Too soon to do Advanced and Rescue Diver?

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Bbob

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Hello,
I did Open Water six months ago and had no problems. Since then I've had no opportunities for diving. Is it too soon - not enough dives - to do Advanced and Rescue? I know you are allowed to do them immediately following Open Water but I'm not too sure if I'll be ready with absolutely no dives between courses.
 
I guess that's up to you but I started my advanced course right after OW. The theory there was I wouldn't go out 'on my own' and develop bad habits that I would have to unlearn later. My OW course seemed to teach me the very basics, how to survive while diving, so to speak. Advanced gave me time to develop good diving skills under the guidance of an instructor. I also didn't rush thru my advanced course, it took me all last summer to finish. It was less of a class so to speak and more of a mentorship. I am glad I did advanced right away.

As for rescue, I didn't have the time to do it as I took my time in advanced. I think I will work on rescue this summer, no hurry, My dive instructors and I would rather that I learned the skills and were confortable with them, rather than rushing thru everything in one weekend only to forget most of it by the next wenesday.

Just my opinion and expierence

Ken
 
NAUIdiver2004 you are right 100%. I also recommend you take the Advanced Open Water right away. It will add to you new skill and new experience. But wait for about 15 dives till you do you Rescue Diver course so you can get some underwater experience. By this course there is a new responsibility, there are people depending on you, and you must be qualified to do it right.
 
Honestly - I think that you should wait. Certainly for the Rescue. Rescue is a very difficult course - 15 dives as gehadosky wrote - is not enough. 15 dives - at least it was mine case - is nothing. While as a Rescue diver you have to be able to do some serious things uw - such as taking your unconsiouss partner to the surface. After 15 dives you are not enough comfortable uw and your bouyancy skills are not enough good to be able to hande such situations.
I have several times expressed my view that AOW done right after OW is a mistake. Mainly because there are sever diving sites where you have to be at least AOW to be able to dive. AOW done right after OW in fact doesn't improve your diving - mainly weighting and byuoancy - that comes with the practice.
So before going any further start diving - that's will teach you a lot.
Mania
 
Ok well AOW as soon as your feel ready only made me a better newbi. Rescue have at least a few under your belt you need to be truly comfortable and relaxed to accept that trianing. Its rough but fun at least in my jaded opion
 
Bbob:
Hello,
I did Open Water six months ago and had no problems. Since then I've had no opportunities for diving. Is it too soon - not enough dives - to do Advanced and Rescue? I know you are allowed to do them immediately following Open Water but I'm not too sure if I'll be ready with absolutely no dives between courses.
i say take the advanced course.
rescue should only come after you're real comfortable in the water.
Rescue is a special certification, at least for me, my instructor gave me hell and really made sure I was good. I really got better as a diver after that. The best training i've ever received. Don't get a lazy instructor. ask around and find one that will make sure you are able to actually rescue youself/otherdivers in an emergency.
Rescue course with Padi, i believe requires 20 dives. It's up to you. If you have to ask in a scuba forum, then you're probably not ready for Rescue quite yet. hard to say really... either way have fun.
 
Ideally, I like my students to have some dives under their belt before doing the AOW. But in reallity a lot take the AOW (including myself years ago) because of "no opportunities to dive". Take the AOW and hook up with a dive club or dive shop and keep diving... then take the Rescue.
Tim
 
If I'm not mistaken I think a pre-requisite for rescue is that you have 20 dives or so.
 
I think it all depends on how comfortable you feel about your ability to take on new tasks. It has been mentioned before on this board that some divers are ready to move up to AOW immediately, and some really need to get some bottom time logged with some experienced coaching before they can adequately take care of their own needs underwater, much less perform tasks with buddy.

As far as Rescue, I'd say to defer that decision until you are AOW certified and decide then how much more experience you think you need before you are ready for the much more involved training and advanced skills needed for that certification. I know that the consensus around here is that you need some time to refine what you have already learned before you try to take the rescue classes. I did not do so... I went OW to AOW to Rescue over 3 consecutive months with no opportunity for casual diving along the way. But I was extremely comfortable at each level along the way, and as it turned out, was quite ready to continue. In fact I started my DM training only a month after Rescue, and with only 4 dives in between, at the recommendation of my instructor, and took about 2-1/2 months to complete the classwork and internship. During that time I did log about 25 dives outside of the class, mostly just to work on some of the things I was learning.

For most, I think that AOW can be taken soon after OW, all depending on whether you honestly feel that you can handle the added task loading. For Rescue, I tend to agree that most divers need more time in the water before they should tackle it, but I also feel that all serious divers should eventually become Rescue certified.
 
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