Is it necessary to do the SSI advanced adventurer course?

[IslandDan2020]

From SSI

This program allows you to experience five different open water dives from five SSI Specialty programs without requiring you to complete the entire Specialty. If you are unsure of your next step, this is the perfect way to advance your dive skills and experience, and to identify which Specialty programs interest you. You will earn the SSI Advanced Adventurer certification after completing this program.

Attention: The Advanced Adventurer certification is not counted towards the AOWD Recognition. To achieve one or more specialty certification(s) for the AOWD, you may decide to complete one or more of these specialties. Your dives from the Advanced Adventurer course will of course be counted.
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There is nothing in AA that is not included in the specialty courses. It really is just a chance to see which training you would like to pursue. Or maybe just add some dives outside of the curriculum you have chosen to follow.

Thanks a lot mate

 

[Belzelbub]

In 5/6 months I am aiming to be advanced because I would like to visit some wrecks which are beyond 18 meters.

In that case, I’d suggest doing Deep, and not AA. AA doesn’t extend the recommended depth limit. Deep does. That should be what you really need for charters, but call before you go as some may insist on “Advanced” though that tells me they really don’t know what they are talking about.

Thank you for you reply ! .. I was wondering if I skip AA do I still get the same knowledge/skills when later I am in the process of doing the others specialities to get my SSI AOWD or is there like a set of skills which are only tought in AA that I would have skipped .. sorry to ask I'm not sure how it works

You actually get more. AA is the same as PADI AOW, and is only an introduction to the specialties. You are better served getting the actual specialties, then the SSI AOW is issued as recognition of completing the specialties.

 

[Angelo Farina]

I hate to say this.
But if what you need is a card with "advanced" written on it, go with a Padi AOW.
This is what my 2 sons did. In 3 days and 5 dives they got the card... it was quite cheap, too.
Less than the cost of the 5 dives accounted separately!
Of course they did not learn much above what they did already know. But now they have the card which in some places is a requirement...

 

[Dave Bevan]

I hate to say this.
But if what you need is a card with "advanced" written on it, go with a Padi AOW.
This is what my 2 sons did. In 3 days and 5 dives they got the card... it was quite cheap, too.
Less than the cost of the 5 dives accounted separately!
Of course they did not learn much above what they did already know. But now they have the card which in some places is a requirement...

Basically if you want to pay and not learn anything then PADI is the way to go. My recommendation. Take the same money and go for the deep certification. That way you will learn some good new skills and make some exciting experience dives. Then when you have more time and money you can pick some more specialities and work towards an advanced open water that means something.

Plus sane boat owners shouldn't turn you away if you have 40m certification.

 

[Belzelbub]

I hate to say this.
But if what you need is a card with "advanced" written on it, go with a Padi AOW.
This is what my 2 sons did. In 3 days and 5 dives they got the card... it was quite cheap, too.
Less than the cost of the 5 dives accounted separately!
Of course they did not learn much above what they did already know. But now they have the card which in some places is a requirement...

PADI AOW is the equivalent of SSI Advanced Adventurer. Either will give you the word Advanced, but neither really does anything to really advance your diving knowledge, beyond exposure to a particular type of diving that you may want to pursue later.

So if the dive op is looking for “Advanced” then either will suffice. But if the dive op doesn’t accept a more appropriate specialty for the type of dive, then they are clueless.

I could have gotten my AOW card without doing a single deep dive, as there is no requirement to actually do Deep. If that were the case, my SSI recommended depth limit would still be 60’ by today’s recommendations.

 

[IslandDan2020]

I hate to say this.
But if what you need is a card with "advanced" written on it, go with a Padi AOW.
This is what my 2 sons did. In 3 days and 5 dives they got the card... it was quite cheap, too.
Less than the cost of the 5 dives accounted separately!
Of course they did not learn much above what they did already know. But now they have the card which in some places is a requirement...

Hello Angelo thank for your reply .. I don't want any titles I just want to be safe and skilled

 

[IslandDan2020]

Basically if you want to pay and not learn anything then PADI is the way to go. My recommendation. Take the same money and go for the deep certification. That way you will learn some good new skills and make some exciting experience dives. Then when you have more time and money you can pick some more specialities and work towards an advanced open water that means something.

Plus sane boat owners shouldn't turn you away if you have 40m certification.

Thanks. That's exactly what I was thinking lately to be honest, I think I will do that

 

[Angelo Farina]

Hello Angelo thank for your reply .. I don't want any titles I just want to be safe and skilled

Then do the single specialty courses, choosing the ones better suited to your needs, as others have already pointed out.
Unfortunately, however, in some places they require that card with "advanced" written on it.

 

[rick00001967]

Unfortunately, however, in some places they require that card with "advanced" written on it.

this is often a question from new open water divers.
there may indeed be some shops in the world that will tell you it is "required" for you to have a certain certification to join them on a certain type of dive.
in my experience however, this has never been the case. simply having your name on an "advanced" diver certification in no way automatically means you are qualified for certain dives.
i think most divers would find that a shop is more interested in seeing you in the water. if they do not know you, they most likely will want to see what your skill level is before agreeing to take you on a more challenging dive.

 

[IslandDan2020]

this is often a question from new open water divers.
there may indeed be some shops in the world that will tell you it is "required" for you to have a certain certification to join them on a certain type of dive.
in my experience however, this has never been the case. simply having your name on an "advanced" diver certification in no way automatically means you are qualified for certain dives.
i think most divers would find that a shop is more interested in seeing you in the water. if they do not know you, they most likely will want to see what your skill level is before agreeing to take you on a more challenging dive.

Thanks Rick