Padi scuba diver rating - steps onward?

[Schwob]

Heard a few confusing things when my wife, a former extreme deep-water-phobic (very proud of her - she came a really long way!) obtained her PADI-scuba-diver rating (long story).
Thus these questions:

1.) What are the (most painless) options to move on to an OW rating?
- a.) with PADI
- b.) with another agency

2.) Until you do that it seems that you can dive with a DM to 40' - Who knows what exactly that means:
a.) e.g. dive with any willing DM in a group of up to how many people per DM?
d.) as a, but must be a PADI DM?
c.) only a to the scuba diver dedicated PM?
d.) as c, but must be a PADI DM?
e.)all of the above is wrong the DM must be an instructor ...?
f.) ???

 

[BDSC]

If I remember correctly, PADI-scuba-diver is a lower classification of PADO OW. I think you have to do maybe 3 learning modules and 2 OW dives. If you decide to "upgrade" to an OW diver, I don't think you have to start from scratch. You can just take the extra modules and the extra divers to obtain the OW cert so it seems as if it would just make sense to continue on thru PADI for now. I'm sure an instructor will chime in as I'm going on memory and not 100% sure what I said is correct.

 

[Schwob]

Yeah, I do hope an instructor chimes in. I shoulod have been more specific:
We were left in the understanding that all her learning modules were completed and the first two OW check out dives were completed and only the last two OW check out dives are left to do...***

*** She did not set out for the scuba-diver rating. She set out for the OW diver rating and ran out of time at the destination (long story, a number of lessons learned...). on her 3rd OW dive she managed to tangle herself up in the boat's trailing line (some current, not too bad, but enough for her...) and lost a fin in the process w/o noticing until a bit later. Fin was gone. With nothing fitting on the boat she was done for dive 3 & 4 and later conditions were such that the instructor decided to have her (another day) do a shore dive to make sure she indeed has all demonstrated that she needs for "scuba-diver" and that's all we at that point could still fit into that trip for her - time ran out to have her certified on a boat trip. The instructor insisted on that for some reason that was not fully comprehensible to me,

 

[northernone]

1. Continuing with padi would likely result in the cleanest training progression to OW since she's already familiar with the methodology and philosophy of diving. The two certifications are closely related and it isn't a different process to 'upgrade'.

2. The point being until OW certified she's not an autonomous diver and needs to be in the water with a professional. Some places that's simply a DM in a group dive on shallow sites.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[wheeledgoat]

I think I got the exact PADI card you're talking about when I did a resort dive with Sandals in Jamaica, maybe 10 years ago?

A lot of time passed, and then I pulled the trigger and happened to find a NAUI instructor with whom I did OW, AOW and Nitrox. Since there were many years between that PADI beginner cert & getting my NAUI training, my view might be skewed. Or perhaps it's the difference between PADI and NAUI (nevermind, let me put the pin back in that grenade, forget I said that). Regardless, I'm glad I started from the ground up getting OW certified. Never hurts to get some repeated training when said activity can kill you.

Something tells me it's not going to save you any real money to try and pick up where that left off... pretty sure an OW class will be the same $$ whether you have that intro PADI card or not. Though maybe an instructor will shave off a few bucks, who knows... ask!

 

[northernone]

Here is a fairly complete list of what she'll need to do for her OW certification.

• Read the last two chapters in the manual (already done?)
• Complete the Knowledge Reviews. (or review with her new instructor)
• Quiz and final exam (or have your previous instructor pass on the student file)
• Complete Confined Water Dives 4 & 5 (or student file signed off)
• Complete a 200 yard swim.
• Open Water Dives 3 & 4

An easy day or weekend depending on level of mastery.

Requiring a student to redo the entire OW course would be unusual and not standard practice nor required by standards. Cost is at the instructor's (or shop's) discretion.

Congratulations to her,
Cameron

 

[BDSC]

It sounds as if all you need to do at this point is finish up the required OW dives to complete her OW cert. If it were me, I'd try and make that happen as soon as possible while everything is fresh in her mind.

 

[Marie13]

Just finish the last two dives here. The local quarry isn't the best option, I agree, but its local and without much extra cost (quarry entry fees).

I've sent you the name of a PADI instructor I think might be an appropriate choice. I'd suggest talking to him about the situation.

 

[Dogbowl]

What does her log book say? Based on your info, all of her classroom work and confined water dives should be "signed off" by the original instructor, as well as open water dives #1 and 2. If that is the case, then she'll only need open water dives #3 and 4 to complete her OW training and get certified.

 

[Marie13]

Since you've previously indicated wife might not do well with the low viz at quarry, hire a DM to take her on a dive to see how she does before finishing last 2 OW dives at quarry. The shallow side goes no deeper than 30' or so, and the water is pretty warm right now.