I completed AOW this weekend, and it was as mentally strenuous as it was physically strenuous. Going from OW to AOW is like going from the driving range to the golf course. I needed to put all the skills I'd learned together all at once, and I was pretty beat by the end of the weekend.
Saturday's lake skills dives were pretty smooth. Water was about 70*F, so no hoods or gloves. That was quite a treat. Unfortunately, there was a lot of recreational activity on the lake and visibility was under 10'.
Sunday out in the ocean was a different story. To start, the conditions were pretty poor. First dive was in heavy swells and 4' chop. The hardest part was getting from the stern to the anchor line. Once down, the visibility was about 6'. We could feel the wave energy all the way down to about 50'.
The next area we moved to was much better. We anchored in a cove which was much calmer. We had about 20' viz and the drills were much easier. Lots of marine life, lobsters everywhere and a school of about 1000 squid.
By the end, I was a lot more comfortable with rough water, deep water, gear and all my skills. Overall, I'm pretty psyched with having done it. Can't wait to get back in.
Saturday's lake skills dives were pretty smooth. Water was about 70*F, so no hoods or gloves. That was quite a treat. Unfortunately, there was a lot of recreational activity on the lake and visibility was under 10'.
Sunday out in the ocean was a different story. To start, the conditions were pretty poor. First dive was in heavy swells and 4' chop. The hardest part was getting from the stern to the anchor line. Once down, the visibility was about 6'. We could feel the wave energy all the way down to about 50'.
The next area we moved to was much better. We anchored in a cove which was much calmer. We had about 20' viz and the drills were much easier. Lots of marine life, lobsters everywhere and a school of about 1000 squid.
By the end, I was a lot more comfortable with rough water, deep water, gear and all my skills. Overall, I'm pretty psyched with having done it. Can't wait to get back in.