Completed AOW this weekend

[AfterDark]

I look at this thread and wonder about the psychology of some of the posts. The OP started a thread with great joy and excitement to say he had a great experience in a class and learned a lot. What more needs to be said except congratulations?

Instead, we have people repeating stale and tired (decades old) criticisms of the theory of the class itself. They tell him the class he felt so good about and learned so much in sucked, even though they were not there and didn't see it. He may have had the greatest instructional experience in the history of scuba, but these people cannot refrain from saying how bad it must have been because they know so much better.

It makes me sad.

What makes me sad is the fact that they are mostly correct.

 

[ffdiver]

AOW is so minimal after basic, that IMHO it is just another money maker for PADI et al. I find it amusing that they call it "advanced"

I'm sorry you felt that your AOW class wasn't worth it, but as an instructor, even if I went as minimal as possible on all the required dives the class would still be filled with very useful and practical information and skills. At no point does PADI or the instructor say that after AOW you will be an expert in every facet of diving. The class is meant as an introduction into different diving activities, under the supervision of an instructor. Which I have yet to see is in any way, bad for a new OW diver.

And aside from materials and certification cost how is padi really making money. Every agency has a version of the AOW class, why is padi the evil money maker?


Goodlifedivers.com

 

[Paladin]

Congratulations. I've done everything toward my own AOW except for the deep dive. The way things look right now, I probably won't be able to get to that for awhile. I'm glad you got yours!

 

[scadreau]

How is any diving bad? Taking a class to ensure you have an instructor with while you push your limits has become a bad thing? Any diving that is done safely is good diving. Some days I don't want to drag my butt to the murky lake to do a single makeup dive for one student, but I do because I want to dive.

For the OP: Don't listen the the negativity. Go dive! However you accomplish that is good. Dive dive dive dive dive!

 

[John from the burg]

Congrats on your aow and thanks for sharing.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The AOW cert is a joke that for some reason unbeknownst to me will get you onto a boat when an OW cert wont. I am doing my AOW "deep" dive this week in a body of water that if I bury my SPG in the sand at the bottom will probably read 65'. Happy day, now I'm "qualified" to do more "advanced" dives.

I'd say that's your fault for choosing the wrong instructor. Welcome to diving ... the last bastion of "I'm responsible for what happens to me" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[jmneill]

I'd say that's your fault for choosing the wrong instructor. Welcome to diving ... the last bastion of "I'm responsible for what happens to me" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

While I could have shopped around (driven further) for a more aggressive instructor, I would have to lay the blame on PADI's low standards for AOW. I am not in personal need of the experience as I already have it, but PADI handing out AOW certs with the bar set so low has gotta lead to trouble. The newly crowned diver's next dive could be double his AOW "deep dive" depth. Tell me how this is ok?

 

[usmarinekurt]

Nice job
take what you've learned and use it wisely
disregard the negative turds here
you are on your way

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

While I could have shopped around (driven further) for a more aggressive instructor, I would have to lay the blame on PADI's low standards for AOW. I am not in personal need of the experience as I already have it, but PADI handing out AOW certs with the bar set so low has gotta lead to trouble. The newly crowned diver's next dive could be double his AOW "deep dive" depth. Tell me how this is ok?

No ... lay the blame on yourself. There's plenty of really good instructors in Florida. You could have found one. You chose to be lazy and go for convenience. In diving, poor choices can get you dead.



The difference between well skilled and poorly skilled divers has more to do with their choices than it does with their training ... or the agency they trained with. And if PADI's standards don't suit you, there are other alternatives.

Crappy attitudes generally lead to crappy choices ... which makes for crappy divers ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[danvolker]

No ... lay the blame on yourself. There's plenty of really good instructors in Florida. You could have found one. You chose to be lazy and go for convenience. In diving, poor choices can get you dead.



The difference between well skilled and poorly skilled divers has more to do with their choices than it does with their training ... or the agency they trained with. And if PADI's standards don't suit you, there are other alternatives.

Crappy attitudes generally lead to crappy choices ... which makes for crappy divers ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Awesome video clip to underscore a huge problem in our culture today....so many people do not attempt to make informed choices. In dive instruction, there is a huge need for the students to be seeking out the good instructors, and not to just assume that any diveshop will have a good instructor. At locales like BHB Marine Park, the problem is reaching epic proportions...See http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/sn...i-upgrade-us-divers-aqualung.html#post6386660