AOW Certification

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Tim Ingersoll

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I have logged 81 dives to date. I have done all of the specialty dives required for AOW certification. I have had the opportunity to take the AOW certification classes on many vacations but have not done it. I can't see spending the extra money to have someone say I have done the required dives, charge me money and give me a different C-card. What do you get from the AOW besides a different card? I am very confident in my buoyancy control, etc. Is there additional training? Is it worth it? Tell me.
 
If you are with PADI doing your courses

The AOW will allow you to increase your maximum depth
from 60Ft to 100ft

or 18m to 30m for metric Yea metric

Alot of dive operators around the world will not allow you to dive below 60Ft without the AOW card
 
I will echo what the others have said. Having the AOW can open up more opportunities if you leave your local area of diving.

In addition to that, I think for most agencies, it is a required step if you want to move on to rescue. I would like to see every diver (especially those I dive with) be at least rescue certified.
 
I recently started DM'ing charters for one of my local boat captains. The rule is simple.

No AOW = no diving below 60 fsw. The Captain and I won't even let you on the boat if we are going deeper.

BTW, I agree with you that you probably don't need it for the training. However, my insurance agent does not agree.

I also agree with the earlier post. In a perfect world, rescue would be taught as part of OW. In a less than perfect world, more rescue skills would be taught in OW and the balance would come before AOW. After all, I really don't see anything in AOW as an absolute prerequisite to rescue.
 
Hmmm...
When I certified there were two "C" cards... Diver & Instructor.
When I took my AOW course I'd been certified for 23 years. I found it to be a nice review, an introduction to lots of changes in diving "philosophy" and an opportunity to meet some new diving friends who, by virtue of their being in a continuing education class, I knew had a bit more than just a passing interest in diving.
As an actual diving experience there was nothing new in the course, but the benefits of having the card to get to some dive sites (northern sites in Cozumel, for example) and the long-term diving relationships that began in that class have me reaching the conclusion that yes, it's money well spent.
Rick
 
I too would like to see more rescue taught in OW, and I would like to see the order reversed to required rescue BEFORE AOW.

I also like someones idea that I read somewhere on this board that AOW should stand for ADDITIONAL Open Water training and not ADVANCED!
 
Rick: Thanks for the thoughtful response. I think I'll give it a try in Provodenciales this February. Thanks again.
 
Assuming the course is taught well, a new diver will certainly learn new things and do things they have never done before. An experienced diver may not see anything new, although, sometimes experience alone (without formal education) can teach bad habits and methods as well as good. In addition most divers likely don't do that many verieties of underwater activities that they wouldn't be exposed to something new.

If you feel you have the experience most agencies, including PADI, will let you move passed AOW by documenting experience. You may be able to go right on to rescue (or something). A PADI AOW class is designed to provide additional experience not to let you in on all of the things that are kept secret from you in your OW. Some agencies still have AOW classes that come closer to what some consider "advanced" you might also consider one of those.
 

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