AOW? Joke? Meaningless?

[gr8jab]

I'm not really sure I get the point of the AOW class. Is this just an excuse to get more business for instructors and dive shops? Is it just a check-box so the LDS doesn't have to search my log book before that wreck or night dive?

I have about 70 dives, which is not many compared to most others. However, I consider myself reasonably competent and safe.

There were two of us in the AOW class I took last week. Me, with 70 dives. The other guy (nice guy), with only his OW cert dives. The AOW class was a bit of a struggle for him. He didn't have the ability to focus on the tasks and skills at hand because he was still getting comfortable in with basic diving stuff. I, on the other hand, felt like none of the tasks and skills were useful or informative.

I learned nothing new. I am now AOW, but no safer or more capable than before.

He logged 5 extra practice dives, but I don't think he learned much. I would definitely not want him as a buddy at night, deep, or on a wreck. He is now AOW, but I question how safe he is.

However, now, in the eyes of the LDS, we are equal.

So, what's the point? AOL didn't hold much value for him or me. When should AOW be taken? What's the purpose?

Help me understand.

 

[Freewillow]

Again, be aware that the instructors. Some of them are good, others............not so good.
Speaking from my experience of going through different steps of the PADI ladder to DM, rescue was the one that was the most useful. But again a great instructor makes a hell of a difference

 

[Doc]

It sounds like it was valuable for your friend. If nothing else, it's good to know what you don't know.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I learned a lot about diving on AOL

 

[Divetech99]

What "tasks and skills" did you not consider useful or informative?

 

[dmaziuk]

Help me understand.

This is a stretch, but let's say I've been driving in France for 20 years. I come to US, I get a local drivers licence and a student next to me is also getting one. His 18th birthday was yesterday. Now in the eyes of an officer looking at issue dates on our licences we're equally experienced drivers. So how's that different from your AOW cert?


Note that I'm not saying it's fair, bad, or whatever: it's just how it is.

---------- Post added July 30th, 2015 at 01:31 PM ----------

What "tasks and skills" did you not consider useful or informative?

Oh, come on. Boat dive? Night dive? Drift dive? BTDT, have not done a night drift boat dive. I have no AOW. Edit: and then there's computer dive that I suspect is there because nobody told Mr. Left Hand that Mr. Right Hand's teaching OW with computers now.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

An AOL class should teach specific things- navigational skills, peak buoyancy and trim control while engaged in task loading ( like deploying and smb, lifiting a found object, stringing or retrieving a line, etc), dive planning, as well as reinforce good dive practices, like buddy checks, pre-dive briefing, and the like. Not all classes are of equal value, based upon agency content and instructor adaptation of that content to a class. I am not a fan of students taking the AOW class right after their open waters. At least 20 non-training dives should be required, in my opinion. You had a lot of experience, and so if you were in my AOW class we could do a lot to stretch you skills and comfort zone, develop your skills, and add to them. I am sorry if you had a bad experience.
DivemasterDennis

 

[rhwestfall]

My YMCA card issued to me in 1988 was "Scuba Diver"....... no recommended depth limitation except recreational limits, no DM (didn't know such a thing existed), etc.. Out of "fear/hearsay", I obtained an "Advanced Open Water" certification from PDIC, that was a rehash of OW topics, and dive experiences I had over the 8 years since initial certification. Flash forward to 2012, where I added EANx & Scuba Rescue Diver (the later being perhaps the best class taken to date), and 2013 where I added a Master Scuba Diver certification. Thoughts of the lump sum of certifications and what they gained me (the exception being SRD)? Meh!

Point being, experiences coupled with competent buddies and mentors can mean a whole bunch, but look, it took me 25 years..... The compartmentalized approach seems to be a means to an end, but might not be your way...... To each, their own. In the past i would saber rattle of crummy training now, but I now get it....

Folks are going to do things various ways as a way to reach a goal. The only thing that really matters is that the information they are getting is useful. Again, as per a constant theme, its the instructor (be it life, competent buddies, or licensed professionals), not the cards.....

Don't know if i really provided anything here.....

 

[Water Boy76]

I'm still waiting for my Scuba Board Certification Card. I sent my check to that nice guy in Nigeria and still haven't heard back?

 

[Wookie]

I didn't know that America On Line taught scuba, but I know an advanced Open Water class is designed for the new diver to have 5 more experience dives under instruction with an instructor. Perhaps you didn't get as much out of it as you might have had you done your 5 AOW dives as dives 5-9 instead of 70-74. But even if you ise it to go on boats that require AOW, or decide to get rescue (the best most important class IMO), it had some value to you.