When should I take my Advanced Open Water Cert?

[dmaziuk]

As you try to figure things out on your own, you may well get comfortable gaining bad habits.

While I don't disagree, I also don't know the OP. Maybe they've been freediving Capt. Cook's Bay since the age of 6 and if that's the case: AOW isn't going to teach them anything they won't figure out themselves in a dozen or so dives. I mean, none of it is rocket surgery, exactly.

 

[firediver5]

I completed my Advanced Open Water certification last weekend with the same instructors from my Open Water course. The class included six dives over two days at the lake, plus pool sessions to refresh skills.

The course focused on continuing education rather than advanced skills. We did specialty dives like Deep and Navigation, learning about pressure effects, nitrogen narcosis, compass use, and safety stops. My favorite was the low light/dark dive, using a flashlight to communicate and explore areas normally unseen.

The class boosted my confidence and exposed me to new environments. It didn’t make me “advanced” overnight, but it helped me decide to pursue the Rescue Diver course next as I work toward my Public Safety Diver certification.