Why Ever take Advanced Open Water...

[PvtStash]

when with another 26 dives you can get your Master Diver?


I have 22 dives now and I'm looking to further my dive education in the Fall (Octoberish). I will definately have more than 50 dives by then, I'm looking at my continuing education options and see that with Advanced Open Water I get 4 specialties (excluding stress & rescue) and with Master Diver 4 specialties including stress and rescue.

My thinking is if I'm going to pay for Deep, Nav, Night, EAN, Stress & Rescue (and have over 50 dives already) I'd be a fool to have that card read Advanced when I can have it read Master, ie I'm not going to pay for it Twice.

I cant imagine there is AOW-specific training (Not the specialties) as if that were the case you'd think SSI would make AOW a pre-requisite for Master Diver (they dont).

The only reason I can think of why anyone would take AOW over the Master program is if they (for whatever reason) didnt think they could get 50 dives in.

What am I missing?

 

[wedivebc]

If you find a decent instructor you can actually learn something from AOW. If not it's another card to add to the deck.

 

[PvtStash]

that you believe there IS AOW-specific knowledge that Wouldnt be addressed in a Master program?

Is it really all the luck of the instructor draw? as if there IS no agency-sanctioned course-program/syllabus?

 

[salibandy]

In your case it make total sense to skip your Advance card.

But imagine someone who has done all the specialty courses and hasn't reached 50 dives. He wants to go dive a particular site but is not allowed to because he has not chosen to get an Advance card. See what I mean? In his case, it would make sense to.

 

[b1gcountry]

I think everyone should note that this is in the SSI forum, and IIRC, SSI does not have an AOW "class" you just need to take four complete specialty courses, including deep and nav. Once you have your four courses, you just need to apply for the card, and pay a processing fee.

If you already have your 4 specialties, you already have the AOW certification, you just haven't paid for the physical card yet.

Tom

 

[ucfdiver]

There's a few dive ops in S. Fl that won't let me dive on their boat because I don't have AOW, even with other cards that clearly permit me to go 100ft deep.

 

[Web Monkey]

when with another 26 dives you can get your Master Diver?


I have 22 dives now and I'm looking to further my dive education in the Fall (Octoberish). I will definately have more than 50 dives by then, I'm looking at my continuing education options and see that with Advanced Open Water I get 4 specialties (excluding stress & rescue) and with Master Diver 4 specialties including stress and rescue.

The various SSI levels are composed of complete individual classes like Navigation, Stress and Rescue, etc.

There is no requirement that you purchase any C-Card at any particular point, so if you're going for "Master Diver" you can wait until you've met all the requirements, then get the card.


Terry

 

[jonnythan]

Advanced Open Water is just 4 courses and 25 dives. Master Diver is 4 courses, Stress & Rescue, and 50 dives.

You could have your AOW card, then take Rescue to get your Master Diver card. Master Diver and AOW are not separate courses. They're just "qualification levels."

AOW is indeed a prerequisite for MD because you automatically are AOW after four courses and 25 dives.

 

[PvtStash]

aha... ok that makes sense... , the way its being packaged/sold at my LDS made it seem as if they were courses in and of themselves that were taken in sequence.

 

[heelsfaninpa]

One thing you should also know about the Stress/Rescue course...To get certified Stress/Rescue, you will also need a first aid and cpr class. That's one thing that my LDS failed to mention to me when I signed up for the class. Luckily, I am certified first aid and cpr through my job, so when I finished my Stress/Rescue course, I took in my first aid/cpr certification cards and a few weeks later I received my Master Diver card including the stress/rescue specialty included on the card.

If you haven't taken a first aid and cpr class, you will need to do that prior to getting your master diver certification.