AOW Specialties

[PaulChristenson]

utdiver, I can't think of anywhere warm to dive right now in TN so drysuit may be a good option. I enjoyed wreck because I learned to shoot a bag. That was an SSI speciality; I'm not sure if PADI includes the liftbag. Nitrox is the most useful in every situation.

Bag activity occurs in Search & Recovery...

Nitrox is is own specialty that can be layered in on top of other dives...

Paul in VT

 

[joe rock]

I talked to my LDS when i picked up my book last week... they made it sound like I can do anything that is not wreck (no wrecks in the quarry he owns)

The search & recovery is a good dive to add to your AOW. You stated earlier you wanted the navigation and bouyancy dives. Search & Recovery will force you to use both skills in a practical way.

I did this dive in my AOW and it was one of the best to bring a lot of skills together.

Just my $.02

Joe

 

[PaulChristenson]

In my .02 I would take this class. You never know when you are out diving and need to react with a calm and fast reaction, to save a fellow diver. Just like knowing CPR, it saves lives. Someone will appreciate and thank you if you ever have to use your training. Just IMO

In PADI ...they are separate courses called Rescue Diver, which requires AOW first, and Emergency First Response (CPR and First aid, which is required before or in conjuction with Rescue Diver)

Paul in VT

 

[TheRedHead]

I talked to my LDS when i picked up my book last week... they made it sound like I can do anything that is not wreck (no wrecks in the quarry he owns)

Hmm..I would give him a call. If you are going to be diving in a local quarry, it's going to be cold. If you he mentioned drysuit to you, then maybe it's going to be really cold...

 

[daniel f aleman]

Stress and Recovery is NOT the same as a Rescue Course, the latter is a course by itself which includes CPR and First Aid training. Nitrox is NOT a PADI Specialty course, it is a stand-alone course. 80% of AOW students take the Stress and Recovery specialty.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

.......My LDS announced that besides the Deep and Navigation, I would take 1. Boat diving 2. PPBuoyancy and 3. Underwater naturalist. That day amounted to "Here's the boat, yes you're weighted correctly and there are the fish".

LOL. See more of these than I should.......Too funny man.

Actually it's a damn shame, but I'm used to hearing this lots, so now it's just funny.

 

[markfm]

Stress and Recovery is NOT the same as a Rescue Course, the latter is a course by itself which includes CPR and First Aid training. Nitrox is NOT a PADI Specialty course, it is a stand-alone course. 80% of AOW students take the Stress and Recovery specialty.

Learn something new every day. I've heard of someone doing Search & Recovery, but where I train it's more like 0% take that as part of their AOW. Where I live, night, deep, wreck, navigation and then generally a peak buoyancy or boat.

 

[utdivermatt]

Actually Daniel... looking at the book in front of me, there is no PADI stress and recovery in AOW. Sounds like something I would have liked to do though. I hope to get my rescue diver class done sometime in the next year.

 

[MarcG]

Stress and Recovery is NOT the same as a Rescue Course, the latter is a course by itself which includes CPR and First Aid training. Nitrox is NOT a PADI Specialty course, it is a stand-alone course. 80% of AOW students take the Stress and Recovery specialty.

What exactly is stress and recovery?

I've heard of stress and rescue, I've heard of search and recovery, but never stress and recovery. :14:

 

[RonFrank]

RonFrank has a good point, you better see what your LDS will offer before you get too set. My LDS announced that besides the Deep and Navigation, I would take 1. Boat diving 2. PPBuoyancy and 3. Underwater naturalist. That day amounted to "Here's the boat, yes you're weighted correctly and there are the fish".

But I guess it's more common than not. I'm growing to appreciate our LDS training more over time as I read stuff like this.

For our Peak Buoyancy we were required to do all sorts of UW drills following the Instructor through hoops at different depths, hanging motionless, swimming upside down through hoops. I was fun, and a bit of a challange to get it right.

Our altitude dive was just a dive, but then altitude diving is about theory and how to assess and adjust BT at altitude. We discussed the altitude, and logged the dives accordingly.

The Night dive we did was also a bit skimpy other than the fact we did out and back Navigation. Deep is just that deep. You do some drills at the surface, and then again at depth to judge the narc factor.

Our Navigation dive was good. We had to do out and back, squares, triangles, and keep track of kick cycles. Good stuff, and I would HOPE that most instructors do a LOT more than here's the boat, their's your weight, there's a fish, have fun. IMO that is JUST LAME.:06: