Question Is my AOW class “normal”?

[humanuma]

Hello ScubaBoard,

I’m taking my advanced OW course right now, and I’m wondering if mine is normal? We just do 6 dives with the instructor, and each dive covers a different topic. After 6 dives, we are certified ‘advanced’.

For example, for peak performance buoyancy, we practiced swimming through hula hoops in a current for 20 minutes. For deep dive, the instructor is taking us to 100 ft to see if we experience nitrogen narcosis. We are doing navigation and search/recovery the same day in a muddy bad viz location. One night dive, and I’m not sure which the 6th dive is.

Does this sound like everyone else’s experience? Just curious what other AOW classes look like.

 

[FF / EMT]

Yes.
The AOW class is just a sampler platter of 4 other classes.
Pretty sure the deep dive has a different objective than to see if you can get narcosis.

I believe mine included.
Nigh/lim vis, UW nav, S&R and deep? It’s been a while, but each of the samples you listed, has its own certification, and just because you did the sampler, doesn’t mean you’re certified and likely not qualified to do those dives.

 

[BoltSnap]

Hello ScubaBoard,

I’m taking my advanced OW course right now, and I’m wondering if mine is normal? We just do 6 dives with the instructor, and each dive covers a different topic. After 6 dives, we are certified ‘advanced’.

For example, for peak performance buoyancy, we practiced swimming through hula hoops in a current for 20 minutes. For deep dive, the instructor is taking us to 100 ft to see if we experience nitrogen narcosis. We are doing navigation and search/recovery the same day in a muddy bad viz location. One night dive, and I’m not sure which the 6th dive is.

Does this sound like everyone else’s experience? Just curious what other AOW classes look like.

Many people do it this way but it doesn't have to be done this way at all. I teach my advanced course as an "advanced" course learning new skills and practicing and perfecting the old one. I don't believe in "sampler" type of course. If I teach deep diving, they are going to learn how to do deep diving, if night diving, they also learn night diving, etc.

The course your describe doesn't give you any real "advanced" knowledge or skills, it is merely a way to milk more money out of the student and if they the student wants to lean "advanced" skills, they have to enroll in more courses. This isn't right in my view.

 

[jlcnuke]

Speaking regarding the PADI AOW course, there is knowledge development, and a minimum of 5 adventure dives. Each adventure dive covers a different "specialty" of diving. Underwater Navigation and Deep are required to be 2 of the 5 specialty dives, with the other three chosen by the student and instructor together based on available options, interests, etc.

At a minimum, the standards for each of the 5 adventure dives will have some performance requirements that must be met (usually a limited number of items that typically take 5-15 minutes of dive time to complete on each dive).

Many instructors will choose to go above the standards and try and do additional things to make you a better diver during the course as well (I work on buoyancy with students on every dive for instance, as that's a core skill that most can use additional practice/help with).

Keep in mind, the purpose of the standard "Advanced open water" course is to "advance" your open water training. It's NOT intended to "make you an advanced diver".

 

[Ukmc]

Yes I think it is “normal“ for PADI. SSI makes a distinction between adventurer and advanced. Adventurer is a “sampler” you described. Advanced OW is a distinction that you get after completion of full programs (not just a variety of individual dives) and logging a certain number of dives. Doesn’t make you an Advanced diver either way, but more knowledgeable then a very beginner.

 

[tursiops]

Hello ScubaBoard,

I’m taking my advanced OW course right now, and I’m wondering if mine is normal? We just do 6 dives with the instructor, and each dive covers a different topic. After 6 dives, we are certified ‘advanced’.

For example, for peak performance buoyancy, we practiced swimming through hula hoops in a current for 20 minutes. For deep dive, the instructor is taking us to 100 ft to see if we experience nitrogen narcosis. We are doing navigation and search/recovery the same day in a muddy bad viz location. One night dive, and I’m not sure which the 6th dive is.

Does this sound like everyone else’s experience? Just curious what other AOW classes look like.

Swimming through Hula Hoops in a current is good practice, but only a small piece of PPB. Did you also spend time on weighting and trim, and maybe finning techniques?
The Deep dive to 100 ft ought to more about how darn fast your air goes away than about narcosis.
Navigation and S&R in bad vis is a great idea; more people should be trained that way.
Night can be a good course, learn a lot about light control and buoyancy without visual references.
A sixth dive is not required, just five.
How many dives are you doing each day?

 

[scubadada]

It has been discussed previously, you can be a nitrox certified, AOW diver with PADI after 9 training dives.

I dived with one on the Duane in Key Largo, it didn't end well, he nearly ran out of gas. He was a fit, young, Navy man, was just unprepated to deal with the current and depth.

 

[jlcnuke]

It has been discussed previously, you can be a nitrox certified, AOW diver with PADI after 9 training dives.

I dived with one on the Duane in Key Largo, it didn't end well, he nearly ran out of gas. He was a fit, young, Navy man, was just unprepated to deal with the current and depth.

Can be? Often is. In fact, after next week, my sister will have probably have her OW, AOW, PPB, nitrox, and Boat diver courses all done. Total OW dives at that point will be around 13 at the end of the week including training dives...

Of course, I'm pretty comfortable with that since I'm training her to my standards, above and beyond the minimum course requirements and she's only going to be diving with me or doing dives I've done with her for a while yet.

 

[tursiops]

It has been discussed previously, you can be a nitrox certified, AOW diver with PADI after 9 training dives.

I dived with one on the Duane in Key Largo, it didn't end well, he nearly ran out of gas. He was a fit, young, Navy man, was just unprepated to deal with the current and depth.

End member example. Not really fair to demean AOW with one example that is an outlier.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Unfortunately, yes, that’s normal. My AOW was awful. Thankfully I wised up, switched shops for rescue & other courses and found much better instruction for my subsequent courses.

OW + AOW + Nitrox is really just your learners permit. Ignore the word Advanced. It’s meaningless.