What to expect in AOW digital photography class

[Karibelle]

@TexasKaren68: I'd recommend not doing the Digital Underwater Photography course until you've really nailed down your buoyancy control. For most people, this is approx. 50 dives. You'll find UW photography will be less stressful and much more fun. You won't be crashing into the coral either.

If you want UW photos during your Kaua'i trip, pay someone else to take them for you.

While this doesn't directly address the question asked by the OP, I heartily agree with this tidbit of advice.

kari

 

[Bubbletrubble]

While this doesn't directly address the question asked by the OP, I heartily agree with this tidbit of advice.

kari

IIRC the OP was very recently certified, and for the most part will be transitioning directly from basic OW class to AOW class without gaining any out-of-class experience. Often times, here on SB, I feel compelled to go beyond simply answering the OP's question, wishing her well, and leaving it at that.

 

[Karibelle]

IIRC the OP was very recently certified, and for the most part will be transitioning directly from basic OW class to AOW class without gaining any out-of-class experience. Often times, here on SB, I feel compelled to go beyond simply answering the OP's question, wishing her well, and leaving it at that.

Right. I did not intend to imply criticism of your "non response" but rather, an endorsement of the advice you provided.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I just signed up to take my AOW courses on my vacation to Kaua'i next month. They are going to be sending me all the materials to study before class, but I haven't received them yet.

So in a few words, can y'all tell me what I'll be learning in this class? I already know how to operate a camera

I don't own a camera for scuba diving (yet) so I'll be using whatever the dive shop provides for me.

I figured this class is going to be my one and only opportunity to get some diving photos in Kaua'i and didn't want to miss the opportunity by skipping this class for now. The other electives I'm taking there are peak performance buoyancy and boat diving. I'm not planning to have a camera on any of my other dives except the actual photography class dives because I want to focus on perfecting my buoyancy.

I don't know in what order I'll be taking all the classes (over two days) but I hope photography is last I kind of assume the deep diving class will be the first.one.

This post is kind of just an echo of what Hank658 already posted.

First off I would encourage you to start calling the AOW dives just dives; Deep dive, Navigation dive, PPB dive, Boat dive and Photography dive. Together, these 5 dives are one version of an AOW course.

I personally hope Deep is the first dive, of your second boat trip. It's possible there will be only one boat trip, so then I would hope it is on the second day. If I were the instructor, I would not prefer the first dive with a new student to be the Deep dive.

How much is the difference in cost between just doing 5 dives and doing 5 dives resulting in the AOW cert? That may be an indication of how much "teaching" is involved. How many divers will be in the dive group? It is typical for Hawaii dive boat's to conduct instructor guided dives, so the others in your group may or may not be "students." If the difference in price is significant, you might have an instructor with just students.

Exploration, Excitement, Experiences. They’re what the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course is all about. And no, you don’t have to be “advanced” to take it – it’s designed so you can go straight into it after the PADI Open Water Diver course. The Advanced Open Water Diver course helps you increase your confidence and build your scuba skills so you can become more comfortable in the water. This is a great way to get more dives under your belt while continuing to learn under the supervision of your PADI Instructor. This course builds on what you’ve learned and develops new capabilities by introducing you to new activities and new ways to have fun scuba diving.

IMHO, the operative words in the description above (from PADI's AOW page) are supervision and introducing. There are operators who give added value AOW courses, but usually on a private or semi-private basis and at a higher price.

 

[Karibelle]

First off I would encourage you to start calling the AOW dives just dives; Deep dive, Navigation dive, PPB dive, Boat dive and Photography dive. Together, these 5 dives are one version of an AOW course.

Note that there is a difference between "Underwater Photographer" and "Digital Underwater Photographer" as relates to AOW. Using your words "Photography dive" is unclear as to which you mean.

kari

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

As far as PADI AOW is concerned, there are 5 dives. No matter what variety of Photography, the Photography dive is still just an AOW Photography dive.

Perhaps re-reading the OP would be appropriate for some???

 

[Hank658]

Actually, there are two dive options. One is the standard Photography dive, the other one is specifically listed as "Digital". Only an Instructor with Digital Photo Specialty cert can conduct the Digital version of the dive. I know Instructors who conduct the photo dive with digital equipment, just following the outline of the photo dive.
For AOW, the photo dive is the easier choice. For Digital, students must have already completed Level Two of the DUP specialty and have the cert.

 

[Karibelle]

As far as PADI AOW is concerned, there are 5 dives. No matter what variety of Photography, the Photography dive is still just an AOW Photography dive.

Perhaps re-reading the OP would be appropriate for some???

Your statement is simply not correct. As far as PADI AOW is concerned, there are two options to do a "photography dive" to count toward that certification, and the performance requirements for these two different dives are not the same.

Check your PADI instructor manual. Page 64 and Page 72.

kari

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Read it how ever you chose; all I'm saying is that if you have the deep, nav, boat and ppb dives, you only need another AOW dive. Whichever photo dive counts towards the AOW, that dive is what I typed of before. My statement had nothing to do with performance requirements.

If the Kauai operator signed her up for the classes I figure they know how to do the classes. The description in the OP kind of makes this whole tangent line of questioning moot as I see it.

 

[Karibelle]

Read it how ever you chose; all I'm saying is that if you have the deep, nav, boat and ppb dives, you only need another AOW dive. Whichever photo dive counts towards the AOW, that dive is what I typed of before. My statement had nothing to do with performance requirements.

If the Kauai operator signed her up for the classes I figure they know how to do the classes. The description in the OP kind of makes this whole tangent line of questioning moot as I see it.

The title of the thread led me to believe the OP was planning using the "digital" photography dive to count toward her PADI AOW, and if that is in fact true, then there is another dive to consider and possibly another PIC. Those things might cost extra, and I simply encouraged her to inquire about that. The reason I did that is because when I teach AOW for someone who wants to include a photography dive, I am careful to explain the difference between the two, so that the student can make an informed choice. One path - the one that uses the Digital Underwater Photography Dive to count toward AOW - includes two certifications (so the cost of two PICs), six dives and an extra knowledge review. It also requires that they buy the DUP manual as that is "required" not "recommended" as with many of the other specialty course materials.

I don't think the discussion is moot at all, nor is it a tangent. She titled her thread "What to expect in AOW digital photography class" so it seems quite relevant that she know what her choices are.

kari