AOW skills

[texdiveguy]

Thanks for the explanation....I should have figured that out...gee.

 

[SquattingRadishDM]

I think we are getting a little off topic in the heat of the discussion.

The basic idea of the AOW is to introduce the student to new diving pratices/scenarios under the supervision/guidance of an instructor. Not learning 15 or so skills like the OW and repeating them but learning how new skills are used on a dive. This is essentially what O-Ring was saying I think.

OW - This is how to survive underwater

AOW - These are the skills you will use on a dive where you do not have a baby sitter.

-Jack

 

[pipedope]

General slams of agencies and instructors are NOT helpful in this or any other thread.

The skills and knowledge covered in AOW will vary between agencies but even more between instructors.

Some people will choose an instructor that will hand out a card.
Other people choose an instructor that will teach them something and will require performance of the skills before awarding the cert.

 

[SquattingRadishDM]

hmm, last 2 or 3 posts got deleted ?!?

 

[O-ring]

Yeah, mostly my fault. Apologies to the general membership..

 

[geraldp]

1.Deep
2.U/W nav.
3.Peak Performance Buoyancy
4.Search and REscue
5.Night Dive

This brings up a question that I've had for a while. SSI defines AOW level as 25 dives plus 4 Specialties. I assumed PADI and the other agencies were close to being equivelent (i.e. I've always assumed that my agency was no better or worse than the other international certification agencies). I was really surprised to read a post the other day that somebody with only "about a dozen dives" claimed to have his AOW certification (I don't know what his agency was). Now I personally chose Specialties that were fairly close to the list above. I suppose I could have chosen some bonehead Specialties like Computer Diving, Boat Diving, Equipment Techniques, & Photography, and would have missed out on learning some critical scuba skills. I realize that Advanced Open Water level simply means that you're an advanced beginner, but can you really get an AOW cert with only a dozen dives?

Especially if flashing an AOW card is the only requirement for a charter to take a diver on a 130 foot wreck dive in cold water with strong currents.

 

[idahodivers]

I'm planning to do my AOW soon and would like to know what the skills are that will be taught and practiced. Yes, I could ask my instructor, but he's in Hawaii and can be difficult to get in touch with, so I thought I'd ask all the experts here. TIA

We just did our AOW this past weekend. The two required dives are deep and nav. Our deep was 62 feet at 3'000+ altitude and cold water. The nav dive was swimming a rectangular course and a pyramid course. The three other dives are selected from the various AOW disciplines. We did peak performance buoyancy with hovering off our knees etc. Then diver propulsion vehicles, not my personal cup of tea, but they move that's for sure. Lastly we did Nitrox. We also did two more Nitrox dives as our class was combined AOW/Nitrox.

 

[idahodivers]

We just did our AOW this past weekend. The two required dives are deep and nav. Our deep was 62 feet at 3'000+ altitude and cold water. The nav dive was swimming a rectangular course and a pyramid course. The three other dives are selected from the various AOW disciplines. We did peak performance buoyancy with hovering off our knees etc. Then diver propulsion vehicles, not my personal cup of tea, but they move that's for sure. Lastly we did Nitrox. We also did two more Nitrox dives as our class was combined AOW/Nitrox.

P.S. Search and recovery too, just remembered.

 

[DiveMaven]

I have to agree with GeraldP...it doesn't make much sense to me that you can take AOW immediately after OW and without any diving experience, dive a deep wreck in currents. When we were in Key Largo, either an AOW or 25 logged ocean dives were required by most ops to take you to the Spiegel Grove. Personally, I thought the ocean diving requirement made more sense than just the AOW and I thought they should have said AOW AND 25 ocean dives at the very least.

I know a few people who have their AOW who have less practical diving experience than I do, yet they are "qualified" to do these advanced dives. I won't dive the Grove until I have a lot more experience and training since I know my limitations well, but there are many who have AOW who seem to leave their common sense on the dock.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I think we are getting a little off topic in the heat of the discussion.

The basic idea of the AOW is to introduce the student to new diving pratices/scenarios under the supervision/guidance of an instructor. Not learning 15 or so skills like the OW and repeating them but learning how new skills are used on a dive. This is essentially what O-Ring was saying I think.

OW - This is how to survive underwater

AOW - These are the skills you will use on a dive where you do not have a baby sitter.

-Jack

I have a different view. AOW is where you stop depending on rote instruction and start developing skills through comprehension. It's where you start defining the goals you want to accomplish and take a more interactive role in your instruction. It's where you can, and should, hold your instructor to a higher level of competence.

AOW dives should be conducted in a cogent order ... one that introduces skills on each dive that you can build upon with each successive dive as the course progresses. Buoyancy control should be practiced and refined on every dive ... not just on specified dives. You should be challenged and task loaded to help you understand that diving isn't just a collection of individual skills so much as a system of interdependent skills. Gas management should be thoroughly covered in the classroom prior to the deep dive ... as should the effects of decompression and narcosis. You should be able to know how to determine if you've got enough gas in your cylinder for the dive you're planning to do, when to turn around, and when to begin your ascent. You should be taught how to recognize when things aren't going right, so you can break a chain of events that might otherwise lead to a very bad situation. Buddy skills should be covered thoroughly before you get in a limited visibility situation ... as should proper use of dive lights. You should learn how to plan a dive ... and how to interact effectively with your buddy during the dive.

AOW is a step toward self-sufficiency ... but it's not a license to go to 130 feet without understanding what you're doing. It's an opportunity to engage your intellect and start asking cogent questions about the skills you need to develop in order to become a competent scuba diver.

And even done correctly, it's only a small step in the right direction ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)