Signed up for AOW and would like a book

Hello all, Still a newbie. Signed up for an AOW or OWII class in August and would like to know if there are any good books for AOW class. Instructor said there is a book and that it is optional (he did not want the book to drive up the cost of the class) and that we will be diving the whole time with no classroom instruction. Beaing a geek I want to research this a little so I am not blind sided on what to expect. If it makes any difference this is a NAUI AOW class.
ANY GOOD BOOKS FOR THIS CLASS ?
Thanks Jim

bowtieman427:

Hello all, Still a newbie. Signed up for an AOW or OWII class in August and would like to know if there are any good books for AOW class. Instructor said there is a book and that it is optional (he did not want the book to drive up the cost of the class) and that we will be diving the whole time with no classroom instruction. Beaing a geek I want to research this a little so I am not blind sided on what to expect. If it makes any difference this is a NAUI AOW class.
ANY GOOD BOOKS FOR THIS CLASS ?
Thanks Jim

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Hi Jim ...

My advice ... as a NAUI instructor ... is to find another instructor.

First off, if there is no instruction then why bother paying for a class? Just go diving ... you'll learn as much.

Second, and more importantly ... there is supposed to be a book, instruction, and a written test for NAUI AOW. If your instructor is skipping those things to keep down the cost of the class, then he is in violation of NAUI standards.

The point of taking a class is to learn. If there is no teaching, the class isn't worth what you're paying for it ... even if it's free.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

NWGratefulDiver:

Hi Jim ...

My advice ... as a NAUI instructor ... is to find another instructor.

First off, if there is no instruction then why bother paying for a class? Just go diving ... you'll learn as much.

Second, and more importantly ... there is supposed to be a book, instruction, and a written test for NAUI AOW. If your instructor is skipping those things to keep down the cost of the class, then he is in violation of NAUI standards.

The point of taking a class is to learn. If there is no teaching, the class isn't worth what you're paying for it ... even if it's free.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Click to expand...

PADI also requires the book, and I fully agree with Bob. Run, run, run to a new Instructor. You also may want to alert this Instructor's certifying agency.

While not a NAUI Instructor I agree with Bob wholeheartedly on this. I just did an AOW class (SEI Diving) this past weekend. There were 2 classroom sessions totalling approx 8 hours covering gas management, buddy skills, communication, deco procedures for the deep dive as a precaution, rescue topics, hazards of advanced dives, what advanced dives are, and a thorough review of the 5 dives would do and the skills expected to be performed such as shooting a bag, navigation with compass, natural features, and a line and reel.

In addition I covered personal responsibility and safe diving practices. Then came the 5 dives over 2 days with more instruction on site during surface intervals. Total time spent actually instructing including the dives was 18 hours over 4 days. I have several prepared handouts and recommend the NOAA manual, US Navy Dive Manual( which you can download for free), Dennis Graver's Scuba Diving, and Tom Mount's Tao of Underwater Survival. I also include further casual instruction( basically any time I'm diving the student is welcome to come along) at no additional cost. If they wish to take a specific specialty that is a different story. But again if all you are doing is diving what are you really learning? Or is it just a "tour". We did skills on every dive. I don't offer an underwater tour AOW course.

Don't ever take a diving class without the essential course work.

That instructor needs to be reported.