How soon to take AOW after OW?

[TheHuth]

I'm asking this question because a few days ago I was being pressured by one of my LDS to sign up on the spot for AOW, and it really got under my skin. I had walked in to get some equipment serviced. I started what I thought to be a simple conversation about my future dive plans and it quickly turned in to a high pressure sales pitch of not only classes, but different equipment. I actually have gotten the high pressure sales pitch at all of my LDS, but it was this interaction that bothered me. I had explained that I wanted to get a few dives under my belt before starting Advanced Open Water. To me it seems it would be smart to get a handle on breathing, buoyancy control, and comfortable with my own equipment before starting more instruction.

I do understand that the AOW dives are mostly fun dives. But to me, it seems counterproductive to do something like Deep Diving, or Underwater Nav until I'm somewhat proficient on basic skills. The sales person essentially said that is totally unimportant, and I should start ASAP in to AOW.

What are some of your opinions on this? Maybe I'm being overly sensitive. Maybe this is just the way it is at every dive shop on the planet. I'm actually going to check out another shop tomorrow because I read some stuff online to makes me feel I'll jive better with them.

My personal plan is to get a half dozen dives in. Then I'll do AOW in April or May. Then First Responder in June or July. Then Rescue Diver towards the end of the year.

 

[undrwater]

I hate being pressure sold, and I let the sales person know that to give then the opportunity to shift their tactic.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with you wanting to get some experience in before further education.

 

[WarrenZ]

I usually say wait until you have done 12-25 Dives after open water.

 

[sea_otter]

Taking AOW immediately after OW is pretty common, and in my opinion, a pretty good idea. Getting in the water with a good instructor will do a lot to help you with your comfort level, buoyancy, and (as a result) gas consumption. The skills you learn are ones you can continue to practice on your own.

That said... if you're not comfortable with the shop, looking around for different options sounds like a good idea. A good (or bad) teacher makes all the difference in the world.

 

[TMHeimer]

Depending on how soon you get all the basics down quite smoothly, take it whenever you want after that. I did it after two post-OW dives and think that went fine. If you are comfortable with diving, I would agree with your timetable. Great that you aspire to Rescue without too long a wait (again, as long as you are comfortable with basics). The hard sell for AOW immediately and equipment pitch would really rub me wrong as well.

 

[t-mac]

Take it when you are comfortable, not based on pressure. There's no magic to the number of dives you should have. AOW is more experiential than OW, but you are paying for instructor time, so optimize it. Agree with the comments on rescue. Many feel, myself included, that's when things really come together and you feel qualified to do what OW actually allows you to do. Good diving!

 

[mockney]

yea pretty much completed my AOW after my OW classes all within a few weeks of each other. My circumstances were slightly different in that I was doing some travel at the time did my OW in Thailand and then AOW in Australia a week or so later with only 8 dives logged (4 of which were my OW course) but I did had a specific timeframe and a goal to achieve both. But all that aside I enjoyed the course and don't regret doing both so close together. Ultimately its your choice do it when you want there are no hard and fast rules.

 

[XS-NRG]

First it's up to you! Don't let yourself be pressured! You're right about wanting to hone some basic skills first and there's nothing wrong with that. Keep in mind AOW is only a sampling of a few specialties and honestly the skills you have to do are pretty minimal. Let's break down a few things you'll need to do in AOW (assuming PADI):

Deep dive: you need to go deep and do a puzzle or a math equation that is timed and then compared to the same test on the surface. This "skill" is only really meant to show you the effects of nitrogen narcosis (if your physiology even experiences it) For me I still have yet to experience narcosis and I've been as deep as 111 ft. Some would probably tell me that I technically have experienced it slightly but may not have noticed it or it has been so subtle I never noticed. For others this could be dramatic and even happen around 60 feet. Remember everyone is different. This is done under the guidance of an instructor so that if you do get narc'd the instructor is there to help you out and make sure you don't take your regulator out of your mouth and behave foolishly. The other "skill" is identifying color loss. Determining what colors are what underwater and showing how water filters water out colors in a certain order. This isn't really a skill, it's just awareness. Ok deep dive done, next...

