What to do after Open Water PADI

[scubamarketing]

I'm actually a fan of taking some more classes before "just diving". A few years back, the statistic was something like most dive accidents occur on the 7-9th dive. I take comfort in the idea of being with a trained professional through that period. I always recommended to my students to go through Rescue fairly quickly. My reason wasn't money (after the community college and the dive shop took their cut and I paid staff and expenses, it's not like I was making much anyway on Advanced or Rescue), it was because I think most divers could use some extra guidance early in their dive careers and the skills learned in Rescue will make you a much better diver and dive buddy.

If you can find a good mentor, not just a buddy, go dive too

 

[Karibelle]

I'm actually a fan of taking some more classes before "just diving"

<snip>

I think most divers could use some extra guidance early in their dive careers and the skills learned in Rescue will make you a much better diver and dive buddy.

Me too. I did not go this route myself, and by the time I had a hundred or so dives under my belt, I felt like I was doing pretty well. That's a lot of "just diving" before I felt like I knew anything. So I'm not saying it can't be done, it just takes a LONG time.

OTOH, I have some students who did their OW, then their PPB, then their UW Naturalist, Fish ID, then their AOW, then Nat Geo, all so they could dive under the supervision of a professional. I wondered if they'd EVER go diving without me! While doing their Nat Geo project, the did about 15 shore dives on their own, and they haven't looked back since. Their next dive holiday was their first trip without me, and they loved it. They're coming to Coz on the weekend, and will be doing their Deep Diver, Navigator and Rescue Diver courses with my husband.

I know there are those who feel like PADI instructors are all about selling the next course, but some of us just want you to be happy! and sometimes, diving for a while with an instructor is what is going to do that for you.

-kari

 

[DiveNav]

Do AOW right away with a good Instructor
Then find a dive club / dive buddies and dive dive dive dive
Then take the rescue class
Then take the DM and AI classes and assist Instructors with their own classes
Then become an Instructor yourself

And along the way ... keep posting on SB!

One more thing ... If you haven't done it yet, buy your own gear.

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[String]

Join a club and DIVE. Get experience at your current level, get experience of different conditions.

THEN you are better placed to decide what course if any to do or with what agency.

There are 100s of dive clubs in the UK where you can get "at cost" diving and no shortage of people to dive with.

 

[BoltSnap]

String,

Wouldn't it be better and would make better sense that the entry level diver who is about to get into a totally new and challenging environment that is radically different from the one he was trained in to get proper orientation/training from a local and experienced professional instructor who would help him avoid the pitfalls of trying to doing it on his own or under unqualified instructor wanna be? Wouldn't it be better that he learns it right the first time in a proper course under the guidance of the local experienced instructor instead of trying to unlearn bad habits much later after the "damage is done"? What benefit would an AOW course be later?

BTW, did the OP complain to you privately about prices or costs vs. getting good value and proper training?

 

[BLUESEASONBALI]

If you are totally committed to diving then my best advise would be two things; first up purchase your own equipment, ideally a computer fins mask BCD and Regulator set and secondly complete a Peak Performance Buoyancy Course with an experienced instructor who will
really help you develop you skills. The reason i put them in this particular order is that i find it extremely important when teaching individuals that they are learning in the same gear that they will be diving in in the future! For example if you teach a PPB course to someone in a Jacket style BCD and then they go out and buy themselves a back inflate the theory of what you have taught them is on large parts obsolete!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

There are AOW courses and then there are AOW courses. They are not all the same. An OW diver who has not gotten a solid foundation in basic skills would not be able to pass mine let alone start it. It is possible to fail it. I have no issue with OW divers going with an instructor right after OW but it does not have to be in a course setting. For those who did not get good buoyancy and trim training in their OW course a PPB course may be fine. But they should have been taught most of the skills in that course in their OW.

My feeling is an AOW course should not just be 5 more dives giving a taste of "advanced dives" and is why I wrote my own and got approval to teach it thru my agency. The course is described briefly in my book as far as listing the dives and skills required on them. There are 6 dives with a 7th that could be substituted. Advanced Skills, UW Nav, Night/Low Vis, Deep, Search and Recovery, and Buddy Skills and Assists. Wreck could be subbed for Search and Recovery.

Buoyancy and Trim are addressed on all dives. Buddy SKills and Procedures as well as adhering to safe diving practices are strictly enforced. Separation once is an accident and is addressed verbally. Twice is a fail of the class. Blatant disregard for safety rules is an automatic fail, end of class on the spot, and no option to return.

