SSI Master Diver vs. SSI AOW

[giles45shop]

A general question on advanced certification. I've taken SSI Stress & Rescue, Wreck, and Nitrox and have 41 dives. With the SSI system, I can take one more speciality and be AOW, or take two along w/ 9 more dives to get Master Diver.

I'm not really interested in collecting certs, but I do want to have some ype of Avanced card just in case there's a dive operator that requires one. I also plan on taking a Cavern class in the near future and some instructors have AOW as a minimum requirement.

Is there any type of advantage to one vs the other? You hear AOW as a fairly common term, but Master Diver isn't heard as much and I was concerned that it might not be as recognized.

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks,
John

 

[amascuba]

No advantage of one over the other. The SSI Master Diver card will list all your specialties along with your stress and rescue course on it. In your case I would just do the 9 dives and two more specialties and just get the Master Diver card. It will save you an extra $30 to have them ship you an Advanced Card.

 

[cwkline]

How did you get Stress & Rescue without your AOW? You should have that before you start the class.

 

[amascuba]

How did you get Stress & Rescue without your AOW? You should have that before you start the class.

With SSI you don't have to have AOW to take the Stress and Rescue course. You can take it directly after OW, infact it's encouraged to.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Normally the Master Diver Rating is a progression through the ranks. Specialty diver, Stress and Rescue Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver and Master Diver. However, the standards for Advanced Open Water Diver are four specialties that involve at least seven dives and a logged total of 24 dives.

The Master Diver Rating is the exact same as the AOW rating with 50 logged dives and the addition of Stress and Rescue. Here is a clip from the Standards and Procedures Manual. You do not have to pay for an additional AOW card just complete the specialties and go for the Master.
Master Diver Rating and Junior Master Diver Rating Standards
All Standards apply to both adults and juniors unless otherwise specified.

1. The knowledge factors and skills to be covered in the Master Diver rating are those provided in the SSI Specialty Instructor Manuals and Specialty Diver materials.

2. In order to receive a Master Diver rating or Junior Master Diver rating, students are to successfully complete any four Specialty courses and a Diver Stress and Rescue course that involves at least 7 open water scuba dives and log a total of at least 50 open water dives for certification.
​

3. Adult: The minimum age for issuing a Master Diver rating is 15 years old. Junior: The minimum age for issuing a Junior Master Diver rating is 12 years old.

4. All Specialty Diving Course Standards, including provisions for Junior Specialty Divers, apply to the Master Diver Rating and Junior Master Diver Rating Standards.

5. When the Junior Master Diver becomes 15 years of age,

it is highly recommended that a Junior upgrade to the Master Diver Rating by completing a Scuba Skills Update.​

Until the end of the year and probably it will be extended into next year the SSI Master Diver Challenge is going on. You simply register for the challenge and as you complete milestones you get stuff like tee shirts and recognition items free. Then if you complete the challenge and attain Master Diver you will be entered into a drawing for a free trip to the Bahamas. Well worth your time to fill out and send in a free entry form.

Go for the Master and enjoy diving.

 

[giles45shop]

Thanks for the inputs! I figured that the Master Diver rating was probably the way to go.

I'm thinking probably deep dive and navigation or night dive (although I already have done ~ 6 night dives) will be the two specialties, given my longer range goal of cavern/cave certification.

John