AOW - mish mash of adventure dives?

[lidja]

I'm thinking about getting a PADI AOW cert, and I find it all a bit confusing. AOW is not offered as a classroom course, so I've been told to "just go online and sign up."

I guess PADI AOW is basically a combination of five mini-courses including deep dive and navigation. Can I take these courses and do these dives with different instructors and different LDSes? Do my dive logs serve as proof that I've met the diving requirements for AOW? Are my Knowledge Review scores entered in some master PADI database somewhere or something?

There are three 5-star PADI LDSes in my area and all offer classes and dive alongs. Is it OK if I do this training "café-style" taking different mini-courses from various shops as they fit my schedule, or should I pick just one shop and stick with it exclusively?

 

[TMHeimer]

They're not really mini courses, they're just 5 dives doing different stuff. Deep & Nav are required. The other 3 I would recommend to be related to safety or efficiency, as opposed to what some may call "fluff" dives. I have heard of the AOW being started with one LDS and finished with another. But this, I think is a rarity, and one that could wind up costing more. Best idea IMO is to meet with instructor(s) and decide which one/which LDS looks best. I have also seen where the 3 other dives depend on what the LDS wants to or is able to offer--ei. an altitude or ice dive may not be practical, etc.

These 5 dives each are Dive 1 of it's specialty course (usually 3-4 total dives to complete the specialty and become, say, Deep Diver certified). It is quite likely that though you have been credited for Dive 1, you may have to just do the whole specialty course over, including the Dive 1 you "got credit for"--especially if you change shops in between. The new shop may likely say "We don't just do dives 2,3, & 4 and charge you less because you did Dive 1 as part of AOW. You have to pay for and do the whole 4 dive course".

 

[PhatD1ver]

AOW is really just an introduction to the different types of diving you will experience if you continue forward with diving... and of course, by doing a few of these dives, you hopefully develop a bug to do more. As mentioned, there is some value to the course in developing stronger nav skills, practicing and learning better buoyancy skills, and experiencing deep diving in a more controlled environment than the one that would eventually occur if you never received any formal instruction (that being that eventually, most divers are going to test themselves and go 'just a little deeper' because they want to or because they are matched with a buddy or group doing a deep dive.

The value in AOW is to determine what kind of diving interests you. And to make sure that you are able to experience that with someone who has the skills and training to properly introduce in a way that is safe and educational for you.

Since my AOW, I've never got my 'deep diver' specialty, but I've dove deep several times. I'm toying with getting my deep specialty, but then again, you come to this place where you say... I've done it once, and twice, and three times, why do I need to pay $300 to have an instructor tag along and watch me do it again four times? Just for a pretty piece of plastic that really won't do anything more than my AOW card.

I think PADI got it wrong when they did the AOW cert... it should have been focused on introducing the mandatory skills for BASIC RESCUE, ADVANCED UNDERWATER NAV SKILLS, PEAK BUOYANCY, and then after achieving two underwater SPECIALTIES you could get your AOW, and from there move on to RESCUE. Seems more like an ADVANCED diver rating should workout compared to the OW and then MASTER DIVER cert.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Different shops "shape" AOW differently. Mine does a class and pool component that is fairly extensive, and then we do the five open water dives over two days, with heavy emphasis on gaining competence and mastery of buoyancy and trim, lots of navigation training, and task loading in some way on each dive. We also address dive planning and execution as an independent diver. We use these threads to tie the various dives together. So ask about the course in the shop(s) where you might take it, and see what there approach is. I like our approach very much.
DivemasterDennis

 

[lidja]

Thanks, Dennis. That sounds like a better idea.

 

[DevonDiver]

I run AOW progressively, once a component has been introduced, the student applies it in every subsequent dive. This adds to task loading and ensures maximum exposure to dive skills.

My typical AOW runs like this:

Theory: Self-Study and Review, supplemented with several instructor-driven lectures.

Dive #1: PPB - run as an intensive buoyancy/trim/weighting/propulsion/control clinic. Students are taught to descend, propel, hover and ascend in a properly trimmed horizontal position. Frog kick and helicopter turn are introduced. I use numerous drills to amplify control; including horizontal hover mask remove/replace, passing weights from diver-to-diver, propulsion without fins (and moon-walking) and follow-the-leader in horizontal hover ascent/descent.

*Once introduced, all students are expected to apply the taught PPB skills in every subsequent dive. Horizontal trim, effective propulsion and control are insisted upon, and reviewed after each dive (often on video).

Dive #2: Navigation - again, run as an intensive clinic. In addition to the usual reciprocal and square patterns, students are expected to maintain situational awareness of location throughout the dive and navigate back to the start point. Natural navigation is stressed throughout. Turn-points and basic gas management are highlighted as part of the navigation phase.

