Drysuit/AOW

[al248005]

My LDS is a SSI shop and I got a question about the AOW class. I am considering substituting Drysuit in place of limited viz. If I do this is this a full DS certification or must there be more dives on top of the ones completed for AOW to get the full drysuit cert?

 

[tstormdiver]

For SSI's Adv. OW ranking, you must complete 4 full, complete specialties, it is not a class per se, but a program that requires 4 specialties & a minumum # of logged dives. The specialtiese usually entail 2 or more dives, but some specialties may be combined in dives (DS & Nitrox, Navigation & Buoyancy & so on...)as long as the skills for those specialties are covered & performed to standards & the instructor's satisfaction. You must also have a minimum of 24 logged dives to reach the AOW level.

 

[mmintz]

tstormdivr is absolutely correct about the rules to become an advanced diver through SSI. Night and limited visibility is a very good course that us one of the most practical courses offered because almost every diver dives in limited visibility enviroments so I would definately recomend the limited viz course. If you are going to dive a dry suit I would most definately recomend a dry suit course too because it teaches you how to control the dive and the dry suit. I would also recomend deep, navigation, search and recovery, and nitrox. Any combination of the courses I have mentioned thus far are good choices forr the advanced OW cource.

 

[emoreira]

tstormdivr is absolutely correct about the rules to become an advanced diver through SSI. Night and limited visibility is a very good course that us one of the most practical courses offered because almost every diver dives in limited visibility enviroments so I would definately recomend the limited viz course. If you are going to dive a dry suit I would most definately recomend a dry suit course too because it teaches you how to control the dive and the dry suit. I would also recomend deep, navigation, search and recovery, and nitrox. Any combination of the courses I have mentioned thus far are good choices forr the advanced OW cource.

I'm not sure about search & recovery, but I'm pretty sure that Nitrox do not sum for AOWD.

 

[LowDrag]

My LDS instructor told me that when I get to ready to take AOW it would be comprised of Navigation, Deep Diving, Bouyancy and I believe Low Viz. Later on, after logging more dives then I can go into Stress and Rescue. One of my goals is to learn as much as I can so that I can be a better diver. My wife and I will be diving together and I want us to enjoy this sport and be as safe as we can be. My instructor also said I could do a dry suit course during my OW cert next if I want to.

 

[jscott099]

AL your dive shop is 'packaging' the AOW it sounds like. As tstorm stated, you could have ANY four specialties and 24 dives to get SSI AOW. You could even go to a PADI shop and take the four specialties from them if you wanted. You should be allowed to pick and choose which specialties you want because there is no preset list that is required for AOW. If the dive shop doen't like it, go some where else and take the specialties that you want.

 

[tstormdiver]

I'm not sure about search & recovery, but I'm pretty sure that Nitrox do not sum for AOWD.

It does if OW dives are done as part of the Nitrox course. If only the classroom portion is done, then the diver can obtain the card & use Nitrox, but it can not be counted as one of the specialties used for AOW.

With SSI, OW dives MUST be made in order for the course to count towards the AOW cert. or any higher level. SSI changed that standard a year or so ago to prevent someone from obtaining a more advanced cert. by taking courses & not doing any dives (courses like Nitrox, Perfect Buoyancy, Equipment Techniques). If OW dives are made that incorporate the skills learned in the classroom &/or pool, then the specialty can count towards the more advanced levels.

My LDS gives the student the option of doing the dives or not. If dives are done, then yes, it can count towards AOW or higher, if not, then it can not.

 

[LowDrag]

AL your dive shop is 'packaging' the AOW it sounds like. As tstorm stated, you could have ANY four specialties and 24 dives to get SSI AOW. You could even go to a PADI shop and take the four specialties from them if you wanted. You should be allowed to pick and choose which specialties you want because there is no preset list that is required for AOW. If the dive shop doen't like it, go some where else and take the specialties that you want.

This is good information. I kinda figured that my LDS was "bundling" specialties. The specialties I posted were just the ones my instructor mentioned. I will look into other specialties and see what I have to choose from and then talk to my LDS. Thanks.

It does if OW dives are done as part of the Nitrox course. If only the classroom portion is done, then the diver can obtain the card & use Nitrox, but it can not be counted as one of the specialties used for AOW.

With SSI, OW dives MUST be made in order for the course to count towards the AOW cert. or any higher level. SSI changed that standard a year or so ago to prevent someone from obtaining a more advanced cert. by taking courses & not doing any dives (courses like Nitrox, Perfect Buoyancy, Equipment Techniques). If OW dives are made that incorporate the skills learned in the classroom &/or pool, then the specialty can count towards the more advanced levels.

My LDS gives the student the option of doing the dives or not. If dives are done, then yes, it can count towards AOW or higher, if not, then it can not.

I can see why people would do the course but not dive. I have known people that all they want is the bragging rights of title. At the same time why would you want to bypass any dives? That part to me doesn't make any sense. I want to dive as much as I can. Like I said....I don't get that.

 

[tstormdiver]

I can see why people would do the course but not dive. I have known people that all they want is the bragging rights of title. At the same time why would you want to bypass any dives? That part to me doesn't make any sense. I want to dive as much as I can. Like I said....I don't get that.

Some of my students will take a Nitrox course during the winter months when it is too cold to dive locally, most of the divers in this area are warm water vacation divers. They can get the card & use Nitrox while on a tropical trip or such. Some do come back in the warmer months to do the OW dives, some just don't worry about it. They hav ethe card to be able to use Nitrox & that's all they want.

 

[LowDrag]

Some of my students will take a Nitrox course during the winter months when it is too cold to dive locally, most of the divers in this area are warm water vacation divers. They can get the card & use Nitrox while on a tropical trip or such. Some do come back in the warmer months to do the OW dives, some just don't worry about it. They hav ethe card to be able to use Nitrox & that's all they want.

Something like that is understandable. I forgot the NITROX class was a "no dive" class.