Question about Advanced Open Water

[boulderjohn]

The AOW concept was created by the Los Angeles County program in the mid 1960s and then adopted by NAUI, which had its origin in that program. It was later adopted by PADI. The original purpose of the program was to combat a problem with diving--students were getting certified, doing a few dives, and then quitting. The idea was that introducing them to a few new skills and a variety of different diving experiences would hopefully spark some area of interest that would keep them diving. It was called "advanced" because when it was created, it was quite literally the most advanced course available (other than instructor).

Today many people have trouble with the fact that it is still called advanced, even though there are so many much more advanced certifications available. The PADI program stays true to the original intent of introducing the diver to a variety of experiences that may spark an interest. If you like one of the dives you chose, you can go on and do the extra work required to get the specialty certification. If you don't like it, then don't waste the time and money on the specialty and check out something different.

 

[pepperbelly]

I took my AOW, actually Advanced Diver, with a NAUI instructor. In addition to deep and nav we did night, search and recovery and ppb.
We did the buoyancy first and the instructor had the classes setup so we had to use the skills we had covered for the next skill.
The AIW skills just touch on them. Taking PPB and Nav later as stand aline courses would be very usefull in addition to other skills, like wreck, etc.
Take Nitrox seperately. Through NAUI it doesn’t require a dive-it’s all class work and a hands-on demonstration of how to check the mix.

 

[mmerriman]

Yes, but you can do one for AOW if you want, but then you have to do two to get the card.

and KR #2.....and the exam

 

[oly5050user]

What most have said is correct no c cards besides AOW. But if there are specialty coruses you know you want to take maybe just do the specialties and when you finish 5 you get AOW card along with it. This is the route I’ll be taking as I don’t see the AOW really helping much.

I plan to take (already have nitrox)
Peak performance buoyancy
Navigation
Deep
Drift diver/night
Intro to tech (if I can)

This will give me more dives with an instructor over time and in my mind will be well worth it over AOW which is usually in a weekend or two class.

Can certainly do it this way, but will be much more costly. Here advance class is $200 + online learning, all done over 2 days. To do each specialty can cost $200+ each specialty . Then to have instr issue advance card there would likely be another fee charged. So total cost would be over $1000. and much more additional time involved.

 

[oly5050user]

Yes, but you can do one for AOW if you want, but then you have to do two to get the card.

still need to do either PADI online enriched air for academics OR traditional class room presentations, and pass written test. analyze tanks , etc..

 

[Nick Steele]

Can certainly do it this way, but will be much more costly. Here advance class is $200 + online learning, all done over 2 days. To do each specialty can cost $200+ each specialty . Then to have instr issue advance card there would likely be another fee charged. So total cost would be over $1000. and much more additional time involved.

It is more costly but IMO it is well worth it if you can get a good instructor for each and don’t mind not getting advanced right away (I will be doing mainly beach dives for awhile). I value my training more then getting an advantaced card for $400 here.

 

[boulderjohn]

f there are specialty coruses you know you want to take maybe just do the specialties and when you finish 5 you get AOW card along with it.

If you know you want to take those specialties, then it makes sense. If you don;t know....

To m, it makes sense to follow the original design. Get an introduction to each one with the one dive. If you like it, then go on and go for the full specialty. If you decide after the first dive that you don't want to go further, then why waste your time and money? Further your education elsewhere.

An example for me is the altitude dive, which happens a whole lot hera ion the Rocky Mountain region. I encourage my AOW students to choose it. There is some important academic learning for it, and I supplement that with extra materials of my own making. The dive itself has no requirements, and that is why I like it. I can do whatever I want with the student. I see what the student needs most for diving skills, and that is what we work on. When the student is done, he or she would be crazy to go on and go for the specialty. There is no more to learn. It is a GREAT choice for the AOW dive; it is a TERRIBLE choice for a specialty.

 

[hhmoore]

I'm surprised that this has gone 3 pages without somebody pointing out that it varies somewhat by organization. I did my OW through a PADI shop, and much of what has been said matches the PADI AOW plan. I chose to go through a(n) SDI shop for Advanced - their requirement is 4 specialty courses (one can be without dives, ie nitrox), along with having 25 logged dives. I'm signed up for night, deep, and uw navigation courses in July...I've already gotten my nitrox card, and will have completed a (PADI) PPB course; so I'll have the all requirements before the completion of my night course. (The 3 courses were bundled, with most of the dives to be done over a weekend. The final night dive will be scheduled later.)
I felt the full PPB course was necessary when I booked it, because I was really struggling with buoyancy; and, from one dive to the next (and sometimes during the same dive) would swing between fighting to stay down and fighting to stay off the bottom with no changes in gear or weight. Incredibly frustrating!! I think I've worked a lot of that out, between talking with the instructor, reviewing the education pack, and getting in the water as frequently as possible...but I still need help with trim; and working with an instructor on specific goals can only help me advance, so I don't regret doing it this way. Besides, I didn't want to show up for that weekend struggling the way I was.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

Yes, but you can do one for AOW if you want, but then you have to do two to get the card.

I don't think they offer a Nitrox dive with NAUI AOW courses, but there are two levels of certification with the Nitrox course. Nitrox Certified once you complete the coursework and then Nitrox Diver after you complete two 20 minute dives to 20 ft.

 

[islanddream]

We did the online Nitrox learning and only had to go to class one night. During that night the instructor reviewed what we'd read in the book, gave us an exam, and had us analyze tanks. No dives were needed to get the Nitrox certification card. If you are diving with a shop you've not used before and want Nitrox, make sure to bring your card with you along with your AOW card.