"C" card dives limits

[derwoodwithasherwood]

Anyone have any idea how the old NASDS open water fits into all this? The limit is (was?) 100'. Is that recognized or is OW = OW regardless of agency?

 

[Scuba]

Knowledge and experience go hand in hand. Regardless of what the card says, it is practice and experience, in addition to the knowledge obtained in the course - that will increase your safety on a dive. Basic diving skills should be practiced in shallow water in case something goes wrong. Gradually increasing your limits, only after gaining competence in one level, is the key to long term safe diving. Don't rely blindly on anyone underwater, buddy, guide, DM, or instructor.

 

[gle]

I have never been asked to show more than my basic OW card. However, I did dive with an operation in Hawaii that, despite showing them an AOW card, required I dive a 40'-60' dive with them before anything more advanced. At first I was upset and left. After thinking about it I felt that was a really good idea, so I called them back. It sure made me feel a lot better about the buddy I was diving with the next day. What a great idea for tourist operations. If we don't know you, and nobody we know will vouch for you, then you must prove yourself to us in safer conditions first.

have any of you noticed that the majority of problems with dive operations come from Florida ...... I have dove all over the world and with the exception of France the most problems and complaints about being ripped off some way have come from Florida.

Much the same reason Windows has more viruses than any other platform, Florida has more problems due to the disproportionate number of dive operations here. Florida has some of the best diving in the world, and is cheaper than just about any comparable destination. A 2 tank dive trip is around $45US. Most other places I have been start around $100US. Truth be told, there are surprisingly few horror stories coming out of Florida. There is so much competition here that getting ripped off is mostly the customer's fault. It is easy to check around. I can not say much for France, except that I checked out a couple of dive operations there. The guides for both operations were chain smokers, and the shop reeked of cigar smoke.

 

[miketsp]

I have never been asked to show more than my basic OW card. However, I did dive with an operation in Hawaii that, despite showing them an AOW card, required I dive a 40'-60' dive with them before anything more advanced.
..snip..

If you want to dive the Corvette V17 in Fernando de Noronha, the minimum requirement is AOW, 50 logged dives, NITROX and you have to do up to 3 dives with the operator below 40m. Pre V17 checkout dives are normally done at the Pontal do Norte, 42m.

 

[TomP]

A dive operator in the Dominican Republic wouldn't let my wife go on dives deeper than 60 feet because she wasn't AOW certified. The operator was a PADI affiliate and claimed that their insurance required adherence to the 60 foot limit for OW divers. We've dove with countless other PADI affiliated operators across the Caribbean and never heard this before [or since]. My LDS said these were PADI guidelines and requires AOW for local (NJ) charters it runs.

In any case, if you're planning a dive vacation and OW certified this is definately a question worth asking before you book with any operator.

 

[mxracer19]

Yeah. Basically...for anywhere off the coast of NJ and alot of places in the northeast...to even get on the boat you need AOW

-Matt

 

[ScubaMarc]

Pura Vida dive shop in Roatan has a policy that you can not dive deeper than 60 feet with out an AOW card or a log book with numerous dives deeper than 60 feet. My group of divers was allowed to go deeper than 60 feet. But durring my stay I overheard a 2 divers that they dove many times deeper than 60 feet with no proof so the dive shop would not let them dive under 60 feet. The couple decided to go to anther dive shop.

 

[TomP]

Yeah. Basically...for anywhere off the coast of NJ and alot of places in the northeast...to even get on the boat you need AOW

-Matt

But it's not a great approach since AOW has been commoditized with many folks taking it right on the heels of OW without gaining much practical experience in between. Captain Klein of LI's Eagles Nest has a policy that favors logs over cert level as an indicator of skill level. His approach makes a lot more sense to me.

 

[jbisjim]

IMHO i do not think a AOW card mean you are an advanced diver. I know we have discussed this before. Some have taken aow right after OW and only have 10 dives to their name and have a AOW card. I know Naui used to do it that way, not sure if they still do. SDI requires some specialties and 25 dives. (deep, nitrox, etc)

I too have gone on advaced dives and only needed an OW card. I am starting to see more shops require AOW cards and / or check your logs.. which i think liability is catching up with them, and i think it is a good thing.

I personally would like to see more dives required from alll agencies to obtain a AOW card. I would like to see the AOW card mean something more than it does sometimes. I am not saying there are not divers who are not qualified to have an AOW card, but IMHO there a a lot who are not.

/end opinion

 

[J75]

Michael,

Here in Jersey, most charter boats require that you have at least AOW. You will not be allowed to participate in any night diving either (regardless of depth) if you are not AOW certified.

J.