Did I just ruin my dive trip?

[Louie]

My Wife and I certified at the same time awhile back and have been avid local divers.
We decided last week to book a trip thru our dive shop to log some saltwater time down in mexico. I was totally physced about this dive trip until my wife went to the dive shop on her own for fills the other day and one of the instructors going on the same trip sold her on aow certs.By telling her you can only go on the boat at certain times because your only ow certed and you'll be the only ones in the shallow end while everyone else is in the deep end . Now dont get me wrong here I want to
move on to instructor and plan on moving thru the certifications because i love diving and we have talked about opening a dive shop in the future because were so addicted. But I wanted my first dive trip to be enjoyable and all about having fun diving. but now it seems were going back to class again in a tropical local .the reason I ask is because ive read here alot of people saying the aow cert is a waste of time. to just keep diving and and further yourself
and Im curious as to what i need to be expecting for the cert dives
Is it just fun dives that you gain experience on? or is it more like the original cert classes??

any info would help thanks all

Well, if you want to go further in your certs, you'll have to do AOW anyways so best to get the most out of it.

For practical purposes, it is a useful cert. Many operators will not take divers without AOW. Also, for insurance purposes, even if you are "allowed" to go deeper than the 18M by the operator, many policies stipulate coverage is only provided to the depth to which the diver is certified.

 

[countryboy]

The dive op in Coz was Scuba Club Cozumel...

Those that were not AOW, either did it or finished it up while there...

 

[Barracuda2]

The only way you become a truly ADVANCED Open Water Diver is through diving, diving, and more diving. I've been diving steady since 1958 and have done just about every type of dive except technical trimix diving, and cave penetration diving. (and I would never attempt these without proper training) I just got my AOW cert. last year because there is a quarry in our area that I have dove dozens of times shallow and deep. (130 ft.) but was restricted in the last couple of years because I wasn't aow. I figured that the trend will be (is) coming because of insurance that restrictions will be placed on bow certs. From what I've read here, that trend is starting at warm water sites. I can see the day when you will need aow to dive the Blue Hole off Belize, or certain Great Lakes wrecks, or penetrate the wrecks in Chuuk Lagoon. The only reason I got aow was to keep open the doors of diving for me so I'm not hit with restrictions when and where I want to dive. However, because of the availibility of this course, (there was no such cert. for me until the last 8-10 years) I think it's a good idea after you have many dives under your belt. I feel that you will gain much more from these skills because in the process of just diving, you will have already skirted or experienced the pros of having them and the cons of not. How can you really learn micro bouyancy when you are still getting use to the basics of bouyancy in your beginning diving experience.? Get diving experience before getting AOW. My $.02

Barracuda2

 

[corybaby]

My wife and i were certified for almost four years before we went for the aow, we had 150 dives......i think it was a good idea as you need to have really good skills to get the most out of the course, We got our nitrox cert first, that way we could be using enriched air for the course and clear thinking for nav and deep.
We never were denied any dive sites and have about 6 tropical and mexico trips under our belts.....anyway you know what your experience deems you capable of not what your cert card says....if your new,(less than 50 dives) i wouldnt recomend it ....yet

My Wife and I certified at the same time awhile back and have been avid local divers.
We decided last week to book a trip thru our dive shop to log some saltwater time down in mexico. I was totally physced about this dive trip until my wife went to the dive shop on her own for fills the other day and one of the instructors going on the same trip sold her on aow certs.By telling her you can only go on the boat at certain times because your only ow certed and you'll be the only ones in the shallow end while everyone else is in the deep end . Now dont get me wrong here I want to
move on to instructor and plan on moving thru the certifications because i love diving and we have talked about opening a dive shop in the future because were so addicted. But I wanted my first dive trip to be enjoyable and all about having fun diving. but now it seems were going back to class again in a tropical local .the reason I ask is because ive read here alot of people saying the aow cert is a waste of time. to just keep diving and and further yourself
and Im curious as to what i need to be expecting for the cert dives
Is it just fun dives that you gain experience on? or is it more like the original cert classes??

any info would help thanks all

 

[redacted]

The dive op in Coz was Scuba Club Cozumel...

Those that were not AOW, either did it or finished it up while there...

That is strange. I've been to SCC about 6 times now and have never had my diving limited because I was only BOW. Nor have I ever seen them selectively limit a diver's depth.

But SCC does offer instruction. Was this something set up by a US shop for divers to complete AOW during their trip to SCC? If so, may have been making such claims rather than Scuba Cozumel. My impression is that is what is going on with the original poster. The shop is offering AOW cert in conjunction with their trip and may be using some questionable tactics to promote it.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

That is strange. I've been to SCC about 6 times now and have never had my diving limited because I was only BOW. Nor have I ever seen them selectively limit a diver's depth.

Yep. They do check everyone's cert the day the group arrives...but...once on the water...that pretty much evaporates.

But SCC does offer instruction. Was this something set up by a US shop for divers to complete AOW during their trip to SCC? If so, may have been making such claims rather than Scuba Cozumel. My impression is that is what is going on with the original poster. The shop is offering AOW cert in conjunction with their trip and may be using some questionable tactics to promote it.

Maybe...but if the boat was chartered by a LDS then the shop's staff very well might limit the diving based on their knowledge of the diver or the diver's cert. It might not be a matter of selling a class.

I agree with you on the original poster's situation...well at least as it was described. As I said earlier...there usually aren't a lot of people in "the deep end" in San Carlos.

But perhaps the original poster misunderstood and what the dive shop person was saying was meant to apply to diving with that shop in general...not just in San Carlos.

 

[redacted]

But perhaps the original poster misunderstood and what the dive shop person was saying was meant to apply to diving with that shop in general...not just in San Carlos.

Yes, that's why I put that "may" to use again.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Yes, that's why I put that "may" to use again.

I marvel at your wisdom!

 

[papps953]

I went diving in San Diego with an OW card. The first dive was 105 feet. I had to sign a waiver before going on the dive. In reality I didn't go much below 90 feet. My dive buddy was newer than me and suck his air. We started out with about 3000 psi like normal. I had to head back with about 2400 psi. I finished the dive with almost 2000 psi in my tank. The second and third dives he was better, but my dives were still cut short.

Bill