Well at least you got to do a low viz S&R!!XJae:
What AOW courses did you find the most helpful?
- Thread starter love2godeep
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terrydarc
Guest
I was under the impression that deep dive and navigation were required? I'd pick deep as something you'd definitely want to do in any event especially since you're going to be cert'ed to dive deep - better to find out how you'll react at depth than on your 1st deep dive in a group.
OP
love2godeep
Contributor
Yes, the PADI manual specifies Deep Dive and Navigation are required for AOW. For some reason, the dive ops I've gone with didn't care whether I was certified for deep diving or not, and let me go deeper than 60 ft, no problem. But I think it will be good to take the course. Never noticed any narcosis; but I've read that a diver gets a little bit narced even at shallower depths.
Maybe I was narced a little; I just wanted to go deeper and deeper. But that was before I had a computer. Now it will make me be more cautious!
Maybe I was narced a little; I just wanted to go deeper and deeper. But that was before I had a computer. Now it will make me be more cautious!
H2Andy
Contributor
of the AOW topics, the only one i found useful was navigation. All the others I
did were memorably forgettable. I thought the class was a waste of time and money,
only good as a stepping stone to Rescue.
IMHO, this class should be renamed to something less misleading than "Advanced." Perhaps Secondary OW? or perhaps it should be dropped altogether. leave the specialties in place, and if someone needs to take a deep diving class, let he or she do so.
better yet, leave it in place and make it a meaningful class. bundle it up with
Nitrox and a real "overhead" curriculum with actual penetration, and then the "Advanced" will be justified.
this, of course, is all my opinion.
did were memorably forgettable. I thought the class was a waste of time and money,
only good as a stepping stone to Rescue.
IMHO, this class should be renamed to something less misleading than "Advanced." Perhaps Secondary OW? or perhaps it should be dropped altogether. leave the specialties in place, and if someone needs to take a deep diving class, let he or she do so.
better yet, leave it in place and make it a meaningful class. bundle it up with
Nitrox and a real "overhead" curriculum with actual penetration, and then the "Advanced" will be justified.
this, of course, is all my opinion.
DeepTrip
Contributor
XJae:
I've determine the other 2, Night dive and Peak Performance and Buoyancy Control. Just can't make out the last one. Which one do you think the most useful between Search and Recovery and Wreck Diving and Naturalist?
OP
love2godeep
Contributor
H2Andy:
Hmm, Andy. You're making me rethink this. I'll try maybe one and see how it goes.
Thanks again, everyone, for your input.
I'd have to say Search and Recovery is the one I got the most out of as far as knowledge which might be useful in a number of different circumstances.
H2Andy
Contributor
love2godeep:
well... i had already done night dives, wreck dives, deep
dives, you name it... so when it came to the AOW class,
other than the navigation, which was educational, i
didn't really get my money's worth.
if for nothing else, take AOW as it stands so you can take
Rescue. that's a great class.
kd5izq
Guest
I found the navigation skills to be a great help, my night dive to be very enjoyable and the NITROX to be a great help.
I'm in a NAUI AOW course offered through my university. 2 days a week, 90 minute lessons... there's a ton of stuff he's putting in.
The instructor was planning only on including Deep, Night, Search&Recovery, UW Nav and EANx. However, half way through the course and we've done all of these (except the checkout dive) He's also held some classes on UW photography, Cave diving, boat diving & etiquette, wreck diving, dive computers, exposure suits and an intro into tech diving. He's bringing a Dolphin rebreather next week and we get to try it out in the pool. Although we'll only be officially certified in the stuff with the AOW card, I'm learning tons about two gas-blending techniques (showed me how it's done, thanks to a demonstration and some time at his shop).
I'm learning so much more in my AOW class than my OW. My AOW checkout will require me to find an object in <2M vis, use liftbags to get it to the surface, move it to another location and navigate back to the start point, communicate where I moved the object to the next scuba team. They repeat. Don't think I'm allowed to surface at all. Sounds like fun!
I'm so stoked!
- PV
The instructor was planning only on including Deep, Night, Search&Recovery, UW Nav and EANx. However, half way through the course and we've done all of these (except the checkout dive) He's also held some classes on UW photography, Cave diving, boat diving & etiquette, wreck diving, dive computers, exposure suits and an intro into tech diving. He's bringing a Dolphin rebreather next week and we get to try it out in the pool. Although we'll only be officially certified in the stuff with the AOW card, I'm learning tons about two gas-blending techniques (showed me how it's done, thanks to a demonstration and some time at his shop).
I'm learning so much more in my AOW class than my OW. My AOW checkout will require me to find an object in <2M vis, use liftbags to get it to the surface, move it to another location and navigate back to the start point, communicate where I moved the object to the next scuba team. They repeat. Don't think I'm allowed to surface at all. Sounds like fun!
I'm so stoked!
- PV
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