The "AOW" term by itself as defined by the agency that started this terminology is wrong and misleading to begin with. In early to mid 80's, the term that NAUI used for the course that came after the entry level course, Openwater I, was the "Openwater II" certification. The "Advanced Diver" was a third level up course that was much more intense than what is today known as the "Advanced Openwater" certification. NAUI had to change the names of its courses several years later because it couldn't compete in the market, people wanted more advanced "sounding" certifications. NAUI still required more training and dives in its OW and AOW training however. What makes it worse is the fact that many instructors/dive shops don't add any real skill or knowledge in their AOW courses. Most of the AOW courses taught by other agencies are mere, "come and dive with me" type of courses where the student just follows the instructor on dives with the instructor BS'ing his way through the course. These low level training type of AOW courses and the easiest courses to teach, the student gets to dive with an instructor doing BS stuff over a two day period while paying good money for it but no real training or qualifications imparted on to the student.
Some instructors combine teaching the openwater training for the OW and AOW courses at the same time, same days, and be running two different level courses for two different groups of students with several students in each level on the same openwater training day. I don't know how they can manage to give each student in their respective levels and courses the required attention, real training and proper knowledge for the two different groups of students in two different certification levels on the same day.
NAUI does leave it up to the instructor to require more training in their respective courses today and that's what I do myself. I require 8 - 10 dives to get certified in the entry level course, the NAUI Openwater Scuba Diver, and 8 - 10 dives in the "Advanced Scuba Diver" course. In the AOW course we do 3 - 4 dives to cover each specialty in addition to other skills and training. We do night diving, navigation, boat, deep (to 30m), wreck, rescue skills review (NAUI requires teaching of submerged unconscious non-breathing dive buddy rescue training in its OW course) in openwater training for the AOW certification. The resultant training and skills gained by the students are equivalent to the old more comprehensive training/certification done in several courses. I also require 2 - 3 pool sessions in the AOW course too.
Some instructors combine teaching the openwater training for the OW and AOW courses at the same time, same days, and be running two different level courses for two different groups of students with several students in each level on the same openwater training day. I don't know how they can manage to give each student in their respective levels and courses the required attention, real training and proper knowledge for the two different groups of students in two different certification levels on the same day.
NAUI does leave it up to the instructor to require more training in their respective courses today and that's what I do myself. I require 8 - 10 dives to get certified in the entry level course, the NAUI Openwater Scuba Diver, and 8 - 10 dives in the "Advanced Scuba Diver" course. In the AOW course we do 3 - 4 dives to cover each specialty in addition to other skills and training. We do night diving, navigation, boat, deep (to 30m), wreck, rescue skills review (NAUI requires teaching of submerged unconscious non-breathing dive buddy rescue training in its OW course) in openwater training for the AOW certification. The resultant training and skills gained by the students are equivalent to the old more comprehensive training/certification done in several courses. I also require 2 - 3 pool sessions in the AOW course too.
