another question about "advanced open water"

[Garfish]

Hi guys:

Thanks for all your interesting views about taking the advance open water course.

You know alot of these comments make sense. Although i made up my mind to take the course, one thing that i overlooked was alot of these specialitys like ice diving ect. one would need to have their advanced "C" card. I would love to try it.

I'm PADI certified and along with my dive experience i might pick up a little knowledge from the course but at least i'll have my "c" card and enjoy the course.

thanks much.....

Sam

 

[double125's]

If money is not a factor look at an SSI course. If memory serves me correct they issue you a advanced card after 5 speacialties. speacialty courses run $75 - $150 each and you can do it at your pace insted of doing 5 dives in one weekend. Plus you get books for every course.

 

[scubawife]

I hope I don't offend you or anyone else. My comments are meant to be constructive, not critical and I hope you take it that way. Of course, this is just my 2 cents.

It sounds like you've got some great skills and are a good diver, but do you really think that after logging 50 dives over a 3yr time period AOW isn't going to offer you a learning opportunity? Going into AOW with the attitude that there's not much for you to learn but you just want the card sounds like a waste of time to me and unrealistic.

Alot depends on the instructor. If you get a good instructor you will learn new things. Yes, your navigation is good using a compass in low vis or darkness, but how about other nav skills? Natural navigation for example. An instructor might give you pointers on new techniques or ways to refine your already acquired skills. Same goes for bouyancy and pretty much any other skill.

The deep dives I did for my AOW were more then just going deep. I'd already done a handful of 90-110' dives. We did skill drills and puzzles and other things at different depths to really see the effects, if any, going deep had.

There are specialties that you could choose that may enhance your diving experience too. It's an opportunity to try out things like photography or video without investing in the equipement.

I got my OW 16 months ago and I've logged 40 dives. I did my AOW just after 30 dives. I had 2 great instructors for AOW and did the class with just one other student. I'm glad I waited until I had more diving experience to do it, and I really did learn alot more then I expected.

Before you sign up for AOW, sit back and give your skills a really critical evaluation. Jot down the areas you'd like to improve or expand your skill level, and also think about what new things you'd like to get a taste for. Go talk to an instructor armed with your list. If you lay out your expectations and set some goals for the course, I'm sure you'll find that there's lots to learn.

 

[Charlie99]

With the experience you describe, you wouldn't get much out of most AOW classes. It is worth buying, bumming, or borrowing the AOW books and reading them through, but a class hardly seems useful in your case.

My recommendation is that you look into doing the Rescue course. AOW is normally stated as a prerequisite, but in reality it is "AOW or equivalent experience".

Ideally, you would find an instructor to do your Rescue course that goes a bit beyond the minimum and runs you through a mini-checkout and tuneup dive before the class.

In my experience, Florida Keys operators that want to see an AOW card before taking you to the wrecks have always accepted a Rescue card instead.

 

[Diversauras]

What is in the YMCS Silver Advanced? More than in the other programs?

 

[MikeFerrara]

It's possible to take a rescue class (or other class) and get credit for AOW based on experience. So...if you have the dives and the skills at the descretion of the instructor you can skip AOW.

 

[Walter]

Greg,

I don't have the time to get into it right now, but I'll be happy to answer you tonight.

 

[Curly]

I'd been certified a few years, and had done a good job of keeping current, educating myself, and working on improving my diving techniques.

Earlier this month, I finally did the NAUI AOW class through my LDS. They have a really good crew of instrcutors associated with the shop, and again I was truly impressed with the instructor's experience, and how much he really cared about what you got out of the class.

Most of the stuff covered I already knew -- but he put much of it into the perspective of experience. It was the actual diving that was valuable. Different, unfamiliar buddies, group dives, more in-depth dive planning, etc. Any time you can get six dives (of different types) accomplished in two days, it's worthwhile!

I am really glad that I took the course, and am now planning to start the Master class in the spring.

 

[AliKat]

Do the AOW just so you can do the rescue...unless you really can find an instructor who will take just "experience" and go straight to rescue. Not sure if that work for PADI or not, but I guess you could try. But I think every diver should do a rescue course.

 

[MASS-Diver]

CincyBengalsFan once bubbled...
I think that was well said. Get the card to get it for the 1% of dive boats that require it. I've been diving for 20 yrs and have yet to run across a boat that requires it but occasionally hear of one or two.

Come to NE sometime. At least in MA, if the dive is a deeper than 60', a wreck, a drift dive, etc., none of the major charter boats are letting you step foot onbaord w/out an AOW card.