Question on PADI Advanced open water course manual

[danielization]

Hi all

There was an edition of the PADI Advanced open water course manual whose front cover looks like this:

I believe the was the previous edition of the manual. I was wondering would this manual actually be sufficient for the advanced OW class conducted in today's context without having the diver being short-changed? Or the diver would need to purchase the new manual for the advanced OW course?

Has the material changed drastically between the latest edition and this previous edition?

 

[knotical]

Two dissimilar answers:

On the one hand, the latest PADI Standards and Procedures say the instructor must:

Ensure that student divers have a personal set of current PADI materials for study and use during the course and for reference afterward, to include, at a minimum, the course manual (book, multimedia or online version)…

On the other hand, the Adventures courses are primarily experiential, and not much changes about how we do the various dives.

I've done a brief comparison, and the Knowledge Reviews I've looked are very similar, with a few minor clarifications.

The major difference I see is that they have added the following optional Adventure Dives.
Digital Underwater photography
Enriched Air
National Geographic.

So, if you and your instructor choose dives that do not include those three, and if your instructor believes the book you cite is "current" enough, I personally do not see a significant problem with using the older book.

Caveats:

1 - Although I am a PADI instructor, I cannot speak for PADI or for other PADI instructors.

2 - The book in your photo appears to be the German version.

 

[wadedeeper]

Two dissimilar answers:

On the one hand, the latest PADI Standards and Procedures say the instructor must:On the other hand, the Adventures courses are primarily experiential, and not much changes about how we do the various dives.

I've done a brief comparison, and the Knowledge Reviews I've looked are very similar, with a few minor clarifications.

The major difference I see is that they have added the following optional Adventure Dives.
Digital Underwater photography
Enriched Air
National Geographic.

So, if you and your instructor choose dives that do not include those three, and if your instructor believes the book you cite is "current" enough, I personally do not see a significant problem with using the older book.

Caveats:

1 - Although I am a PADI instructor, I cannot speak for PADI or for other PADI instructors.

2 - The book in your photo appears to be the German version.

Well said and completely accurate. Speak directly to your instructor to verify as already mentioned. IF they are ok, then there shouldn't be a problem....so long as you speak German.

 

[Crowley]

Have to sort of agree and disagree with Knotical.

Standards do indeed require that the student has a current manual. The only exceptions are during transitional periods between old and new materials where PADI is still shipping old stock; unless a standard is designated "effective immediately".

The manual above is 4 or 5 years out of date now and despite only minor changes in some of the outlines, an instructor allowing the use of the old manual is technically in breach of standards. Not a serious violation, to be sure, but there are people out there who would report it. I am not one of those people, but I know somebody who would for sure.

I understand the desire not to have to pay out too much money on a book which you will use for a few days (and only use about 25 percent of anyway), but them's the rules, sorry.

Cheers

C.