We'll be teaching an AOW course the last weekend of August at Lake Pleasant. Our course is not just another PADI cert. It will help you become a better diver. We'll sit by the water discussing some of the different concepts and conditions of diving, and then we'll apply them during actual dives. AOW is a 5-dive course. PADI requires a Deep dive and an Underwater Navigation dive. The other 3 dives we choose to do are Altitude, Buoyancy, and Night. Here's a quick breakdown of the 5 areas:
Altitude - learn what you need to take into consideration when diving at altitude. Lake Pleasant may only be at 1700 feet above sea level, but this does affect the ATA pressure you experience and your off gassing. In other words, you need to calculate your depths at a theoretical depth that is deeper than your actual depth. Some computers compensate for this, many do not. And if you ever decide to dive in another area of Arizona or in New Mexico, the altitude is even higher. Come learn more about this!
Buoyancy - Okay, so you think you have your buoyancy down? Think again. We're instructors and cave divers and we still go to the lake on a regular basis to practice buoyancy. This is one skill you never master. You just keep improving it. Learn some techniques to use and practice during your dives!
Night - Afraid of the dark? Don't be! There's a lot to be seen on night dives. That's when the fish come out of their holes to feed in the lake. Why do you think people who fish get up so early in the morning? See what it's like to be in the water in the dark (well, we will have lights). It's like diving a whole new site!
Underwater navigation - It can be enough trouble just trying to navigate the streets of Phoenix or Tucson, never mind 30 feet underwater! In open water you learned how to swim a straight line, get your reciprocal and swim back. For this dive, we'll teach you how to truly use the compass and underwater topography so that you can swim around looking at things and make it back to your entry point.
Deep - Okay, so you've been deep before, but did you stop to think about the effects the pressure was having on you? Did you stop to enjoy the narcosis? You'll actually perform some skills at a depth below 60 feet and take a moment to enjoy the narcosis. After all, that's what it's there for!
In addition to learning more about these specialty areas of diving, you'll also earn a certification that will open up some of the locations you can dive. True, lots of dive ops don't care what your level of certification is, but some do. And the ones that do won't let you dive on their boats or property without an AOW cert or higher. So come on out and dive with us!
For more details, visit the SouthwestScuba Services page, then contact me here, through e-mail, or by phone. Come dive with us!
Altitude - learn what you need to take into consideration when diving at altitude. Lake Pleasant may only be at 1700 feet above sea level, but this does affect the ATA pressure you experience and your off gassing. In other words, you need to calculate your depths at a theoretical depth that is deeper than your actual depth. Some computers compensate for this, many do not. And if you ever decide to dive in another area of Arizona or in New Mexico, the altitude is even higher. Come learn more about this!
Buoyancy - Okay, so you think you have your buoyancy down? Think again. We're instructors and cave divers and we still go to the lake on a regular basis to practice buoyancy. This is one skill you never master. You just keep improving it. Learn some techniques to use and practice during your dives!
Night - Afraid of the dark? Don't be! There's a lot to be seen on night dives. That's when the fish come out of their holes to feed in the lake. Why do you think people who fish get up so early in the morning? See what it's like to be in the water in the dark (well, we will have lights). It's like diving a whole new site!
Underwater navigation - It can be enough trouble just trying to navigate the streets of Phoenix or Tucson, never mind 30 feet underwater! In open water you learned how to swim a straight line, get your reciprocal and swim back. For this dive, we'll teach you how to truly use the compass and underwater topography so that you can swim around looking at things and make it back to your entry point.
Deep - Okay, so you've been deep before, but did you stop to think about the effects the pressure was having on you? Did you stop to enjoy the narcosis? You'll actually perform some skills at a depth below 60 feet and take a moment to enjoy the narcosis. After all, that's what it's there for!
In addition to learning more about these specialty areas of diving, you'll also earn a certification that will open up some of the locations you can dive. True, lots of dive ops don't care what your level of certification is, but some do. And the ones that do won't let you dive on their boats or property without an AOW cert or higher. So come on out and dive with us!
For more details, visit the SouthwestScuba Services page, then contact me here, through e-mail, or by phone. Come dive with us!