Navigation: Navigation is a pretty useful skill depending where you're diving. Not to say it's not a good skill all around to have but if you only dive in the Caribbean with 100's of feet of viz it's pretty easy to see where you're going and where you came from. Navigation in these waters gets useful when the viz gets crappy or if you dive mountainous silty lakes like me. Finding something underwater is a good skill and a challenge when you can't see. You will swim straight on a heading then follow the reciprocal heading and need to end where you started. You will need to navigate a square pattern which is just 4 turns at 90 degrees and again end where you started. You will need to practice a skill where you count kick cycles over a certain predetermined distance and also measure time over a certain distance. This can help you gauge how far you go and when to start heading back. Again though if you have unlimited viz it's one of those things that you probably won't even use because you can see where you came from etc (if conditions are good). If you dive mud puddles this will be a very useful skill. Also remember that a lot of reefs in tropical waters are shaped in certain ways and remembering headings may or may not be useful. If the reef is a big circular shape and you swim the perimeter of it eventually you'll end up where you started. Using this natural navigation technique and remembering something distinct about where you started will be the most useful part. Natural navigation on a wall or sloping bottom means you keep the wall or slope on one side of you when you go out and then have it on the other side when returning. It's not very difficult. It's situational awareness. A,so many boat dives are guided anyway so using navigation when staying with the herd is usually non-existent. Next...

From there it's up to you and your instructor what other specialty you will sample. You need 3 more to try and then you are an AOW diver. The first 2 are mandatory. Many people try night diving and then some other specialty like boat diving, or altitude, or drift etc etc.

Holding your AOW card doesn't make you an "Advanced Diver" it just means you've tried a few other types of dives under the supervision of an instructor trained in those specialties you try and you have more of an understanding of them. You will be more of an advanced diver once you get your master scuba diver card (if you're proficient).

I personally went from OW straight to AOW (I technically took Nitrox in between but it's a non diving specialty anyway) and glad I did. Remember it's just a sampling of 5 specialties and nothing more. It's awareness about different types of diving but don't expect to actually be an advanced diver after doing it. It will take many dives to become proficient to the point where everything becomes second nature and your basic skills are rock solid, and your buoyancy is dialed in and your air consumption rate is good enough you can easily pull off an hour long dive to around 60 feet and still have 600+ psi left in your tank and you have a nice comfortable relaxing dive.

 

[DevonDiver]

AOW can be really variable in content and quality. As can OW.....

OW is a minimum of 4 dives.... but somehow this gets treated as a standard delivery of only 4 dives. Thus, most OW students get issued cards based on the absolute barest minimum requirement. In that respect... AOW simply bolsters what should have been done on the OW course...

I'd suggest mentioning that fact to any dive center that tries to sell you AOW, "for the experience" straight after qualifying you as an OW diver...

There are circumstances where further supervised experience is a very good thing for a newly qualified OW diver. For instance, where you are sub-competent in skills from a different OW provider, when moving location/area/diving conditions etc.

Likewise, a motivated instructor who uses the base AOW as a platform from which to further refine and develop your actual skills is invaluable.

But if the AOW isn't needed on the basis of supervised experience acquisition or real skill development beyond OW level... then it's just a cash cow to the dive center. So why pay more for 5 glitzed-up fun dives that won't benefit you?

 

[beester]

You should never feel pressured to do ANYTHING in this sport/hobby. If you for whatever reason don't feel like taking a course, doing a dive, get grouped up with an unknown diver you don't feel comfortable with, feel the pressure of peers or the dive you plan to do just "doesn't feel right"... you should just take a step back and listen to that inner voice.

Totally of topic, but that's also why I feel women are better divers, because they tend to listen more to their inner voice, and if the inner voice says no, they won't be pushed in another direction. With men ego plays a big role, and group dynamics.

Of course you get better at doing this (listening to your inner voice) with some experience. AOW (which as said is just some fun dives, not really a real cert) can be fun... but shouldn't be pushed down your throat, and I would call your LDS on that.