When is it appropriate to take AOW Classes?

[JustAddWater]

The last Dive Training had an article (or maybe a letter to the editor) regarding appropriate time to start AOW training. It supported the idea of starting an AOW class soon after OW because it supplements the basic skills that were introduced with more intensive and specific training, and time wouldn't need to be spent unlearning bad habits.

 

[RiverRat]

FYI:
I went right into AOW a couple of weeks after OW dives.
For me I just wanted to get in more dives but I gained so much more on these "continuation" dives or "OW II" as some people refer to AOW. I suppose it works out differently for each individual. Even though my primary objectives now are buoyancy control, gas management etc., I feel much more confident than I did in OW dives. Please note I was diving a cold water quarry with low vis at times (barely any at 60 ffw in 50 degree temps)
and the skills I'm getting in these (for lack of a better term, poor environments) will help greatly as I venture out "on my own". As an example I became disoriented and lost sense of up/down on both the deep dive and the night dive. I was able to practice re-orientation using bubble streams, looking at the bottom etc. IMHO, and believe me I'm humble, these skills just make me feel more confident as I move forward. I was also able to get my Nitrox cert. on 2 of the dives. That in itself (working with the Nitrox formulas and tables) has helped me start seriously looking at gas in more detail. I suppose depending on the person, one way may or may not be better. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MechDiver]

JustAddWater once bubbled...
The last Dive Training had an article (or maybe a letter to the editor) regarding appropriate time to start AOW training. It supported the idea of starting an AOW class soon after OW because it supplements the basic skills that were introduced with more intensive and specific training, and time wouldn't need to be spent unlearning bad habits.

I believe that presupposes a diver who is competent with their skills. Most OW graduates are not, at least where buoyancy is concerned.
Magazines are not always the best thing for your health

MD

 

[Warren_L]

I too did mine a few weeks after my OW certification. It was a good way of getting more dives as I learn more and continue with my training.

 

[pt40fathoms]

One school of thought is to do it right away, and treat the AOW as an extension of your OW course. In effect trying to gain more knowledge that could not be covered in the basic course.

The other school of though is to do at least 20 dives, then do the AOW course. The reasoning behind this is simply that you need time to absorb what you have learned, and gain a little bit of skill. This will allow you to focus on the "new" items that will be introduced to you in the AOW with a clearer understanding of what is being taught and how to apply it in your diving.

I tend to side with the second group. You will gain more knowledge in the AOW if you have a few dives completed and can apply the new skills to a working foundation.

 

[dtcooney]

:doctor: You (sham_ba_la) are wondering if You should do Your AOW immediately after Your OW. I'm at the same stage of my dive schooling as You. I finished my OW two Weeks Ago and will be doing my AOW in ten days time. The reason I decided to do it so soon is that I'll get some dry suit tuition before the winter really sets in, I don't know what the water temp will be around Your local dive sites, but here(the west of Ireland) I can't imagine it getting to far above 3 or 4 degrees between December and March So without the AOW i won't be doing much diving I'll let You Know How I get on.

 

[friscuba]

You are best off to get as much diving in as you can early on. Whether it be by doing an AOW class or just hooking up with a knowledgeable buddy or instructor who can further your skills is sort of up to you.

Do realize, if you buddy up with another diver, that many divers who think they are knowledgeable and skilled, aren't. Sort of a case of learning bad habits from unqualified teachers.

You might want to have a talk with you instructor and attempt to get an honest assessment of your buoyancy skills and air consumption rate. Those are two important points going into the AOW class. Some students are ready after their training dives, others would be best off geting more practice. If you are bumping into everything, can't do controlled ascents and hands free safety stops and suck an aluminum 80 dry in 25 minutes, it might be best if you get some practice first, you'll get more out of the class. If you're doing 50-60 feet dives for 45-50 minutes or longer, in control of your buoyancy and the OW class was a breeze... you might be ready to go for it now.

Whatever you do, getting more dives in on the front end is going to help you out for the future.

Have a blast!

Steve

 

[Sham_ba_la]

friscuba once bubbled...
You might want to have a talk with you instructor and attempt to get an honest assessment of your buoyancy skills and air consumption rate. Those are two important points going into the AOW class. Some students are ready after their training dives, others would be best off geting more practice. If you are bumping into everything, can't do controlled ascents and hands free safety stops and suck an aluminum 80 dry in 25 minutes, it might be best if you get some practice first, you'll get more out of the class. If you're doing 50-60 feet dives for 45-50 minutes or longer, in control of your buoyancy and the OW class was a breeze... you might be ready to go for it now.

Whatever you do, getting more dives in on the front end is going to help you out for the future.

Have a blast!

Steve

Thanks for the advise I will probably talk with my instructor this weekend once we get into doing our lake dives and see what she thinks. Either way on the air consumption I did fairly well since I had over 1000-2000psi left in my tank after doing our work in the pool, not real sure on the length of time we were in there though.. so this may be good or may be bad... I know others in the class sucked their air pretty quickly and were a bit below the 500 mark before our class ended, yet I know a few were nervous and had some problems as I did the first day in the pool.

On the buoyancy I personally think it needs more work for my personal comfort level, but once again being in a pool and a lake are two totally different things so I'll have to see how the weekend goes.

dtcooney once bubbled...
You (sham_ba_la) are wondering if You should do Your AOW immediately after Your OW. I'm at the same stage of my dive schooling as You. I finished my OW two Weeks Ago and will be doing my AOW in ten days time. The reason I decided to do it so soon is that I'll get some dry suit tuition before the winter really sets in, I don't know what the water temp will be around Your local dive sites, but here(the west of Ireland) I can't imagine it getting to far above 3 or 4 degrees between December and March So without the AOW i won't be doing much diving I'll let You Know How I get on.

Hey dtcooney, congrats on your cert two weeks ago and definatly let me know how your AOW class and Dry Suit Tuition goes.


D

 

[dazle]

In an ideal world as recommended already, get your dives up first. When you do your AOW after building your dives up you will gain much more from the course as you are going to be more comfortable and used to the water.

I was talked into going staight onto the AOW and feel that I didn't gain as much as I could of as I was still a sack of kack.

One thing I do recommend that is not often promoted by LDC's for financial reasons is that if you're on a budget or just a tight arse; do the odd AOW here, move on and do the same same again. By the end of it you've got your ticket and you've dived several sites!

 

[MikeFerrara]

New divers are sold on AOW right after OW because of the additional supervised experience it provides. The flaw in that logic is that while more experience under some kind of guidance might be a good idea, it makes little sense to try to do complex navigation if you're having buoyancy control problems or you're having trouble keeping track of your buddy. It makes no sense to do deep dives if you aren't pretty slick on the shallow ones.

If you think you're ready to take on the additional tasks it might be ok. If all you want is more dives like the ones you've already done with the company of some one more experienced than just go do that.

If your instructor tells you that AOW is a good way to refine skills like buoyancy control, tell him/her that deep dives are for divers who have already refined those skills.