You are the customer. With 70 dives you must have an idea what your skills and interests are. Before paying for a class you need to investigate the class and instructor to ensure that you are getting what you want out of the class. There are different AOW classes out there. You needed to pick one that met your interest and experience level.
AOW? Joke? Meaningless?
- Thread starter gr8jab
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The thing about diving is there are alot of scuba Gods out there. People complain so much about new divers causing silt outs etc....... Me I love new divers better then experienced as they tend to usually be open minded and not down talkers. I'd dive with a new diver over an experienced diver almost any day. And when they become more experienced then by they time they are experienced we know each others dive habits and such.
As far as when is AOW really good to take depends on the diver. Some take the course because they know they need more training and want an instructor to help them. Some only take it so they can do better dives with dive ops that usually require AOW. But everyone takes it for their own reason. Me I just viewed it as what it was. A rung on the ladder and I Appreciate any and all courses I have taken no matter fluff or challenge.
As far as when is AOW really good to take depends on the diver. Some take the course because they know they need more training and want an instructor to help them. Some only take it so they can do better dives with dive ops that usually require AOW. But everyone takes it for their own reason. Me I just viewed it as what it was. A rung on the ladder and I Appreciate any and all courses I have taken no matter fluff or challenge.
That argument is fine in an ideal world but unfortunately not all of us live there. You take class X with a personal trainer, you may get the best instructor you can find in your area and get all you want out of the class. You take class X with a group, the same instructor may aim for "group-average" and you're getting the same amount of what you want only if you are the group-average.
freewillie
Contributor
OP
gr8jab
Contributor
Yes, I wish I could have done this. However, in practice, it is very hard. I live in Oregon. I was diving in Key Largo. I did the best I could to find a good shop and get references, but you can only learn so much via phone and email. Plus, they want the business and are all going to claim excellence and five star and all that. Officially, there is only one AOW. Even though some might do a much better job of teaching it or challenging the student's skills, such things are very hard to research in advance.
Additionally, without having taken the AOW class, I didn't know what to ask or how to get more out of it. If I had to do it all over again, with the benefit of hind sight, I could have targeted something more appropriate.
As with most things, it really depends on the student and the teacher.
I had been diving for over 15 years before I decided to take the Nitrox class. It was very beneficial, especially since it allowed me to used EAN.
Then I decided I 'should' take the AOW class, to move my diving along. As you have noticed for yourself, if you are already a competent, experienced diver, the AOW class is very rudimentary/boring. I was not impress by my instructor. I've changed LDS stores and won't deal with him again.
So, IMO, once a diver gets 20 or 30 dives under their belt, they should take AOW. Much of what is taught today in AOW was covered in our basic OW class back in 1989, even rescue and navigation.
I had been diving for over 15 years before I decided to take the Nitrox class. It was very beneficial, especially since it allowed me to used EAN.
Then I decided I 'should' take the AOW class, to move my diving along. As you have noticed for yourself, if you are already a competent, experienced diver, the AOW class is very rudimentary/boring. I was not impress by my instructor. I've changed LDS stores and won't deal with him again.
So, IMO, once a diver gets 20 or 30 dives under their belt, they should take AOW. Much of what is taught today in AOW was covered in our basic OW class back in 1989, even rescue and navigation.
OP
gr8jab
Contributor
OK... so I might sound a little snarky or superior when answering this, but I really don't mean it that way. Please read it as intended with a pleasant tone:
Navigation
Counting kicks for 100 feet - Yea, OK, nice to know I kick 25 times for 100 feet. So?
Compass out-and-back, and square - In poor visibility or at night, this might be helpful. But, I found this shockingly rudimentary. I was a boy scout and am pilot and engineer, so maybe my skills are above average. I could have done this without training, half asleep, and missing one eye. In fact, skills that I would have thought useful to help compensate for drift were not even discussed.
DeepCompass out-and-back, and square - In poor visibility or at night, this might be helpful. But, I found this shockingly rudimentary. I was a boy scout and am pilot and engineer, so maybe my skills are above average. I could have done this without training, half asleep, and missing one eye. In fact, skills that I would have thought useful to help compensate for drift were not even discussed.
Wow, look at this crushed water bottle - Yea, so.
Hey, look his red shorts are not red! - Yea, so.
BoatHey, look his red shorts are not red! - Yea, so.
Giant Stride with rope loose in hand - Yes, I'd never done this before, but mastered it on the 1st try.
Look up, there's the boat, don't hit it - Done this before and knew not to surface under the boat.
Fins off and ladder exit - Done this many times before, and learned nothing new.
NightLook up, there's the boat, don't hit it - Done this before and knew not to surface under the boat.
Fins off and ladder exit - Done this many times before, and learned nothing new.
Giant Stride with flashlight on and in hand - I always fumble with this a little, since I am also securing other gear and mask/reg during the entry.
Underwater signals in the dark - easy to forget sometimes, but obvious once you've done it.
Don't blind me bro - always happens anyway
DriftUnderwater signals in the dark - easy to forget sometimes, but obvious once you've done it.
Don't blind me bro - always happens anyway
Here, hold this rope - I'd never done this before, but it was simple.
Deploy DSMB - I asked to do this, since I had never done it before. It would not have happened otherwise. I wish I could do it several more times with an instructor's help.
Deploy DSMB - I asked to do this, since I had never done it before. It would not have happened otherwise. I wish I could do it several more times with an instructor's help.
Mouth Breather
Contributor
I had a similar - maybe worse - experience with my AOW "class", but then I had a terrible instructor who has since been expelled from PADI. It is one of the reasons I took rescue, and took it from an instructor who had a reputation of being a hard-ass. It was the best training I've gotten through PADI, somewhat challenging, and absolutely worthwhile. I highly recommend it, after you find a competent instructor with a stellar reputation. They're out there.
Also read "Diver Down" by Michael Ange. I'm not talking down to you in any way, but watch the over-confidence creeping in. You'll discover in Ange's book that many accidents are born from this.
Also read "Diver Down" by Michael Ange. I'm not talking down to you in any way, but watch the over-confidence creeping in. You'll discover in Ange's book that many accidents are born from this.
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