Timeline to get all certifications

[M.HARDY]

I agree with Jim LAP..after I got my OW,,my LDC told me not to wait too long to sign up for AOW..I signed up...they didn't put in a course for almost 2 1/2 months..in that waiting period they set me up to go diving with former students..not instuctors...just normal divers like me that had more experience...I got alot of dives in and then a week before the AOW they set me up for a dive with one of the DMs....I had a great dive,,,got my CERT...registered for the MASTER SCUBA DIVER...and here we go again...I know they wont put me in any Diving courses until I've got at least another 15 Dives as AOW diver. Before I dive my 1st MSD dive i'll probably have 40logged dives. I'm in no hurry..they wont let me..they want me to dive..dive and apply what i've learned B 4 I move on..I'm not complaining.

 

[crpntr133]

From talking with a couple of friends that are cave certified, I would find it hard to believe that anyone would teach him if he wasn't ready.
Personally he needs to slow down and dive. Absorb what he has learned in class and apply it.

 

[mjarrardjr]

Much like a few have said here, going from knowing nothing to everything in a matter of a few months can be a dangerous thing. I have worked with many instructors and DM's who got their certifications in a matter of less than a year. Needless to say, it is the students and customers that they work with who suffer because they lack experiance. That isn't to say that they aren't book smart...just not water smart.

Cheers,

 

[Bob Vincent]

Hi ...

& Welcome to ...
:sblogo: ... :colours::colours:...

I think you have great advice from both Jimlap and TSandM. To me I think its fine for OW AOW Rescue even maybe Cavern if his skills are there. But when it comes to actual overhead ... no! Did you read what Peter Guy wrote? Web Monkey? There's an abundance of knowledgable divers here that mostly pretty much agree here.

 

[gabss]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I wasn't sure if it was just my nerves or if I truly had a reasons to worry. He dives almost every weekend, so he is getting the experience in between the courses but most of his dives are with the people who trained him.
I already asked him to take it easy and not to go for the cave certification until at least six months. I think that is enough time for him to practice all of his skills.

As for me, I just found out that you don't need to get your certification in a specific order. I can train for cavern without doing AOW, is this true?

But thanks everyone!

 

[Peter Guy]

I just looked up the PADI requirement for taking Cavern and it requires AOW (or similar cert from other agency). I'd be very surprised if other agencies were more lenient than PADI here.

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again -- DO NOT take Cavern until you have the "Fundamentals" of Cavern diving fairly solid. Those "Fundamentals" include:

a. Very good buoyancy control (being able to maintain depth while task loaded within a very small vertical window);
b. Non-silting kicks -- frog kick, modified frog, back kick, helicopter turn; and
c. Confidently remove/replace your mask, do air sharing drills, etc. without changing position in the water (back to buoyancy control).

If that sounds like something you would be taught in Cavern, it is -- so why learn it before Cavern? Because this all can, and should, be learned in open water -- use Cavern to learn the things you need to know for the overhead environment -- line running, lost line/lost buddy drills, blind exits, etc.

 

[Rhone Man]

Diving ability is a bit like standing on stilts - one leg being training and the other leg being experience. No harm at all in taking lots of courses whilst you are in the learning groove, but don't fall into the trap of only looking at the qualifications side when assessing your own ability and readiness for greater challenges.

Peter's comments on basic fundamentals before thinking of going into a cave seem to me pretty sound advice.

 

[TSandM]

gabss, I agree with my husband (PeterGuy) but with one assumption, which is that you intend to do cavern to go on to cave. A lot of people take a cavern class for the skills, with no intention of going on to any cave training, simply BECAUSE cavern teaches excellent buoyancy and non-silting propulsion. I don't have any problem with that, particularly if you live (as you do) in an area where a cavern class is readily available and doesn't require expensive travel.

For those of us whose access to caverns is more limited, doing everything we can in OW makes a great deal more sense.

 

[crpntr133]

This reminds me of an incident that happened a couple of years ago locally. A team of three set off for a dive in a quarry. One of them got separated and ended up with another group (she said she thought she was with the same group). Upon searching and surfacing her original group couldn't find her. They saw other bubbles and asked around and found out that there was another group in the water. They then told the quarry owners and a call was made for 911. Just then the other group surfaced and everyone was told that she was with the second group. The comment was made that she was a DM so her original group figured that she hadn't joined the other group. She should have known better was what they thought. She had done OW, AOW, rescue and DM in less than a year. Certification means nothing!! Again a subject that has been gone over again and again here but never hurts to ask.

 

[poe26bcfd]

Hi all,

I am a new diver and I got into it thanks to my boyfriend. I was wondering what is a safe timeline to go through all the certifications. He's already done OW, AOW, Nitrox, Cavern, Rescue in about 5 months. He now wants to do cave. Is it safe to go through all these certifications this quickly? or this average?

Thanks,

Gabss,
I agree with Jim and company. The big thing is to make sure your boyfriend doesn't push YOU into something YOU are NOT ready for or comfortable with. Remember the montra Plan Your Dive and Dive Your Plan?? Well you may want to add this one.... Never go beyond your training it will just get you and anyone else with you in trouble, injured or worse. It is great to have training but if you do not use the skills you are taught you lose them. Stay safe.