Specialty Courses

[TSandM]

Like everybody else, I think it depends on what kind of diving you do. If you travel and dive off boats which provide a guide that you follow, you may not need a lot of navigational skill, but you may benefit from Nitrox in getting longer bottom times for those expensive dives.

If you are planning on diving locally, I believe you will be coping with reduced viz at times, and navigational skills are very important. Remember that navigation isn't just compass work -- there are other ideas that a good navigation course should introduce for you, as well.

 

[Peter Guy]

Interesting that no one has asked the question, What will the instructor teach you about Navigation or Nitrox? It may be that the best answer for you is "neither class." That at your current experience level, the best use of your money may be just to hire an instructor for a couple of dives to help you become a better diver. You don't know what may need to be better whereas a GOOD instructor can watch you for a little while and then make some suggestions as to how to be a better diver.

As one of my favorite instructors is fond of saying, Get the education -- the card will follow.

 

[RTee]

In terms of investment...I would take the AOW as it normally has a buoyancy, deep, night and navigation modules. Here are four specialities (sometime you can cover five if they include boat or wreck diving) covered under one course and one prize. It will cover all aspects of the navigation specilaities plus you will get a chance to practice it on a night dive where you will only see as far ar your light beam unless you silt yourself out. Furthermore, if you are already an outdoorsy type, the compass section will be very easy.

Then I would do Nitrox. But here again it all depends what you are after. The greatest benefit of Nitrox....and there are several threads on the subject is being able to maximize your bottom time between 60 and 100 ft once you are qualified to dive at those depths.

Another way to become proficient at navigation is through the search and discovery. As for myself, I would not be taking that speciality on its own....unless you have shares in PADI...lol. Mind you same can be said for the boat diving course but that is another story.

René

 

[pasley]

You need to get back to the boat, you do not need nitrox, but it is nice. Navigation first, then Nitrox.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Many AOW classes DO NOT cover all aspects of Navigation under water. With one dive or even two they simply can't. An AOW CAN give you the basics but not much more. It is possible to get good at navigation with just AOW but it takes real dedication and work. I wrote my Nav Class to try and cover more than just compass basics and natural. It includes using lines and reels, low vis techniques, buddy skills and cooperation, buoyancy and trim, mapmaking, and site based navigation. Sometimes just the compass is good or natural, maybe a reel and line or a combination of all three.

I can't cover all that in one or two dives in an AOW class. That's why my Nav class is 6 dives and 8 hours of classroom. I consider being able to navigate under water a core skill in line with mask clearing and reg retrieval. Around here it almost has to be. It is also why the Nav dive from AOW is not counted towards my Nav specialty. two different courses, that need to be completed on their own. And there is no discount anyway so why not get the full course?