Diving deep or night diving with OW cert?

[Charlie99]

I've seen a lot of places on the net that stipulate on their website no AOW card, no dive in the deep. Esp in the Keys where I'm planning my next trip.

Are these typically enforced?

The only place I've ever seen a requirement for AOW has been in the Florida Keys. That's also the only place (outside of PADI classes) where a dive op has required a snorkel.

The AOW requirement does seem to be enforced by most dive ops there, although some operators are satisfied with a logbook showing that you've previously done deep dives. Usually, the AOW requirement is just for the deep wrecks like Speigel Grove, Duane and Bibb, Eagle, Thunderbolt, Busch, etc.

It seems to be a local Fl Keys sort of standard, which is kind of strange, since just up the coast in Ft Lauderdale to WPB area most dive ops don't even ask to see a cert card.

 

[Halthron]

Old Thread Alert

 

[mousek801]

on my last dive trip the DM took us down to 95' with just an OW cert.

 

[D_O_H]

I think this might have been my first scubaboard post. Seems like it should be good luck or something to have someone resurrect your first post?

 

[getyasum]

On my last scuba trip, my divemaster talked me into diving the blue hole in Belize to 130 feet and we also did a night dive. Both went very smoothly, though I did feel pretty narked on the blue hole dive.

Dude, what is wrong with this photo? Of course the DM went over the NDL sch. for that PLANNED depth and the possible deco sch. in case we stayed a little longer than PLANNED and we surely calculated all the gas needed to do either profile !!! And the DM was certainly certified and qualified to depths way beyond 130 ft. and would be capible to help in an emergency !!!

 

[wreckchick]

You sure the DM was cert'd to go deeper than 130'? Was he/she diving doubles and trimix? Deco trained?

I did that dive and no one had anything but a single 80 and the vast majority of my group ended up at about 150'. There was nothing about it that makes me think that the operators going there are being anything but irresponsible.

Rachel

 

[RP_Diver]

First things first.
Any DM or Instructor can take you to dives beyond your cert level, but, by doing this they are take all liablility for any incident/acident that may happen to you. Here in Brazil a instructor was arrest soon after he left the deco chamber. Because he took an OW diver to 115 fsw and booth got DD.

Why take an AOW course?

I´ve learned on my AOW aditional safety procedures for deep and nigh dives.

Putting my gear on, getting into water, assembling some PVC connections and switching gear with my buddy while wearing a black mask. (thats´s important in case of a major flashlight event, so you are able to surface without panicking.)

I´ve learned breathing techniques. Breathing from a free flowing reg, breathing from a ruptured membrane 2nd stage, breathing directly from a tank without regs and without damaging my lungs. Very important imagine that you are 100 fsw, your regs freeflows, a hose ripps-off then you look around and were is your buddy????

Learned how to use a compass for dives without vis. Put me any were with a compass and we will surface at the desired spot.

All those things were very important and teached me how to handle emergecy situation UW, beyond those out of air, mask flooding basic routines.