I sympathize with you visitors. For me, when the boat becomes more dangerous than the dive, I sit it out. 4' is about my max, but I am lucky enough to live here, after all.
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... It looks like it is going to become the price of admission at more places.
Johnoly there is no arguing with the truth of what you are saying---but the sickness about this is that there is close to a majority of AOW training that is so massively negligent in the "competent performance" or mastery of advanced skills after certification for it, that this renders the insurance mandate to be a rule, based on a lie.I was in the same position you are in now. Hundreds of dives but couldn't dive the 'Grove' unless I had the card. It's not the shop, not the boat, not the captain. It's plain and simple the insurance companies. The basic rule is, You can't advertise an Advanced dive trip and not check for an advanced 'C' card. It's just the insurance companies saying "you can't be negligent when you advertise before hand that it's a deeper dive and not verify the diver has the certification to do that type of dive (trimix, RB, AOW, full Cave, etc)". You ain't getting helium unless you got the card, even if you have been to 200 ft and logged it on a dive computer, we don't care. Dang insurance companies are so picky when it comes to manifest's !!
I'll bet Rob or Donna at SW will see your skills from the beginning and know that you have the history and experience and will make your AOW class a very fun and enjoyable time. Have you decided what your 5 dives will be?