What really is an "Advanced Open Water" diver?

[tursiops]

trying to play it both ways

Hanlon's Razor.
Not to mention that in the half-century plus since the name was first used, the content and meaning have both evolved. Multiple courses -- from multiple agencies and with quite different content -- now exist, but all with similar names. A little chilling and common sense would be helpful, but folks seem to want everything spelled out for them -- in THEIR terms -- these days.

 

[MichaelMc]

I'm not saying it is malice, I'm saying it is not a very vigorous effort to reduce the confusion. I think it is well established that Padi in particular is well equipped with talented marketing people. The marketing benefits of the confusion and the other possible wordings of their marketing materials is unlikely to have been beyond the talents of their wordsmiths.

So stupidity in their PR folks is an unlikely explanation. Wittingly reaping continued passive benefit might fit the bill.

 

[tursiops]

I'm not saying it is malice, I'm saying it is not a very vigorous effort to deduce the confusion. I think it is well established that Padi in particular is well equipped with talented marketing people. The marketing benefits of the confusion and the other possible wordings of their marketing materials is unlikely to have been beyond the talents of their wordsmiths.

It is not just PADI, of course.
Let's suppose we find a much better name for this card...say, OW-II as some have suggested. Now what about all those thousands (millions?) of people with AOW cards? Are they suddenly going to be replaced? Or withdrawn?
I'm happy to agree that AOW is not the best possible name for the card, today, when people read nothing and assume everything.
The issue is not what do you call it instead; that is minor.
The issue is how would you even begin to implement such a change, given the enormous installed user base of AOW cards (and the equivalents from other agencies).
Is it worth it?

 

[MichaelMc]

Below is Padi's start page for those already OW. Note the bolding of advanced and spelling out of advanced.

A different version that still uses AOW, as we are stuck with that, is below it, but does not highlight Advanced. I've underlined where the changes are. I think the difference in this advertising is clear.

Continue Learning | PADI
------------------

Expand Your Horizons
Your Open Water Diver certification introduced you to a new realm of exploration and made you keenly aware that you've only just scratched the surface of the underwater world. Continue your scuba journey with ThePADI Advanced Open Water Diver course.

Experience new adventures with a PADI Instructor by your side. Fine-tune your buoyancy skills, build confidence in your navigation abilities, and try new activities like wreck diving, night diving or underwater videography. An Advanced Open Water Diver certification also opens the door to dive sites deeper than 18m/60ft.

----------------

Expand Your Horizons
Your Open Water Diver certification introduced you to a new realm of exploration and made you keenly aware that you've only just scratched the surface of the underwater world. Continue your scuba journey and advance further your initial OW skills with the AOW course.

Experience new adventures with a PADI Instructor by your side. Fine-tune your buoyancy skills, build confidence in your navigation abilities, and try new activities like wreck diving, night diving or underwater videography. Advancing your skills beyond your Open Water certification also opens the door to dive sites deeper than 18m/60ft.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

So an open water diver who has advanced their skills beyond open water is what exactly?

 

[tursiops]

From Padi's site for those already OW. Note the bolding of advanced and spelling out advanced.
Continue Learning | PADI


Expand Your Horizons
Your Open Water Diver certification introduced you to a new realm of exploration and made you keenly aware that you've only just scratched the surface of the underwater world. Continue your scuba journey with ThePADI Advanced Open Water Diver course.

Experience new adventures with a PADI Instructor by your side. Fine-tune your buoyancy skills, build confidence in your navigation abilities, and try new activities like wreck diving, night diving or underwater videography. An Advanced Open Water Diver certification also opens the door to dive sites deeper than 18m/60ft.


-----------------
A different version that still uses AOW as we are stuck with that, but does not highlight Advanced.
I've underlined where the changes are. I think the difference in this advertising is clear.
----------------


Expand Your Horizons
Your Open Water Diver certification introduced you to a new realm of exploration and made you keenly aware that you've only just scratched the surface of the underwater world. Continue your scuba journey and advance further your basic OW skills with the AOW course.

Experience new adventures with a PADI Instructor by your side. Fine-tune your buoyancy skills, build confidence in your navigation abilities, and try new activities like wreck diving, night diving or underwater videography. Advancing your skills beyond your Open Water certification also opens the door to dive sites deeper than 18m/60ft.

Sorry, but the card and the Certification and the training say Advanced Open Water on them.
AOW is just shorthand. "AOW" does not even appear in the PADI Instructor Manual, anywhere.

 

[MichaelMc]

Still a new OW diver.

Though the copy I created is not clear that you need to advance with the AOW cert and not say just the full nav, or say cavern to dive deeper than 60'.

 

[MichaelMc]

Sorry, but the card and the Certification and the training say Advanced Open Water on them.
AOW is just shorthand. "AOW" does not even appear in the PADI Instructor Manual, anywhere.

And why does this matter for the clarity of their marketing material?

 

[tursiops]

And why does this matter for the clarity of their marketing material?

I've lost the bubble. Is your issue with their marketing material, or with PADI in general, or with the content of the Advanced Open Water class, or what?

 

[lowviz]

I've lost the bubble.

OMG!

Was that a direct reference to a really obscure skill? Read gauges with no mask