Diver Training, Has It Really Been Watered Down???

[tursiops]

Then there is nonsense that is often squeezed into an Advanced Open Water course that needs no dives. "Boat specialty" and "shore specialty etc."

Boat Specialty requires a DSMB be deployed. How do you do that without a dive?
Earlier a post claimed entering through surf was a serious skill....so shore specialty (not PADI, by the way) is not valuable?

 

[Aviyes]

I'm frankly getting a little tired of seeing people write this; I'm never sure whether it is misunderstanding, intellectual laziness, or PADI-hating. The AOW is advanced beyond OW, that's it. it does not purport to make one an advanced diver. It could just as well be called After Open Water, or Addendum to OW. PADI says, "It's titled PADI Advanced Open Water Diver because it advances your diving knowledge & skills."

I'd think a PADI instructor would understand that and not keep repeating misleading and inflammatory garbage.

Rant over. "Strong message to follow."

I think it is more about the use of this as a requirement on many dive boats/liveaboards for those 60+ ft depths, that is hated on, when AOW does not feel like that much of a boost in training. But, that is just CYA actions for the joys of a litigious society.

 

[tursiops]

I am pretty sure you need to have AOW to start the Deep specialty,

You need Adventure Diver or an equivalent from another organization. to start Deep.
Interestingly, the equivalent needs to be proof of a cert beyond OW, AND proof of 20 logged dives documenting experience in deep and navigation.

 

[tursiops]

Why on earth would anyone stop and get the Adventure Diver certification when it only takes 2 more dives to get the AOW?

You can do Adventure Diver in one day. Sometimes it is nice to have a consolation prize if the weather turns bad or someone gets sick.

 

[boulderjohn]

I'm frankly getting a little tired of seeing people write this; I'm never sure whether it is misunderstanding, intellectual laziness, or PADI-hating. The AOW is advanced beyond OW, that's it. it does not purport to make one an advanced diver. It could just as well be called After Open Water, or Addendum to OW. PADI says, "It's titled PADI Advanced Open Water Diver because it advances your diving knowledge & skills."

I'd think a PADI instructor would understand that and not keep repeating misleading and inflammatory garbage.

Rant over. "Strong message to follow."

I am similarly tired of it as well. I will repeat the following bit of history for the umpteenth time.

The advanced course was created by the Los Angeles County program back in the day when there were really only two certification levels--diver and instructor. LA County noticed that a lot of divers got certified, did a little diving, and then quit. They hoped that introducing them to different aspects of diving through experience dives they might find something that would pique their interest and keep them diving. The extra skills involved would not hurt. Not long after that, NAUI (led by former LA County people) added the program for that same reason. PADI only added it after that.

No, it was not designed to make you an expert, but it was the most advanced training available at the time.

 

[Bob DBF]

Children at that age can only qualify to take junior adventure diver. You have to a deep dive to get AOW.

On two PADI training sites I saw a jr AOW class with the following information:

"The PADI Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certificate will change automatically to a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certificate when the child becomes 15 years old."

It shows no training requirements to make the change to AOW. Is this just something the sites just made up?


Bob

 

[JamesBon92007]

On two PADI training sites I saw a jr AOW class with the following information:

"The PADI Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certificate will change automatically to a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certificate when the child becomes 15 years old."

It shows no training requirements to make the change to AOW. Is this just something the sites just made up?


Bob

I recently asked a dive op on Cozumel if a 15-year-old who had a Jr OW certification would need a private DM and he said "no, she is now a certified diver with no restrictions." I get the impression that the PADI OW "restrictions" are simply suggestions.

 

[Bob DBF]

I recently asked a dive op on Cozumel if a 15-year-old who had a Jr OW certification would need a private DM and he said "no, she is now a certified diver with no restrictions." I get the impression that the PADI OW "restrictions" are simply suggestions.

I knew the jr OW worked that way, and then checked on jr AOW and it seems to work the same, even though it means there is not a requirement for deep dive training.


Bob

 

[boulderjohn]

AOW section of PADI Instructor manual page 77:


Diver Prerequisites
• Certified as PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver
Check Section Two for minimum age prerequisites specific to
each Adventure Dive.

Note: 10 and 11-year-old divers may only earn a Junior Adventure
Diver certification.

 

[tursiops]

PADI has two different Junior groupings: 10-11 year olds, and 12-14 year olds. The former has a 40 ft depth limit, the latter 60, although for ConEd the latter's limit is 70, which means the AOW Deep dive is possible, since it only has to exceed 60 ft. There is no Junior AOW until age 12. At age 15 the Junior AOW automatically becomes AOW.