Then go dive more and with a whole lot of different people so that you can get some real life experience. Then take a GUE Fundamentals class or UDT/TDI's equivalence. After that, start taking the tech diving courses. Don't waste your time with silly ass specialty dives like boat dives, night dives, PADI wreck dive (what a joke), etc.
I agree! I understand that AOW is worthwhile for many relative beginners that wish to learn more and get more time with an instructor. I'm not sure that such relative beginners should all be given a cert to 100 ft, but I've never seen warm water or vis over 15m so maybe I overestimate the challenge of what 100 ft will be to most divers. Rescue also seems to a course most find extremely worthwhile.
BUT AFTER THESE I have never understood why so many people who really want to improve their diving skills don't invest in something like TDI's "Intro to Tech". Just because it's a whole new kind of course it's bound to offer you incredibly much more. Fundies was a good suggestion too, but from what I've read it sounds like a lot of Fundies students start with a pretty impressive skill set. It might not be the right place for a relatively green "advanced diver". I say relatively green because most of the new master divers I see featured in PADI's magazine (UK version) have less than 200 lifetime dives. At 200 dives I might think I was ready to begin a Fundies class, not be a gradute of one.
Slightly off-topic - Magazine feature backfires
PADIs featuring these new master divers in their magazine has been a big turnoff on the whole "Master Diver" title for me. I've seen several that weren't even 17, many with less than 100 lifetime dives, many that had only been diving 1-3 yrs. Probably a few to whom all 3 of these "points of concern" apply! So these are "master divers"? I liked the title a whole lot more before the magazine showcased for me how many had spent such minimal time achieving it and were so close to the minimum required experience.
I would buy my kid/recommend to a friend a beginning tech class. It's a whole new ballgame, a whole new level of play & very worthwhile.
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