Prerequisite to become PADI AOW diver?

Do you think there should be a prerequisite in order to be able to start a course (or to finish it successfully) to become a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver?

Perhaps the AOW course should be stricter on bouyancy control?
Just curious how others feel about this.

Dominiek

Well, OW divers aren't the only ones that worry me. I saw a divemaster who looked uncomfortable in the water. After we got to the dive site on a boat he discovered that he forgot his fins....... I don't know if you know but you didn't mention it....although the person you went through the AOW class has the same amount dives as you, how long did he take to accumlate those 20 dives? A month? A year? A decade? Maybe he should have had a refresher course or more dives recently before taking the AOW?

Dominiek, not everyone is as good a diver as you claim to be.

-boltfish once bubbled...
Dominiek, not everyone is as good a diver as you claim to be.

Click to expand...

I am by far not a good diver yet. I am really just starting. Please don't read my message in the wrong way.

When I went for my AOW I was not sure if I was ready to take the course. When you go for your OW you have to be able to swim a # of laps or else you cannot proceed (according to the PADI book). I was just wondering if there should be something for the AOW course as well. Maybe the buoyancy control should become a dive you have to do just like the deep dive for example.

There is a pre-req for AOW, it's OW. AOW should actually stand for Additional Open Water, not Advanced OW.

I think most of us feel pretty secure when the instructor or teacher knows more than the student, regardless of the field of study. But when it comes to putting the student at ease with a potentially deadly and dangerous and/or high risk activity like scuba, the instructors are essentially being paid to know more, instruct well, and evaluate the skills of the potential participants.
If instructors or teachers allow a person to "pass" or begin to participate in the field knowing that the student is a danger to themselves or others...
Scuba has long been a field where a participant needs to be a great judge of self ability, confidence, and safety. A diver must always be on the look out for food, drink, or activities that may influence their future dive, and that of their diving buddies. The ability of a diver to access information about themselves and others is always put to the test above and below the water. The ability level of others in the dive party is just as important. (The chain is only as strong as it's weakest link).
Self regulation is always the first line of defence. If your not comfortable with the instructor, the materials, or your diving group, you certainly don't want to put your life in their hands, do you? :wacko:
Any person that "teaches" a class should have a level of experience, knowledge, and ability that is an asset to the student. If regulation is required, so be it. But if scuba can continue to be a "passed down, self regulating" system, all that much better.

I think AOW should be a lot more comprehensive and stricter and not just with padi. Granted, the OW cards should just be considered a learners permit and continuing education should be a goal but not everyone is into for diving for that purpose so in my onery opinion, the once or twice a year diver shouldn't be allowed to have AOW cards.

I'd agree with the idea that Peak Performance Bouyancy should be a compulsory specliality. Either that our some kind of Bouyancy skills incorporated into the two compulsory dives.

If you can't control your bouyancy I don't see how you can be be considered an "Advanced" diver as the AOW title suggests.

I'm OW and found this a good starter course. However, I'm now planning to cross train to BSAC Sports Diver. The BSAC training seems pack much more into a single qualification. I feel I'd need AOW and Rescue diver to get to the equivalent of a BSAC Sports Diver.

One suggestion is that PADI could simplify things by combining the key skills for AOW like, deep, navigation and peak performance bouyancy with the Rescue Diver training and make a more comprehensive qualification.

Of course this would either make for an expensive course or a reduction in the PADI pot of gold.

RDBark - BSAC is the best. I had to go to SSI and PADI when I came to the states, but my novice BSAC cert was good enough for me to just have to do a "refresher" to get my C-card (which they didn't have back in the day).

I've seen some poor AOW testing and divers and also some incredible ones. I think the emphasis has to be on continuing education not "got the card, now time to call myself qualified"

Prerequisites:

OW Cert Card and $$$$, PADI will take care of the rest.

You advanced diver you.