Should I get my AOW

[Karl_in_Calif]

There are 3 or 4 courses that you should take as soon as you can.

You already have basic done. That is the first.

Now you should think about AOW, Nitrox, and probably basic Rescue.

You do not need any dives logged to qualify for these courses. You should therefore take them as soon as possible.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...
There are 3 or 4 courses that you should take as soon as you can.

You already have basic done. That is the first.

Now you should think about AOW, Nitrox, and probably basic Rescue.

You do not need any dives logged to qualify for these courses. You should therefore take them as soon as possible.

Welcome to Scubaboard Karl! I agree. I took AOW too late to be of much use. I took it to qualify for charters that require it. I will be taking nitrox in Grand Turk this January. It's a lot more practical if you ask me. Rescue Diver might be the next step.

 

[Guppie]

wow, this board is awesome. Thanks for everyone's replies. My open water was PADI but the AOW will be SSI. Just because that is what this new LDS uses and I really enjoy this particular instructor.

Again, thanks for all your input it definitly gives me something to think about.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

The main application for nitrox seems to be resort boat diving. You can get in more dives in a day if you use nitrox, since your equivalent air depth on a nitrox dive will be shallower than with air. Most boats offer both air and nitrox.

[Some divers & instructors believe that the main application for nitrox is increased bottom time. I believe that it is more dives in a day, however.]

The main application for rescue is self-rescue and stress management. Rescue also teaches you how to "find" a lost buddy, bring them to the surface if he/she is unconscious, get them back to shore, etc. With Rescue you should also take CPR, probably before the rescue class. Most people these days have CPR training available to them through the Red Cross or at work, if they are interested.

I took rescue and CPR before nitrox. But its a toss up as to which to do first.

 

[Damselfish]

I think it's good for many people to get at least a few dives in before AOW, to get more comfortable and better on bouyancy control. And if you wait too long it starts to become mostly a waste, though of course it depends on what you have done in that time.

Really it depends on the person and how well they have they have their act together. If you go diving with someone more experienced they'll probably be happy to tell you if it looks like you have you act together, and of course you can best judge your comfort level.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

SSI used to require prerequisite dives before AOW. I do not know if they still do.

PADI and NAUI have never required prerequisite dives before AOW. PADI and NAUI instructors are taught to encourage immediate subsequent enrollment in AOW after basic open water. And NAUI will sometimes combine basic and AOW into one comprehensive course.

There is simply no reason to wait.

 

[Mr. Sunday]

I have done my OW, AOW, MFA, RD, and DM. If you don’t want to go on to teach there is no need to take the DM course. However I would suggest taking all of the courses up to Rescue. I learned very important skills in all of the courses. Just make sure you have a good instructor. It makes all the difference.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

kgdiver once bubbled...
I have done my OW, AOW, MFA, RD, and DM. If you don’t want to go on to teach there is no need to take the DM course. However I would suggest taking all of the courses up to Rescue. I learned very important skills in all of the courses. Just make sure you have a good instructor. It makes all the difference.

How can you be an effective D/M without basic nitrox??

 

[theskull]

AOW is Open Water, part 2. They are best done either back-to-back or with just a few "experience" dives in between.

As others have stated, if you wait too long it will be a waste of time, but what they forgot to add is that if you take it SOON, and with a good instructor, you will pick up some excellent safety procedures, buoyancy and trim tips, and experience DOING things while under water. This will accelerate your enjoyment of the sport and your skill development.

I highly recommend it. And don't worry about changing agencies from PADI to SSI. All the major agencies teach the same basic courses with the same basic standards. Far more important is that you are comfortable with and value the quality of the individual instructor who is teaching!

 

[PhilD]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...
SSI used to require prerequisite dives before AOW. I do not know if they still do.

SSI require you to have 24 logged dives for AOW and to have completed 4 speciality courses. I just qualified OW with SSI and have completed the 4 specialities and will have logged the 24 dives this weekend.

I have limited experience but here's my take on it. The SSI speciality courses are relatively basic and not much more than what you are taught in the OW course mixed in with some extra common sense, or at least the ones I did were that way. Although, for one of my specialties I did the ANDI CSU course, which was way more in depth and useful to me than the other three SSI specialities combined.

After watching divers complete their OW dives, my personal view is that OW basically gives you a license to stick a tank on your back and jump in the water, it doesn't necessarily mean that some of these people are truly qualified to be divers. While logging 24 dives for AOW and completing the requisite courses doesn't necessarily mean you will be an "advanced" diver, I think it certainly moves you to a safer level of diving with better skills.

I don't believe the course work alone will make you a better diver, but combining it with qual dives and a little experience (like the 24 dives required by SSI) certainly helps and gets you off to a better start. I definitely feel more comfortable having logged more dives and having learned more and would recommend AOW to everyone as soon as possible. I will be taking the rescue course next, which seems to be a logical next step.