seaducer
Contributor
Im PADI and another agency, not NAUI, so I am not familiar with NAUI's AOW course. However if it is the same as PADI's AOW and you can take rescue before AOW, I would do that.
Rescue will help make you more aware of potential issues, not only in your buddies but also in yourself.
AOW can certainly appear to be a waste of money for some divers, but for others I think it is valuable learning experience. The big question is what kind of diving will you be doing and where? The second question is what kind of support do you have from more experienced divers, and can you trust them to guide you safely into new limits?
I took BOW and AOW concurrently, rescue came a few years and hundreds of dives later. I am not sure if I got more out of Rescue because I had different POV, or if I would have gotten more had I taken it right away.
When to take classes and what classes to take are an incredibly personal decision, but one thing that I feel is constant as that as long as you can continue to assimilate new information, more is always better, and knowing it before you need it is always better than learning after the fact.
Rescue will help make you more aware of potential issues, not only in your buddies but also in yourself.
AOW can certainly appear to be a waste of money for some divers, but for others I think it is valuable learning experience. The big question is what kind of diving will you be doing and where? The second question is what kind of support do you have from more experienced divers, and can you trust them to guide you safely into new limits?
I took BOW and AOW concurrently, rescue came a few years and hundreds of dives later. I am not sure if I got more out of Rescue because I had different POV, or if I would have gotten more had I taken it right away.
When to take classes and what classes to take are an incredibly personal decision, but one thing that I feel is constant as that as long as you can continue to assimilate new information, more is always better, and knowing it before you need it is always better than learning after the fact.