Now which is my inflate and which is my deflate buttons?"

2. The book work is similar to OW training but there wasn't a written test at the end (at least I didn't have one). I just reviewed the questions at the end of the chapter with my instructor.

3. The deep and navigation dives are built into the AOW course. I really got a lot out of the underwater navigation course and the ability to use a compass and feel oriented underwater. The other courses will depend on what your personal interest are for your diving in the future. IMO you don't really need a PADI boat course to dive boats. You will get all your orientation to boat dives on your first boat dive anyways. And each boat has different standards. One boat dive I went on we stored gear under the seats, on another they wanted you to have only the gear you were getting in the water with and your bag got stowed away for space. They will also tell you when and where to take of your fins depending on the boat and conditions. My favorite was the night dive, and I did enjoy having the dive instructor with me for my first night dive. But like everything now that I've done it once its not so scary and mysterious anymore.

enjoy, fun and safe diving.

 

[TMHeimer]

Not knowing for sure which dives I'd be doing, I did all the knowledge reviews ahead of time anyway. Can't hurt.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

For my AOW, there was no final test; I just had to complete the knowledge reviews before the actual dives. We were limited to different specialties, including Peak Performance Buoyancy, Search and Recovery, Wreck, U/W Navigation, Night Diving, and Deep Dive, based on the expertise of the dive shop and the ease of the specialties to teach (e.g., for a Drift Dive, it would require more planning, etc.).

I would ask your LDS where you're planning to take the course; different LDSs have different specifics.

 

[Karibelle]

After a brief search here, I couldn't find this (nor is the PADI site clear:

What do you have to do (and what are your options) these days for PADI Advanced Open Water certification? I got certified in 1492, so I don't remember . . . .

That was a popular year for events! Congratulations.

I've been able to collect the following general info:

1. You need OW certification; no extensive experience thereafter necessary. (My wife got certified on day 2, and we went right into AOW on day 3.)

2. It looks like you have book work to complete and a test to pass.

True, and sort-of-true. Experience following OW and before AOW helps you know which of the "and much more" you might want to delve into a bit more deeply. As others have stated, there is no "test" but you will be required to complete the knowledge reviews from the chapters in the "Adventures in Diving" book that you choose, and to go over your answers with your instructor. The review of the KRs is a great way to bring any additional questions to the surface (so to speak) and to get more info onto the table.

3. Then you have two mandatory dives (deep and navigation) and 3 additional dives from a list that always ends with "and much more."

4. On the list are drift dives, boat dives, night dives, and several others listed on the PADI site in the blue box at Advanced Open Water Diver Course from PADI Professional Scuba Divers' Training Organization Are those all the choices?

The best list is under "Your Next Adventure" - those choices.

5. I imagine your choices depend on where you go. (Altitude diving, eg, not offered in the Caribbean.)

True. Although, you might be able to make some things work... for example, there's no reason you couldn't do ANY of the knowledge work wherever you are... it's the performance requirements of the actual dive that might pose a problem, and for that you might want to ask an instructor specifically about the dive you are considering and the location. "Could we meet the performance requirements of Adventure Dive XXX at Dive Site YYY?" for example.

On that note, it's never a bad idea to familiarize yourself (you may need to ask an instructor) with the performance requirements of all the dives anyway, just so you can be sure you're getting your money's worth out of your course! No point in cutting corners.

6. I further assume that just because you've done a boat or night dive before the course, that does not count. You have to do the boat or night dive with the AOW instructor.

Yes, and not just to have done the dive with the instructor, but done it as a training dive, and executed all the required skills, and met those performance requirements, whatever they are. Don't settle for just having someone "sign you off." Done properly, the AOW provides you with tools and education; make sure you get those! Also make sure you get all five dives. You want to do a Boat Dive and a Night Dive as two of your electives? Great. Make sure that doesn't mean one dive, from the boat at night. That doesn't meet the requirements. Two dives.

What have I missed? (Sorry this is so elemental.)

Good questions. Keep asking. Have fun. Inform yourself as well as you can about what to expect, and then make sure you get it!

kari

 

[Phoenix1]

Thanks for all the replies everyone (I'm the original poster). My daughter got her OW in Bonaire this fall, and she really seems to like it. She is considering as many as 4 dive trips next year with me and others (she has a lot of vacation time stored up), and I've suggested she consider her AOW on one of them. As a seasoned diver, I understand the benefits of a little space between OW and AOW. But her enthusiasm may push her forward anyway. I'll send this link to her so that she can benefit from it.

 

[Karibelle]

As long as she understands that the "Advanced Open Water Diver" course and certification don't make her an advanced diver, I say go for it! I've had students do OW and AOW in a single week - not many, but some - and love it, and continue diving and get better and better. Have a great year!