PADI Specialties taken before AOW -- can they count as Adventure Dives?

[chaad]

A friend of mine is OW certified and looking to climb the ladder to AOW. He isn't yet enrolled in an AOW course. Now he has the opportunity to get the PADI Night specialty this weekend. We're wondering if the first dive of his night speciality can count as an Adventure Dive if he's not yet enrolled in an AOW course. Or is the only way to get this night dive to count as an Adventure Dive to first enroll in the AOW course?

We're familiar with how this works in reverse -- if he enrolled in AOW and made one of his required Adventure Dives be the night dive. he could later complete the night specialty and that first night dive from AOW would count within the certification. But can he approach it the other way, with the specialty first, then AOW later?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CaptainChris]

According to PADI should be no problem.
For Adventure Diver, student divers meet performance requirements:

• Complete three Adventure Dives.

• Complete the three Knowledge Reviews for the completed Adventure Dives.

• Complete Thinking Like a Diver Knowledge Development section.

 

[inquis]

Why not enroll in AOW now, saving the cost of the night specialty?

 

[divingx]

We're wondering if the first dive of his night speciality can count as an Adventure Dive if he's not yet enrolled in an AOW course.

Yes. It doesn't matter if he's enrolled in an AOW course when he finishes the specialty course.

"The first dives of PADI Specialty Diver courses for which there are standardized specialty instructor guides (and the PADI Rebreather Diver course) qualify as Adventure Dives."

 

[chaad]

Why not enroll in AOW now, saving the cost of the night specialty?

Our local dive shop is hosting a weekend of night dives, with the option to either earn the night dive specialty, count one of them as an Adventure Dive, or just treat them all as fun dives. Since we're going to be doing all the required dives for the specialty, seems like a good idea to enroll in the specialty and get the cert.

 

[chaad]

Yes. It doesn't matter if he's enrolled in an AOW course when he finishes the specialty course.

"The first dives of PADI Specialty Diver courses for which there are standardized specialty instructor guides (and the PADI Rebreather Diver course) qualify as Adventure Dives."

Awesome, thank you for the info!

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

According to PADI should be no problem.
For Adventure Diver, student divers meet performance requirements:

• Complete three Adventure Dives.

• Complete the three Knowledge Reviews for the completed Adventure Dives.

• Complete Thinking Like a Diver Knowledge Development section.

You have to complete 5 sections of the book and do 5 open water dives for AOW.

 

[TMHeimer]

I agree it should be no problem according to PADI. But, check with the shop policy on these things. I took the "Nitrox Adventure Dive" with one shop and a different shop said I had to do the whole course and both dives with them to get Nitrox Cert. (this was long ago when the 2 dives were required).

 

[rfwoodvt]

I think sometimes we can get into the mode of earning credentials as quickly as possible and focus on checking as many boxes as possible with each training session.

As former Box-Checker I've been guilty of trying to get as many boxes checked out of each session my entire life. I had fallen for what my mentor calls the "when-then" trap..."when I get (?) then I will have (?)" Problem is "when" never gets here and as we get close to "then" there is nothing of substance as a reward.

When I started my journey as a recovering box-checker I began to find that each small step along the way was actually a "then" that I had been seeking. I know, it is cliche, stop and smell the roses.

Case in point, I took my drysuit long before I did my AOW. The drysuit had several dives that easily could have counted for other check-boxes for other credentials.

So when I finally took my AOW I already had one adventure. Rather than skip an adventure, I took in all that were offered and found and my "already checked" adventure allowed me to gain so much more out of the AOW experience.

Besides, I don't quite understand the logic of "diving less" to become qualified to dive more. Aren't we all seeking as many opportunities to dive as possible? LOL

Just my Two Pennies Worth.

 

[TMHeimer]

I only became a card collector years ago because I had a lot of money then. Something to do.