*Once introduced, all students are expected to apply the taught navigation skills in every subsequent dive. They are briefed on the dive map, planning and managing navigation for the dive. It then becomes their responsibility, based upon pre-dive direction from the instructor (me).

Dive #3: Multi-Level & Computer - again, this is an intensive clinic that uses ML&C as a foundation. I include some basic deco theory and more advanced dive planning. This brings the issue of 'dive profile' into context of navigational planning. Another subsidiary focus on this dive is 'team diving and communication'.

*Once introduced, all students are expected to apply the taught ML&C skills in every subsequent dive. Dives are fully planned to shape an optimum profile. Full awareness of NDL, team skills and effective communication are to be demonstrated.

Dive #4 - Deep - The deep dive introduces students to proper ascent procedures as a team, including horizontal stops. A key focus is on developing situational awareness (gas, depth, time, NDL and buddy/team). Students are trained on, and utilize in-dive, redundant gas (pony) systems. The deep dive includes SAC calculation (SAC is recorded on dive #3) and basic gas management/planning protocols.

*Once introduced, all students are expected to apply the taught deep dive skills in every subsequent dive. The use of a pony cylinder, proper ascent procedures and accurate stop depths.

Dive #5: Wreck -the wreck dive bring together everything developed on dives 1-4, combined with natural navigation based on the wreck structure and layout. Students are taught... and then expected to, conduct independent research on the wreck site to be dived, to aid their subsequent dive planning and awareness. They create slate/maps of the wreck in advance, to take on the dive. These maps are then annotated during the dive to highlight hazards, penetration points, depths, ascent/descent point etc.

 

[dwhthediver]

It depends on the shop and the instructor, if you choose PPB, PADI doesn't require class and pool session, but I do. Navigation, besides, the required skills, natural navigation is stressed with the compass, what to look for, noting it and sun position. Dive planning and gas management is stressed on every dive and I pick one of the five, I give you the objective and expected time of the dive and you do the dive planning. So, I suggest a 5 star, but talk to the instructors. I tell students AOW doesn't make you an advanced diver, but it advances your open water dive education. O/W is like dive 101, AOW is dive 202. You wouldn't consider yourself an advanced chemist after taking chem 101, and 202, but 202 built on what you learned in 101.

 

[TSandM]

I didn't read all the posts in detail, so maybe somebody has already answered your original question, but yes, it is possible within the PADI system to do the different dives with different shops/instructors, and have it all add up to an AOW cert. Whether a SHOP will let you do that or not is up to the shop, though. They have to be willing to submit the PIC to get you your card, and I would imagine some shops would refuse to do that unless you had done all the training with them.

 

[Bob DBF]

I didn't read all the posts in detail, so maybe somebody has already answered your original question, but yes, it is possible within the PADI system to do the different dives with different shops/instructors, and have it all add up to an AOW cert. Whether a SHOP will let you do that or not is up to the shop, though. They have to be willing to submit the PIC to get you your card, and I would imagine some shops would refuse to do that unless you had done all the training with them.

I would think it might be harder to get an instructor to sign off on the adventure dives knowing they would not get credit for the cert. In any event, it would probably cost considerably more to do the cert as individual adventure dives than a two day class.


Bob

 

[mrdre]

...
Since my AOW, I've never got my 'deep diver' specialty, but I've dove deep several times. I'm toying with getting my deep specialty, but then again, you come to this place where you say... I've done it once, and twice, and three times, why do I need to pay $300 to have an instructor tag along and watch me do it again four times? Just for a pretty piece of plastic that really won't do anything more than my AOW card.
...

I think the whole idea of an instructor tagging along is to make sure that the diver won't get into trouble doing a deep dive for the **very first time**. The instructor needs to make sure that the diver isn't getting narked, isn't panicking, isn't breathing heavy, isn't shaking, is monitoring his air properly (on our class one girl run out of air immediately, good the instructor was carying one extra bottle, the other guy on different hit thermocline and started shaking like crazy and panicking)..

I, personally, wouldn't go below 70-80 feet with anybody who never been deeper. I just don't want to take that responsibility. Same with night diving. I wouldn't go night diving with anybody who hasn't done that with an instructor. It's not about the card, it's about knowing that the person already been there, done that. Not only I want to decrease the possibility of dealing with panicking/narked/out of air diver, but I myself want to know that I can rely on the buddy in case I need some help.

I think it's a good idea to do these dives at least once with an instructor (hence - AOW certification). Now if you have done deep dives already and you feel comfortable, then yeah, I don't see any need for "deep class" anymore.