So the avg OW diver is not going to make it thru successfully. This is why I will just go out and dive with them or take them in the pool. No need to take their money or issue a card. Some choose not to go thru AOW at all. They don't want to go deep or even do night dives. My solution to get them into a higher skill level and build their confidence is through my UW Navigation class. 6-8 hours of classroom, gas management, and 6 dives with HEAVY emphasis on buoyancy, trim, communications, and buddy procedures. No better confidence builder than be given an initial heading, told to make a couple turns, and come back to within a yard or two of where you started. They still though need to have solid basics before starting it.

 

[DevonDiver]

Top Tips:

1) Instructors. Research your instructors carefully. Interview them. Not all instructors are of a high quality. Be very selective.

2) AOW course. If you wish to complete the AOW course shortly after the OW training, make sure you find an instructor who work with you, to tailor the course so that it develops your core scuba skills.

3) Speciality courses - Instructor. Find instructors who are specialists, with considerable (500+ dives) in that subject area. An instructor can qualify to teach a speciality course if they have only completed 5 dives in that speciality. That's a joke...and those instructors have nothing to offer you. Do a photography course with an instructor who has published photos and a great online photo album. Do a deep course with an instructor who has technical diving experience. Those people have more to offer and are most likely to exceed the core requirements of the course.

4) Speciality courses - Location. Take specific speciality courses when you travel - in areas where there are specific attractions relating to that speciality. For instance, do your cavern course at the Cenotes in Mexico, or in the springs in Florida. Do your Wreck course when you visit an area famous for wrecks, such as Truk, Coron, Subic or the Oriskany in Florida.

5) Speciality courses - Core Skills. Be aware of the Spec courses that develop your core skills as a diver. PPB, Search & Recovery and Deep diver are good examples of these. Find an instructor who recognises that these courses should develop your core skills (buoyancy, trim, propulsion, awareness and dive planning). See if you can find a PADI instructor who has completed GUE or tech training - those people have a very clear understanding of core scuba skill development.

5) Rescue course. To me, the Rescue certification marks the complete 'diver'. This should be your aim. Find an instructor who takes this subject very seriously. If possible, look for your instructor to have additional experience (dive medic etc) that they can use to really make the course beneficial.

 

[Picasso89]

Thank you for all the replies. I will certainly look for a good local club to join. I don't feel comfortable jumping into UK waters without an instructor by my side at the moment. I felt confident in the water in the Maldives, but UK diving looks very different, as some have said on here already. From what has been said, when I decide to do another course it will be the Buoyancy one first.

Diving in the UK is not something that appeals to my as much as diving in warmer waters with more diverse sea life. It is definitely something I will do, as people have said, it's good to get experience in different conditions. Maybe I'll end up loving it and become a regular UK diver, who knows?

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Hmmm ... I fall in the "dive first" category. A lot of courses teach you specialities that are really not specialities. Example:

"Boat Diver Specialty!" You kidding me??? You mean to tell me that there is a course that is specially designed to teach me to sit in a boat and jump off when my turn comes??? Yup.

"Shore Diver Specialty!" OK so now that I am a certified "boat diver" I forgot how to walk! Let me sign up for a shore diver specialty course.

"Peak Performance Buoyancy!" Wait a minute! I spent so much money getting that Open Water Card but the instructor did not teach me such a fundamental skill like Buoyancy??? I will be bouncing around the ocean floor because good buoyancy is a PADI Speciality?

If this trend continues and student divers have to pay extra to learn things as Specialties that should be part of OW course, you will soon see new specialties being introduced into the scuba industry. They would be course like:

PADI Mask clearer: Learn how to clear your mask if it gets flooded. The course will give you an understanding of different masks and how you can fill them with water and blow the water out of them! 4 dives under instructor supervision along with a Padi Manual that costs 20$

PADI Frog Kicking Specialty: While most divers use flutter kicks, this PADI specialty teaches you how to frog kick properly. 4 Pool dives along with 4 open water dives. Don't forget to buy the 20 dollar CD Rom without which you will NEVER EVER EVER EVER be able to frog kick and will drown instantly.

PADI - How to break wind in the wetsuit and appreciate your fart bubbles specialty!

I do believe that there are some legitimate specialties. These teach added skills on top of basic diving proficiency. These are things like:

Overhead diving environments: Trying to learn this on your own can easily kill you

Underwater Photography / Videography: This is an additional skill on top of diving itself.

Nitrox/Deep diving: Science and theory gets involved. Once again learning the latter can result in death.

Drift Diving: This is a specialty only if it is done in exceptionally strong currents. I was taught drift diving in minimal currents and it did not seem any different than regular dives.

Learning these from a good / dedicated instructor will increase skill level and open up new diving environments.

My 2 cents :cool2: