I need some dive-saftey-nazis to yell at me.

I'm seriously bummed.

I finally decided on a shop that teaches SDI for my AOW classes. I like the training strategy and philosophy, I like the teachers, and I just generally like the shop. Then I started running into problems.

Their AOW requirements are 4 "specialty" classes and 25 logged dives. So I registered for a weekend over which you could take both Night and Navigation courses... and I had a death in the family, so I had to cancel.

Then I planned for another weekend with Deep and Computer ... and I had to work.

Now I thought I had to work this weekend, but now I don't, so I called to schedule the Night and Navigation for this weekend... but I can't make the requisite classroom appearance tonight because of freaking work.

So, my next opportunity is for Deep two weeks from now (I'll have to miss it's companion Computer class due to, guess what... work).

I'm angrily toying with the idea of reverting to PADI (my OW cert agency) for my additional training, but am brought to my senses by the safer seeming teaching style of the SDI shop & diver number longer than Pi.

At this rate I'm going to have the requisite number of dives before I get the chance to take a single other class.

If you just want someone to yell at you...

YOU GOING TO KILL YOU SELF IF YOU KEEP UP THIS SILLY DANGEROUS PRACTICES!!!

I'll go read your message now...

Cornfed

Just curious ... what do you find "unsafe" about the PADI AOW?

Honestly, there are more important aspects to consider than the certifying agency ... starting with the instructor's qualifications and teaching style.

As for number of dives ... does it really matter? Racking up bottom time will help you become a better diver far more effectively than racking up C-cards. My wife only ever got her OW card ... and yet she's got over 200 dives, and is a better diver than many folks I know with a walletful of C-cards.

Stick to what's important. Dive, practice your skills, ask questions, dive, emulate more experienced divers, ask more questions, practice your skills, and dive some more. When the opportunity affords itself. work on getting those C-cards. But it really shouldn't be the priority.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Just log onto Quest. Everyone there will yell at you.

NWGratefulDiver once bubbled...
Stick to what's important. Dive, practice your skills, ask questions, dive, emulate more experienced divers, ask more questions, practice your skills, and dive some more. When the opportunity affords itself. work on getting those C-cards. But it really shouldn't be the priority.

Click to expand...

That's exactly what I was looking to hear. What I keep telling myself, but what I wanted to hear someone who knows more than me to say.

NWGratefulDiver once bubbled...
Just curious ... what do you find "unsafe" about the PADI AOW?

Click to expand...

I don't really find anything "unsafe" about PADI. I just prefer the idea of two supervised, critical dives practicing the newly trained skills to one.

First of all you need a new job. Second, don't get hung up on the agency or think that PADI will kill you.

I did my AOW with SSI and they are similar to SDI. They require four specialties and 24 logged dives. This appealed to me for the same reasons you mentioned. I didn't want to be one of those people with 10 quarry dives screaming, "Look, look... I'm an advanced diver!" That said I probably would have been better of with the PADI class for two reasons. First my instructor was incompetent. I didn't realize this until we were in the water and by then it was too late. Second, the PADI(or NAUI) class doesn't award you any specialty cards but they seem to give you better exposure to the different specialties. You get a little test of a few and can decide this are worth going back for. In retrospect I would have preferred this (even if I had a decent instructor) but I got hung up on the "PADI is unsafe" crap, which is not true. As an aside, my SSI instructor played up the "PADI is unsafe" crap before, during and after the class. He was a dick who should have his instructor card revoked, but I'm digressing.

Since your schedule doesn't seem too conducive to taking classes should you even bother right now? If you don't have a lot of time why don't you just go diving instead? Take the class later when you have more time and can enjoy it.

So, basically I wouldn't worry about which agency you're working with. In the end the instructor will be more important. And regardless of which class you take you're going to have to get underwater and rack up some bottom time if you want to improve so don't worry about logging a specific number of dives.

Cornfed

saying once bubbled...
At this rate I'm going to have the requisite number of dives before I get the chance to take a single other class.

Click to expand...

First question I have is...Why are you pursuing advanced certification at this point in time? If you have a real reason that you need the certification, then that's one thing.

However, if you just _want_ the certification, I'd suggest you just go out and dive at the level you are at. You'll keep improving your skills, and by the time the Fates allow you to get the prerequisites done you'll be more comfortable, more experienced, and thus get more out of the class.

There isn't any reason to rush certification... the more you know going into a class, the less distractions you'll have and the more you can focus on the topics at hand.

Don't worry about having too many dives before you do AOW. Just enjoy yourself. Just don't push what you feel comfortable doing. When you get ready for more classes, find an instructor that you are comfortable with and will teach you what you want to know. The heck with the agency. If someone isn't comfortable with me or my style of teaching, then I don't want them in my classes. I will be doing nothing for them except giving them a bad taste about me, my shop and the agency I teach for.

I have seen incompetent instructors in all agencies and unfortunately they will continue to be around as long as there is diving.

Everything has been said that needs to be said.
I can only say go diving! Next time you feel work gets in the way,
remember that's how you pay for going diving.