when to do AOW class?

[Wendy]

Again I am new here and don't know if this subject has come up. I see or hear of a lot of divers going straight from ow class to AOW in a matter of days or weeks. So here's my question:

How long do you think a diver should wait between ow and taking AOW?

This doesn't pertain to me, I'm past that point in my diving.

I think that a diver should a min of 25 dives past ow cert dives. I think this because I thikn you need time to master the skills you learned in ow class before you go on to learn new things. Too much too fast could cause task loading and trouble. I see too many car collecting divers that want the card but never really dedicate themsleves to becoming proficient in something before they go on to get the next c-card.

What does everyone else think?

 

[JamesK]

It all depends on the diver. To some people it comes more natural than with others. If a person is diving well, can master the tasks at hand, and has the confidence level, and right mindset to do it, I see no problem with starting right away. To some it could be task loading, yet others learn very fast. I started my AOW right away. My instructor, his assistant, his divemasters, and myself all felt confident that I was ready.

People can say that you need a set amount of dives to experience what could happen underwater. However, you caould have 100 dives and never have any problems arise, and that includes having to clear your mask or simple skills you learn in OW. Also, let's look at actual time underwater. Some people could have 25 dives, yet all of those dives could be 15minute dives. Others could do 35 minute to 1 hour dives. So how could the number of times you go up and down make a difference?

It comes down to the diver.

 

[decapoddiver]

I think a diver "knows" when they are ready for the next level of training and rushing into it before then is a really bad idea. In my area (New England) we have lots of folks who go to warm, clear, no current waters to get certified. They do a few dives up here and then go BACK to the previous spot and get their AOW. While I'm jealous to a certain extent, I also think a person needs to be comfortable in their "home" area before taking the next step in certification.
I actually had a member of my club bring a friend (from Massachusetts) who was a DM and had not warn a 7mm wetsuit, a hood or gloves for about five years. He panicked when he couldn't work the power inflater on his own BC. After we got him calm, I asked him how many dives he had done up here in New England. He said " Well I did about 5 dives a year up here and then I would go to Florida for all my cert's". He's planning on getting his Instructor Cert and teaching up here. Yikes!!

 

[vicky]

Here in the middle-east most of the divers do both courses together.
I recommend to gather some experience and then go on and do at least rescue diver and even better: dive master.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Originally posted by Wendy
I think that a diver should a min of 25 dives past ow cert dives. I think this because I thikn you need time to master the skills you learned in ow class before you go on to learn new things.

Students must master the skills they learn in OW before getting that certification. At least that is how it is supposed to work.

I like to see students do a few dives (5-10) before jumping into AOW. It gives them a bit of an opportunity to be exposed to a few aspects of diving so they can choose areas to concentrate on during AOW.

 

[MikeFerrara]

The biggest value I see in AOW is additional experience under supervision. Here is an example. Two weeks after OW a diver goes on vacation to the Caribbean. He/she immediatly takes part in 100ft dives sometimes swimming through wrecks. Yes we tell them not to but there is always a buddy or a Caribbean DM who tell them it is ok. I am scared to death at some of the stories I hear from new divers on their first trip. Trust me this happens every day. I garantee they will be better prepared for this garbage if they spent more time with me first. Wouldn't the deep, nav, wreck, night/limited vis or peak performance buoyancy dives with an instructor have served them well. Speaking in generalities, the divers I see who move directly in AOW enjoy diving more and keep diving. Others don't, they get frustrated or just loose interest. I can tell stories and give examples for hours on end. IMO, a newly certified diver is better off with continued supervision and this is a great time to continue the development of skills.

 

[TexasMike]

My personal opinion is somewhere after 15-25 dives.

In my personal dive experience, so much of the basics finally started coming together after my 15th dive that after dive #20, you compared me to me at dive #5, I would be a totally different diver.

Plus at that point (25 dives), I already had some ideas on where I wanted to take my diving, thus could cover that with the instructor.

But like others have said, it can depend on the diver. Some make take it earlier because they feel that they are ready. Others may desire to wait until they have a need to hold the advanced card.

 

[NJdiver85]

Part of the problem with the title "AOW" is the use of the word "advanced". AOW does not really teach advanced skills. It simply gives additional training in diving in what are relatively standard environments (deep, night, low vis). I say standard because these are environments that a beginning diver is likely to encounter very early in one's diving experience. The idea of a newly certified OW diver going on their first dive trip and doing a 100 foot dive and a night dive is a common reality. AOW is merely an extension of OW and as such, I don't see the value in putting it off. In addition, AOW certification has become a requirement on the NJ boat dives I go on, unless you are diving with an instructor or divemaster.

 

[ScubyDoo]

I guess I fall into that category of those who take thier AOW right after thier OW certification. I completed my OW cert dives about three weeks ago, and begin my AOW class in late April.

I agree with several prior posts that the term "advanced" is really out of context. The AOW course is really just an extension of the basic skills taught in OW. For example the 5 adventure dives Im doing to earn my AOW are: Night Diving; Deep Diving; Underwater Navigation; Search & Recovery; and Boat Diving. I am also taking Peak Performance Buoyancy as an extra.

I honestly don't see how taking these courses right after OW certification could be detrimental. I see them more as an extension to the knowledge and skills I have already obtained.

Lets look at this way:

All other things being equal, you have two student divers, Diver #1 and Diver #2.
Both take thier OW course together and complete thier OW cert dives together. Its still winter time and the local lakes are too cold for diving. Diver #1 decides to go ahead and take his AOW course while Diver #2 decides to just sit around and watch T.V.

Diver #1 completes his AOW course in early May just in time for warmer waters. He has had classroom work, knowledge reviews, and OW dives in Boat Diving, Deep Diving, Night Diving, Underwater Navigation, Search and Recovery, and Peak Performance Buoyancy. Diver #2 still only has his basic OW education, and hasnt even been in a wetsuit or blown bubbles for 2 months. Both of them go on separate vacations to the Bahamas and charter a dive boat. Neither of them have dive buddies with them and therefore will need to be assigned one

Which one would you want as a dive buddy?

 

[Uncle Pug]

Lot of good, informative and thoughtful posts so far in this thread....

I think that since time only allows the very basics to be taught in OW class that it is important for the beginning diver to get into an AOW class after those basics are mastered but before going on too far in their diving.

I only took the basic PADI OW and then started racking up a prodigious number of dives with my ex-navy dive buddy. He taught me a lot of my bad habits and others I learned on my own. There was no consideration of going back to take an AOW class.

That was many years ago and the only other formal training I have had up until a year or so ago was some public safety diver training for the fire dept.

A little over a year ago several of my dive buds and I began taking GUE classes. I used to be considered a monster diver but it was very apparent that I was just a monstrous diver. It was not an easy thing to go back a deal with some things that should have been developed long ago.

I would encourage OW students to take at least the AOW class before too many dives are under the transom. It is much easier to learn than to unlearn~n~learn.