Pending changes for certifications required for JDC dives

[tursiops]

I do not need your allowance to generalize whatever I want to generalize.

It's not MY allowance, it is simply trying to be honest and not mislead newer divers who may be reading this. Divers that might benefit greatly from AOW. To be fair, your experience applies to you only.

 

[Manatee Diver]

I am disappointed about the change. IME the front office of JDC is more anal than those that work the boats who are generally pretty cool. As long as you are on the surface at the 55 minute mark they are happy.

 

[Cthippo]

So, you feel that no training is needed, of any kind? No calling attention to the rate a which one uses up gas, no mention of narcosis, no mention of the difficulty of a CESA, no mention of color changes, no mention of possible thermoclines? And, of course, AOW is more than just a dive below 60 ft.

I think all of that could be incorporated into OW, and most of the theoretical was included in mine (SDI 2022) Add in a 130 foot dive (if feasible in that area, and assuming the student gets narced at that depth) and be done with it. I don't see it as needing to be a specialty.

 

[tursiops]

I think all of that could be incorporated into OW, and most of the theoretical was included in mine (SDI 2022) Add in a 130 foot dive (if feasible in that area, and assuming the student gets narced at that depth) and be done with it. I don't see it as needing to be a specialty.

AOW is about a lot more than one deep dive. There are four other dives, plus the Thinking Like a Diver material. You don't want to go to 130 anyway....do you? Taking a brand new diver on one of their 4 certification dives to the absolute recreational limits with no prior experience with depth? What could possibly go wrong?

 

[tursiops]

I think all of that could be incorporated into OW, and most of the theoretical was included in mine (SDI 2022) Add in a 130 foot dive (if feasible in that area, and assuming the student gets narced at that depth) and be done with it. I don't see it as needing to be a specialty.

The WRSTC requires OW certification dives to be between 15 and 60 ft.

Standards Downloads - WRSTC

Dive Standards & Medical Statement from the WRSTC

wrstc.com

5.2.3 All dives prior to open water certification shall be conducted during daylight hours* at depths between 15 and 60 feet (5 to 18 metres).

 

[tarponchik]

It's not MY allowance, it is simply trying to be honest and not mislead newer divers who may be reading this. Divers that might benefit greatly from AOW. To be fair, your experience applies to you only.

There are plenty of divers like myself who are AOW through experience. In Maldives and in the Pacific I've been diving with many folks who did not bother to get AOW yet we were diving in currents never heard of in Florida and everyone was just fine. Diving Jupiter is like kinder garden in comparison. "Sharky"? Try meeting a Tiger face to face on a solo dive and see if your AOW card will stop you from sh1tting in your wetsuit.

 

[NothingClever]

Dance battle !!

 

[DAJ]

Dance battle !!

 

[Cthippo]

AOW is about a lot more than one deep dive. There are four other dives, plus the Thinking Like a Diver material. You don't want to go to 130 anyway....do you? Taking a brand new diver on one of their 4 certification dives to the absolute recreational limits with no prior experience with depth? What could possibly go wrong?

Sure, but how much of that is actually useful? I agree Deep is useful, but could be an hour in the classroom and one dive. Navigation is useful. Nitrox would be useful and could be part of initial certification.

The problem with AOW is that the only thing is says with any certainty is that they have done one deep dive and one nav dive and a handful of other things that might be relevant. If they certified with an agency other than PADI they might have the full courses versus the single dive, but again that is more than an overworked boat crew has time to figure out. As it stands now, AOW is a pretty meaningless cert, and to use it as a reason to deny someone access to a trip is lame.

 

[Cthippo]

You don't want to go to 130 anyway....do you?

Sure. Why not?

I am not someone for whom hitting a depth because it is a theoretical limit is a big deal, but I recognize 130 as a reasonable limit on air. Call it a self-imposed limit. I mostly dive solo and so I am not going to just go straight for it, but rather creep up on it 10 or so feet at a time. My preference would be to find a trusted friend with deep experience and just go for it to understand how my body will react to the depth and if I am susceptible to narcosis at that depth and what it will feel like and get comfortable there so that I can use all the room within my chosen limits. I don't think I will get anything more out of a formal class and another plastic card than I would a single dive with someone I trust.

There are some things I would prefer to do in a formal class environment, reg servicing for example.