AOW Course materials/agency

[sapphire]

right now to navigate around my house! I can't look bad when I take that Navigation class in Cozumel!

Or maybe the Search and Recovery?? That might be useful in finding my lost youth....

sapphire

 

[Krisscuba]

I was a NASDS Instructor. I did not like the agency either. When they went out, the instructors crossed over to SSI. If you do not like NASDS, SSI may not be the right way to go.

I was with PADI for 12 years, there cert, si.e. advanced are a joke.

SSI does requires 20 dives and specialties in several areas.

I very much like SDI Scuba Diving International. It is SDI/TDI. Originally Technical Diving Internatinal. They got into the Recreational side a few years ago. their info is modern and up to date, i.e. all open water students are trained with computers.

 

[DailyLunatic]

diverbrian once bubbled...
For the information of others, the requirement for SSI Advanced Open Water diver is 24 dives AND four specialties. The four specialties can be taken in one course as I did it or separately over time.

Do you know if SSI will accept specialties from other agencies? I have a PADI Underwater Photographer Specialty I got on a livaboard on vacation a few years ago and would like to know if it will count.

 

[Phish-phood]

Correct me if I am wrong but by the sounds of things all you need is the actual card to say you are AOW or equivalent because you have done an AOW course but not been signed off and it sounds like you have been diving since then anyway. If that's the case then why not just do the PADI AOW course for the sake of getting the card? I know this may sound like badge collecting to people but if you are an experienced diver and as you say just looking for the 'official certification' then I wouldn't really consider it badge collecting. You can get some really good deals on AOW prices and can tie them in quite easily with a trip.

Here if you want to do the PADI rescue course you must show proof of certification to the AOW or equivalent level which without a C-Card you can't really do that. You can buy the book quite easily, have a look on e-bay, often there are some going second hand but failing that talk to your LDS or an instructor or ring PADI.

A lot of people say that the AOW is a waste of time and to a certain degree I totally agree. The only one advantage I would see is that you are officially qualified to dive to 30 metres and so you gain many more options with your diving, okay so you could dive to 30 metres on an OW cert but if something happens your insurance does not cover diving outside your training level. Also, although I have only gone a few dive trips I find that we are very often asked for proof of certification and if you don't have it you don't dive.

 

[sapphire]

Phish-phood once bubbled...
Correct me if I am wrong but by the sounds of things all you need is the actual card to say you are AOW or equivalent because you have done an AOW course but not been signed off and it sounds like you have been diving since then anyway. If that's the case then why not just do the PADI AOW course for the sake of getting the card? I know this may sound like badge collecting to people but if you are an experienced diver and as you say just looking for the 'official certification' then I wouldn't really consider it badge collecting. You can get some really good deals on AOW prices and can tie them in quite easily with a trip.

Here if you want to do the PADI rescue course you must show proof of certification to the AOW or equivalent level which without a C-Card you can't really do that. You can buy the book quite easily, have a look on e-bay, often there are some going second hand but failing that talk to your LDS or an instructor or ring PADI.

A lot of people say that the AOW is a waste of time and to a certain degree I totally agree. The only one advantage I would see is that you are officially qualified to dive to 30 metres and so you gain many more options with your diving, okay so you could dive to 30 metres on an OW cert but if something happens your insurance does not cover diving outside your training level. Also, although I have only gone a few dive trips I find that we are very often asked for proof of certification and if you don't have it you don't dive.

I did decide to do the advanced SSI while I am in Cozumel - got the books already and BOY are they basic. Well, the instructor was highly recommended to me by a friend, so I will just do my 4 classes and be officially 'advanced'!! Then I can investigate my options for Rescue later.

I leave Thursday at oh-dark-thirty for Cozumel and Little Cayman. Thanks for the input everyone! DiverBrian & CanuckDiver, sorry you won't fit in my suitcase!

sapphire

 

[diverbrian]

That's all right, I leave bright and early Thursday for Tobermorey. Not near as warm as where you are heading, but very historic.

HAVE A GREAT TIME!

 

[sapphire]

diverbrian once bubbled...
That's all right, I leave bright and early Thursday for Tobermorey. Not near as warm as where you are heading, but very historic.

HAVE A GREAT TIME!

You have fun, too, Brian. We'll compare photos when we both get back!

sapphire

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Walter once bubbled...
PADI's and YMCA's AOW are both a waste of time - 5 dives with no academics,

NAUI has an AOW with academics and 6 dives - a better choice.

YMCA has Silver Advanced with academics and 10 dives. You can learn quite a bit with this approach.

Not sure this is an accurate statement. When I received my YMCA AOW roughly two years ago I was required to complete a total of 161 pages of reading in their Advanced Sport Diver manual, and take a test ... in addition to the 5 dives.

Has something changed in the past two years?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Walter]

Bob,

You had an instructor who doesn't follow minimum standards. He adds to the course. The YMCA encourages this. It sounds like he taught the Silver Advanced class, but skipped half the dives, so you got the AOW card instead of the SA card. I prefer to teach the Silver Advanced class, add to it and have you do all 10 dives.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I could go for that ... the diving part of the class was a lot of fun. More dives equals more fun.

Just curious ... are the 10 dives just two each of the five AOW dives (nav, deep, boat, drift, and night) ... or is there something else thrown into the mix?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)