My wallet is covered in Spiders webs!

My girlfriend wants to do her AOW she also wants her nitrox certificate. Like most men I always like her to spend OUR money carefully (or not at all if possible).
So these days, can she certify for nitrox as one of the 5 dive areas required in the AOW and save paying for a seperate nitrox course. Most dive ops only seem to offer it as a seperate course. -is this only for financial reasons.
Hillmorton Scubie (alias Tight Wad)

I was thinking along similar lines when I was considering Nitrox. My instructor and I are very good friends, so I asked him. His explanation was that in AOW you do specialty dives(night dives, search and recover,low vis, etc.) These are a special form of the types of diving you are already familiar with. Nitrox includes separate,(slightly)more involved calculations, different tables, and so on. From what I can tell, there is far too much information in a typical Nitrox class to be included in AOW.
Also, from a cost standpoint, most shops will sell you a Nitrox class with a Nitrox dive. According to NAUI standards(as reported to me by my instructor) a Nitrox dive is not necessary for the cert, just the knowledge. If you can find a class that doesn't include the dive, they can be relatively inexpensive.

Yep.!!!!!!

I took the enriched air class back in Feb. and we had to go through what they called hypothetical dives. We had to show that we had knowledge of what was covered in the class and had a short test at the end that covered the calculations needed to figure out your dives.
Randy

My instructor let me take Nitrox as one of my PADI AOW specialties. He just made me pay the extra for the Nitrox materials. I thought that was pretty fair.

The only thing I think may need to be added is that if Nitrox is well taught there is a bit of calculations and some extension of the theoretical undersanding of diving beyond what most new divers are already taught.

While for many divers this is a small leap, I have seen some divers that require a significant review of existing information, then quite a bit of work to ensure that they understand the math and theory of the new gas mix implications.

So some instructors may be hesitant to include it 'free' with the original class.

You might consider a no-dive Nitrox course which is less expensive, and then paying for the gas and diving Nitrox on one or more of your AOW dives. That should ave a bit of dough, and still give you the experience of a Nitrox dive.

While I don't know much of anything about Nitrox classes or certification, I do have certain skills - skills acquired over a long marriage - skills that make me a nightmare to people like - oh, wait; I'm channeling Liam Neeson's character from "Taken" again...

Anyway; having been happily married for nearly thirty years, and having been blessed with parents that were also happily married for over 52 years, I know one danger you may face in trying to save money.

If there is a chance that she will perceive your frugality as an indication that you don't love her or value her aspirations, then you may be buying yourself a whole lot of undue stress and strife.

This is especially true if you tell her you cannot afford her nitrox classes, and then buy a new plasma T.V. to watch the big Rugby match with your friends.

Be sure however the decision goes, that she is involved in the process and is in agreement with the reasoning, and - most important - that the same criteria applied to her spending applies to yours.

You might be interested in this current thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/q-...4303-ow-training-cert-nitrox.html#post4411329

If AOW and Nitrox combined is information overload, how can OW and Nitrox not be?

Quote from Hoomi

Anyway; having been happily married for nearly thirty years, and having been blessed with parents that were also happily married for over 52 years, I know one danger you may face in trying to save money.

If there is a chance that she will perceive your frugality as an indication that you don't love her or value her aspirations, then you may be buying yourself a whole lot of undue stress and strife.

This is especially true if you tell her you cannot afford her nitrox classes, and then buy a new plasma T.V. to watch the big Rugby match with your friends.

Be sure however the decision goes, that she is involved in the process and is in agreement with the reasoning, and - most important - that the same criteria applied to her spending applies to yours.[/quote]
---------------------------------------------------------

To be honest with you, I have always been mean with cash. If I suddenly started being generous, my girlfriend would suspect I was cheating on her and spending to due to guilt.
For me - "treat them mean-keep them keen" seems to work best with the ladies.