ibnygator once bubbled...
that some commercial dive boat operators will require you to show an AOW card for deeper dives. Either that or your log book that shows deep diving experience. That is the only reason I did AOW after 8 years of diving.
Not that I've had that much exposure, but I've never been asked for an AOW card. And haven't had the log book looked at either, and a fair amount of dives in the 70-90 ft range, couple pushing 100+.
I ended up with it as a function of a bunch of specialties. But, IMHO, the PADI-AOW is really an introduction to the available specialties.
Not much more than that.