Maximum depth for Open Water diver

[Halthron]

Don't forget about the insurance aspect as well. If you get injured, how happy will your insurance company be with you if they discover you dove deeper than you were certified for. How would they find out? How many people dive with a computer?

 

[mark99]

As others have said, there are no Scuba police. While some boats may require you have an accompaning DM on deeper dives, that's usually based on C-Card (a mistake in my opinion) or your dive log.

I think the reason they want the advanced C-card is to try to limit their own liability in case of an accident, not for any particular concern about your actual ability.

 

[Xanthro]

I think the reason they want the advanced C-card is to try to limit their own liability in case of an accident, not for any particular concern about your actual ability.

Likely true, but I've seen some AOW people who were not at all qualified to go deep. Number and type of dive is more important in my opinion than C-Cards.

 

[StSomewhere]

For and OW cert the limit is 18m/60ft. An OW diver can dive deeper IF he is accompanied by DM, AI, or Instructor.

PADI says that if you don't have an AOW card, dives beyond 60ft are a no no. As many have pointed out, there are no scuba police, and PADI does not seem to recognize that someone with 100 dives is likely a much safer diver at 100ft, vs. the guy with 9 dives, and an AOW card.

According to my PADI OW manual (Version 2.4; Rev. 10/03) safe practices include limiting your depth to 18m/60ft or less as a new diver.

PADI most certainly understands that depth limits can be expanded as you get more experience. Otherwise their RDP for OW divers would end at 60' or 70'.

 

[shooter226]

I think the reason they want the advanced C-card is to try to limit their own liability in case of an accident, not for any particular concern about your actual ability.

Don't kid yourself. The reason is so they can charge you extra for the dive.
Put
Another
Dollar
In

This is what they are trying to do.

I saw a shop tell a diver with lots of deep wreck experience that they would not let him dive the Grove on their boat. He has multiple dives on the Doria loged. This just shows the ignorance of the operators. Diving to a max of 135' in clear warm water is a cakewalk compared to some of the dives this guy has done.

Just take your money down the street. There are more dive shops in the keys per mile than anywhere.

Mark

 

[Ron Brandt]

Air diving....Do some reasearch,use your head.

Ron

 

[Chad_Ordelheide]

Hmmm, why the 60ft max for OW. I know people who really don't care to go through the hassel of AOW, etc. They have hundreds of dives in all kinds of water. With the logic above a student could take OW one weekend AOW the next and all of a sudden he can go to 130ft but lifetime OW divers can't?? Personally, I think its in part to keep newbies (even those who take OW &AOL in succession) in safe limits; as well as encouring people to spend more money on advanced classes ($$$ for padi,naui,etc) that may...or may NOT be needed.

Personally, I like what Down Deep said. Let Darwin Sort em out!! We need to give out some more awards next year anyway!

 

[Dragon2115]

Actually... the recommended depth limits for PADI are 60 fsw for OW, 100 fsw for AOW, and 130 fsw with Deep Diver specialty.

As I understand it you can do anything you want under the supervision of an instructor. If you want to go below 60 fsw and your instructor wants to take you there, go for it. Enjoy the dive.

Under the current PADI system a diver can get their OW, AOW and Rescue Diver certs in about 7 - 10 days if they went at it straight out doing 4 - 5 dives/day. Would they be qualified? Questionable. They have the training and have demonstrated the skills, but they still don't have the depth of experience yet. Otoh, some will take to it more naturally than others and may in fact be ok with this intensive style of training. Most will not however.

From what I can figure out the case with the Grove is all about insurance. Being a dive where there is no real option to stay above 60 fsw the operators demand an AOW card because if they didn't, and something happened, they would be crucified in court. It won't matter if the guys' log makes Jacque Custeau (sp?) look like a newbie. Doesn't matter if the guy signed every waiver in the world either. Without the AOW card the lawyer for the victims' family is going to claim (in front of a jury, most of which will probably know less than nothing about scuba) that the dive op was negligent because they took a diver to a depth that every training agency in the world says he shouldn't be at without being AOW certified. End of story, game over, pay the victims' family. It's not right, but it's how the game plays out these days.

[Added] Someone mentioned the dive insurance not paying if you were below the recommended depth limit. The only limits I've seen is 130 fsw and that's usually only on the basic level policies. Once you go up a notch on the coverage the depth limit goes away. Using DAN as an example the base policy has a limit of 130 fsw but the master and preferred plans don't.

 

[StSomewhere]

Don't kid yourself. The reason is so they can charge you extra for the dive.
Put
Another
Dollar
In

This is what they are trying to do.

PADI has a Discover Nitrox class that you take online, and only do the test an analyze a tank with an instructor. It certifies you up to EAN32, and requires no dives.

 

[derwoodwithasherwood]

For NASE the rules are to conduct the 4 first open water dives in a min of 20ft to a maximum of 60ft. After that the pool is open to 130ft for air dives

I was kind of wondering about that myself. With NASDS the OW limit is 100'. How do these charter operations that are refusing PADI OW divers look at other agencies? Do they apply the PADI 60' rule to everyone?