CT-Rich
Contributor
As far as charters requiring AOW rather than a log book for certain dives is concerned, think about it from their perspective. Begin with the fact that a diver can acquire a very impressive log book without leaving the basement. Next, consider what happens if there is a dive accident and there is a question about whether or not they allowed a diver with insufficient skills to perform the dive. If they used a log book or even a checkout dive as their determiner, then the true deciding factor was their judgment. They were the ones that looked at the logbook or diver and decided that diver was ready for that dive, so they can be sued for making a bad decision. If they instead used a hard and fast rule like an AOW card, then their judgment does not come into play.
I totally agree with this, I may be good to go for a particular type of dive, but I would understand the charter not taking me because of some sort of documentation issue. They have insurers they have to satisfy. Look at what happened with the recent death on the Gen. Sherman. They have heap of trouble with what happened and adding certification issues to the troubles would be unnecessary. I ultimately understand that eventhough I am a thoughtful and competent diver, I am not going piss and moan that I should be grandfathered onto a boat because 30 years ago, we thought AOW training was primarily a money machine. It is, but today it is part of the institution of diving.
I think AOW is part of learning to dive. I would look at AOW the same as I would any Newbie diver. Excellent, how many dives have you done? what types of conditions have you seen? How do they handle their gear? Are they decked out like Christmas trees or do they have an intelligent kit? I look at those things when I see other divers, but I am not liable for their safety. Charters are.
I would certainly worry most about the divers that look at AOW as something to puff their chest out about, rather than as a step in their education. I also hope that other divers will look at me and assess me beyond a Basic C-card or AOW.