Question on Form - How many logged dives since certified?

[boulderjohn]

But OTOH, I hear of many divers going straight into AOW from OW with only a few dives under their belt. I have been diving for nearly 30 years with something like 1000 dives. Are they more advanced than I am?

Who cares if they are more advanced than you are? What difference would that make? What matters to the dive operator's insurance company is that you have a card that says you are advanced enough to do the intended dive.

 

[boulderjohn]

I would rather see a log book of a basic OW diver, look at their gear, and have a discussion with the them about experience, how long they’ve been diving, etc. before I’d blindly trust an AOW diver with 9 total dives to their name (which is possible).

Something else to think about.

When I am in South Florida and doing a simple NDL dive to about 100 feet, the shop is crowded with customers signing waivers, paying for the dive, getting the gear they are renting, analyzing nitrox tanks, etc. The dive crew is setting up for the dive rapidly, doing a final cleaning of the boat, loading it with supplies, etc. The boat has 20 divers champing at the bit, ready to go. The staff are working as fast as they can.

Let's say you are the shop owner, and you want to make sure the divers meet the minimum requirements for that 100 foot dive. Screw the simple AOW card! So you will have staff members interview all 20 customers, one at a time, review their logbooks, and make a decision on each one as to whether or not they are qualified for the dive. How long do you think that will take? How much will it cost you for employee pay during that time? How many more staff will have to be hired?

 

[SlugLife]

Any fishing line,, or maybe a big ‘ol catfish sliding out from underneath you?

For my zero-vis dives, I don't tend to run into much fishing line. I try to wear gloves. I have been poked by a fishing-hook before. Most often, the main annoyance is zebra-mussels; those will slice you up. I have run into fishing line in other spots (with better vis), and when I cut it, I mostly do it by feel, so the vis doesn't make much of a difference for me with fishing-line. I always have cutting-devices on each shoulder.

The real hazard though is piles of boating-anchor-ropes. Often what will happen is anchors will get caught on a steel-cable from a dock, log, or other obstacle. Then dozens of other anchors get caught in the same location, tangled in other anchors and anchor-ropes, until you end up with a giant pile of anchors. I usually move fairly slow in zero-vis, so I can feel my way along, avoid obstacles, and things like those anchor-piles. However, I do also currently carry 10-inch shears on my waist, which slice through ropes effortlessly.

The only thing that somewhat freaked me out, was in about 1.5ft visibility and there was one of those anchor-piles, but this time hanging off a tree overhead. I move to the top of the tree, and cut a bunch of the ropes hanging down, just in case myself or another diver happens to go through that area again.

 

[Tracy]

I mean... I have medical licenses in 5 states and have had in 2 others. That's a LOT of documentation and intrusive questions (all of which get verified), and renewals (every 1, 2, or 3 years for my states) have a lot of repeat questions along those lines. I've never been asked for a list of medications for any of them. Arguably, being on certain medications could pose clear risks in terms of some of some typical medical activities.

I agree that it would be the rare dive operator, diver, or even physician who'd be competent to tell if that topical steroid cream, prescription vitamin D supplement, or prescription-strength oral fluoride rinse would impair fitness to dive, so there's really no point in asking such a question.

The operator doesn't make that judgment call, their physician does.

Any "yes" answer on my medical form automatically kicks it out. They need a doctor sign off at that point.
Everything is about making somebody else's insurance carry the burden.
My lawyers wrote the waiver, my insurance company says it must be filled out.
You have a weak heart and your doc says you are good to go, it transfers to their insurance instead of mine.

 

[tridacna]

I deduced from language cues that most participants are native speakers of American English.

They are. Sigh. But an American using “color” doesn’t need a serious “thanks” on the board either. If you want to get pedantic, reserve it for Americans who pronounce “mischievous” with an “ious” at the end. Or count the number of times Americans use “loose” instead of “lose”. The GP is just such a nineties thing. Seriously.

I had an appendicectomy (not an “appendectomy” in my twenties performed by a surgeon in the UK with the title “Mister”. Heaven forbid you referred to him as “Doctor”. Seriously.

English is a malleable mistress indeed.

 

[ggunn]

Who cares if they are more advanced than you are? What difference would that make? What matters to the dive operator's insurance company is that you have a card that says you are advanced enough to do the intended dive.

i certainly don't unless it means that a wet-behind-the-ears holder of an AOW card gets to go on a dive that I cannot after 25+ years diving and 1000 dives. If there were a test out option for AOW like there is in many parts of academia I might do it, but I doubt there is much if anything in an AOW course that I haven't already figured out and/or experienced on my own. These days I do virtually all my diving around Cozumel with ops who know me and my skills/experience and will take me anywhere I want to go, so it really is a non-issue for me.

 

[tursiops]

These days I do virtually all my diving around Cozumel with ops who know me and my skills/experience and will take me anywhere I want to go, so it really is a non-issue for me.

...but worth making a big deal of anyway, no?

 

[Tracy]

If there were a test out option for AOW like there is in many parts of academia I might do it, but I doubt there is much if anything in an AOW course that I haven't already figured out and/or experienced on my own.

There is kind of a "test out option."
Divers presenting a GUE Tech1 card instead of a PADI Tech 50 card do not get the same level of scrutiny. They are basically the same cert, but it isn't even close. The Tech 50 card doesn't mean you aren't a good diver, but the tech1 card means you are.
I would assume it is somewhat similar in the recreational world, but I don't really know. That isn't my scene.

 

[SlugLife]

i certainly don't unless it means that a wet-behind-the-ears holder of an AOW card gets to go on a dive that I cannot after 25+ years diving and 1000 dives. If there were a test out option for AOW like there is in many parts of academia I might do it, but I doubt there is much if anything in an AOW course that I haven't already figured out and/or experienced on my own. These days I do virtually all my diving around Cozumel with ops who know me and my skills/experience and will take me anywhere I want to go, so it really is a non-issue for me.

I don't feel I learned that much from my AOW course. Perhaps a little about scuba-compasses? There wasn't really a lot I didn't already know, or could have just looked up.

I'm sure there are plenty of other classes where I'd learn something, such as leading into more technical-dive courses.

 

[ggunn]

...but worth making a big deal of anyway, no?

A simple discussion on a message board is a big deal? Not in my world. Nowhere did I use ALL CAPS or multiple exclamation points!!!!