When to take Advanced O/W Training???

[fishb0y]

I would say take the class after you get your own equipment. As it was said in an earlier post, AOW should really be called Open Water part deux. The skills taught in that class (particularly navigation and night diving) are skills that should learned right away. Besides, a few more dives with an instructor never hurt anyone.

 

[daniel f aleman]

Master Diver is the new Advanced Open Water Diver.

After OW and 20 dives or so, take AOW with Peak Performance Buoyancy and Navigation and Night Diver; then after 35 dives, take Rescue along with CPR and First Aid. After 50 open water dives, total, take a Nitrox course along with a Deep Diver course.

If you're like a lot of people and go to places like Cozumel and Southeast Florida you can take Drift Diver and Boat Diver courses anyime after OW.

After the above and 100 open water dives you should have a real grasp of recreational diving basics, then you can seek-out instructors that can help you dive more complicated profiles and hone your skills.

 

[TheDom]

Since I'm completely unfamiliar with your ability, I'd say: "Well, that depends..." It really depends on the quality of your OW instruction and what you were able to glean from it. First and foremost, you should be comfortable with yourself and your gear in the water. If you get easily flustered and task-loaded when, say, you get water in your mask, you may want to take some time to improve your skills before going out on a night or deep dive. Some people can handle AOW right after OW, others can not without more experience.

In general if after your OW class you're competent in the following, I'd say you're probably good to take AOW. (Taken from http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=121773 )

1. Initiate a descent without difficulties, control the rate and posture of your descent, and arrest the descent before contact with the bottom.

2. Be able to select your own required weight and evaluate whether it was appropriate, and adjust your trim as needed.

3. Be able to plan a dive, including some kind of rational gas management and navigation, and execute that plan.

4. Be able to make a controlled ascent at a desired ascent rate, and hold a 15 foot stop within reasonable accuracy (say, plus or minus five feet) without visual reference.

 

[zackhund]

I completed my AOW training in March of '05 having completed my OW training in November of '04. Why? I knew I would be taking my first big dive trip to Roatan in April. The AOW class provided me Deep and Night diving experinence! I think I got much more out of my deep and night dives in Roatan, because I had already experienced both kinds of dives. My advice is: Take the training when you are ready! Take the training for the right reason!

 

[Nut Bubblefish]

I tend to think that going to the AOW needs a minimum experience, in order to be able to concentrate on the right things during the teaching.
Thus, a minimum of 10-20 dives sounds reasonable, and gives you the opportunity to feel comfortable with the equipment. These dives being above 18 m, you will be at a lesser risk when acquiring your dive skills.

Now if your major issue is buoyancy, take the Peak Performance Buoyancy specialty, and do not wait 20 dives for that. It is quick, fun, and so useful. You will drop a pair of kilos on your belt, improve your air consumption, and start "flying" for good in just 2 days. Another good thing is that you will use the skills you learnt in each and every dive after that. You will also be able to look at tiny little things in the coral without destroying all the marine life around you.

For me, the best plan for training is OW, Peak perfomance Buoyancy, then AOW.

Bottom line in diving, as far as I can say: never rush anything. :05:

 

[ththooft]

I took my AOW after about 2 months and 20 dives. The nice thing was that most of our (my wife and I went through it all together) dives were with instructors, so we had constant "training." I agree that bouyancy is a key skill for this class, but you also learn a great deal. It's such a fun course, and I would definitely recommend it.

You know your own skills, so don't feel like you have to listen to all of us. Just go out, be safe, and have fun!

 

[StSomewhere]

Buoyancy is a good skill. Static buoyancy is great skill.

When I did the PPB class they had us swim through hula hoops. :06: That's more like trajectory management than actual buoyancy skills.

To get to static buoyancy you need to be able to hover motionless. Good trim (i.e. being horizontal) is important because if you are "fins down" you can easily be overweighted and compensate, even unconciously, with fin kicks. Being able to hover motionless with good trim will also get your air consumption down considerably because you will no longer be working at swimming to compensate for lack of depth control.

Its too bad that skill isn't actually taught in most PPB classes. It does make a great interview question for any potential PPB/AOW instructor before you pay your money for the class, though.

 

[daniel f aleman]

Good trim (i.e. being horizontal) is important because if you are "fins down" you can easily be overweighted and compensate, even unconciously, with fin kicks.

Some of us dive in the ocean.

Having static buoyancy "fins down" is important as well: on wall dives, amongst large fish (shark, dolphin, grouper, etc.), holding at the 15' safety stop, and especially, when sharing air or tending to a stressed diver at depth.

 

[dl348]

It's different for each person but I personally took AOW after approx. 25 dives under my belt. I felt like I was ready for it and AOW definitely made me a better diver. Like I said, it varies from one person to another. Good Luck.

 

[StSomewhere]

Some of us dive in the ocean.

Yeah, congrats, me too.

Having static buoyancy "fins down" is important as well: on wall dives, amongst large fish (shark, dolphin, grouper, etc.), holding at the 15' safety stop, and especially, when sharing air or tending to a stressed diver at depth.

Fins down isn't static bouyancy.

If you can't do a wall dive, hold a set of safety stops (not just 15' but all of them), or do an air share, etc. in good trim then you don't have static buoyancy. You may be overweighted, and are definitely swimming up to compensate. I know you despise all things DIR, but this is a core skill that anyone who has passed DIR-F has mastered.

Its a shame more agencies that offer buoyancy classes don't emphasize this.