Advanced diver vs. Advanced training

Pete.the.scuba.ewok · May 23, 2009

Hello,

As an instructor I have to put this up.

Advanced Open Water Course verses an Advanced Diver.

I have had many divers turn up on boats or at resorts that I have have worked at with "Advanced Diver" cards and have found many to not even have the skills I would like to see in a Basic diver.

What should we do about this, should we make the "Advanced "card hard to get? Should we remove it all together and just use log books?

Please share your thoughts.

El Orans · May 23, 2009

Additional Open Water...

Misa · May 23, 2009

sithpython:
What should we do about this, should we make the "Advanced "card hard to get?

Please share your thoughts.

Yes, imo OWD and AOWD must be harder. You cant make mistakes u/w.

ivobj · May 23, 2009

That is a good one!! I think that there should a more restrictive set of rules to allow a diver to get the Advanced card, this is for their own safety.

If this is implemented, it would help to have better advanced divers in the future, or at least would be a start. For the ones that already have the advanced card and do not have the necessary skills, I believe that we should point out the skills they lack and show what the consequences of not having it can be, this should give them incentive to do some recycle.

scubafanatic · May 23, 2009

sithpython:
Hello,

As an instructor I have to put this up.

Advanced Open Water Course verses an Advanced Diver.

I have had many divers turn up on boats or at resorts that I have have worked at with "Advanced Diver" cards and have found many to not even have the skills I would like to see in a Basic diver.

What should we do about this, should we make the "Advanced "card hard to get? Should we remove it all together and just use log books?

Please share your thoughts.

...love the 'log book' idea.......since it's sooo difficult to fake those....problem solved!

...most reasonably professional dive ops/boats don't put a lot of credence in C-cards/log books anyway....they'll take divers they've never seen/dove with before out for a spin on a couple of 'p*ssy' dives....just to see if you really have a clue...then the 'real' dives begin.

Uncle Ernie · May 23, 2009

What skills are the AOW divers you see lacking? Is this because such skills are not taught or is it lack of practice/experience?

I'm about to finish the AOW course, and would be very interested in having a better understanding of what I don't know.

LeadTurn_SD · May 23, 2009

Uncle Ernie:
What skills are the AOW divers you see lacking? Is this because such skills are not taught or is it lack of practice/experience?

I'm about to finish the AOW course, and would be very interested in having a better understanding of what I don't know.

1. Proper weighting and bouyancy control should be down pat. Ditto for the basic skills taught in OW.
2. Gas planning, at least the bare basics. Do a search on the term "Rock Bottom" on this board.
3. Dive planning skills, and the ability to dive the plan. Can you go to a new dive site, plan and lead a dive?
4. And mainly, the ability to dive independantly! No DM's should be needed for planning, air checking, depth checking, etc., etc.

Best wishes.

alchemist117 · May 23, 2009

i was soooooooooooo not advanced when I got my AOW. I guess it's a bit like driving. Get the certificate, then learn how to do it- and both can kill you. Driving's worse- you kill other people too.

Hallmac · May 23, 2009

That has always been a issue with me as well.

I think NASDS & SSI were on the right track with the experience requirement. They too have fallen short. While I am not a GUE fan, so far, I have yet to encounter a true practitioner that did not appear to be a qualified diver. I think going from landlubber to advanced open water in a week not only cheapens the designation, it creates a door that greed can open.

Unfortunately, we as an industry as a whole, are not prepared to manage all the angles.

300bar · May 23, 2009

As in the PADI case,

AOW (and NOT advanced diver) is nothing more then is in the name.
Advanced OPENWATER.
A Openwaterdiver with a few more skills.
A diver(anyone that is)will only be advanced when he/she also will have done sufficiant dives with those skills.And thuse proves to "master"the skills thought in AOW
And even then it's still restrickted to the plce,the diver learned those skills.
You can have a 1000 dives and be a master in what ever you learned,please don't jump in (our)low viz.waters if you've done all your dives in the tropics.
I've seen it happen,tropical instructors,just jumping in our waters,comming out SCREAMING about the low viz.just after 2 min.

Heck the viz.was just under 3ft. :rofl3:

Advanced diver vs. Advanced training

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