I agree. Your positoin is clearly from the position that a well trained ow can directly continue to AOW. I just dont see that many OWs that have the OW skills down even after AOW.
I agree with you. In a perfect world, every OW should have sufficient competency to progress to AOW. In that circumstance, AOW becomes a progressive and developmental experience.
We don't live in a perfect world - so many OW divers emerge from training with a skill-set significantly below the necessary prerequisite for progressive training at AOW. At best, AOW becomes a remedial experience. At worst, it becomes an extension of earlier sub-standard training and offers neither remedial nor progressive skill benefits.
In itself, the issue of sub-standard OW-AOW progression is not critical. Most divers self-correct over time - if they are actively involved with the hobby and engage with the wider diving community. Those who dive infrequently and who don't interact with the wider diving community are unlikely to progress their skill-set at all... and are more likely to experience a significant deterioration from their initial post-training competency.
However, the linking of AOW qualification to a progression in depth and activity limits is critical. If the OW-AOW process is flawed (in reality, if not theory), then the system is effectively recommending limits beyond the capabilities provided by the training. I've drawn attention to the fact that PADI don't formally link increased limits to the AOW course. However, the diving community/industry do... and that reality should be addressed by the scuba training agencies.
Either; training has to be improved to meet the desired outcome limitations, or the outcome limitations have to be categorically re-defined to match the actual product of training.
In respect of the current reality of OW and AOW training...and the logic behind an immediate/swift progression between those two levels - we can identify that training outcomes do not match scuba industry practices, especially in regards to depth limitations (AOW dive to 30m/100ft). AOW should be disassociated from depth limits altogether - as this prevents the dangerous situation where divers are 'approved' (even encouraged?) to dive beyond their formal skill-set, breadth of experience and level of comfort.
We recognize that 'in reality' the outcome product of OW training is generally of a standard below the 'on paper' expectations. With respect to continuance onto AOW training, is it more logical to encourage below-par divers into timely further educations.... or does it make more sense to deny them that training and defer it until their skills have somehow (without further formal educational input) improved themselves?
To me, that sounds a bit Spartan. Release them from OW training and throw them to the wolves. Those that survive long enough to develop skills on their own can be re-admitted into the training structure. (
"survive" = maintain an active interest in scuba diving, not "you're gonna die", by the way...)
