AOW question

[CoachSteve]

after hearing all the responses here and in PMs, I am definitely going to to the AOW and then rescue diver. My most important skill that I want to learn past AOW is nav, and bouyancy. those will come after rescue diver. I also want to get my deep diver, nitrox and dry suit. those are the most important to me at this point, probably in that order.

My progression seemed a little off. I have already gotten contacted by the atlanta DIR, and heard some of what DIR is about. the responses have shed quite a bit of light on my situation and I ahve a much better understanding of what I want to do know, just from the few knowledgeable posts you all have made. Thank you.

 

[georoc01]

I did this the opposite way, did AOW first, then finished the specialities later. Deep I completed when I took dry suit. Nav I completed seperately.

 

[NudeDiver]

after hearing all the responses here and in PMs, I am definitely going to to the AOW and then rescue diver. My most important skill that I want to learn past AOW is nav, and bouyancy. those will come after rescue diver.

Just remember that you don't have to take a class to learn something. If you want to get better at navigation and buoyancy, for example, then grab a willing buddy and some dive gear, and go out and work on these skills. If you're so inclined, get the AOW book and work through the sections of interest in it on your own. Be serious about it and make a go of it, and you can learn a lot, without taking a class.

Obviously, some things, like deep diving are advisable to do with an instructor-like person, but there is plenty you can do on your own. FWIW, the nitrox diver specialty doesn't require any dives at all!

 

[InTheDrink]

I agree with many of the posts here: PADI AOW in and of itself may or may not have worth.

Focusing on getting really good at the basics, and getting as comfortable in the water as possible. I believe (in fairness, with a fairly limited experience and time to draw on) is more important than getting AOW. The only particular benefit in PADI AOW is the additional depth it allows you to dive.

I consult my OW book much more than my PADI AOW book. OW has the basic skills - know them really well and you'll be on your way to being a good diver.

Like the others have said, find yourself a pool/quarry/DIR-group if you're really lucky (I think)/ and you'll progress much quicker than just by doing the courses. I don't rate PADI AOW at all and that's my current certification level.

My 2c.

 

[SandyRobinson]

CoachSteve,

Another option is to take AOW through SSI. Their AOW requires 4 specialty courses. Each course consists of reading a book for the specialty, answering book questions, sitting through the class lecture, and then performing at least two dives per specialty. I believe that specialty courses from other agencies can be used to satisfy the SSI AOW.

Good luck.

 

[nannymouse]

The main reason that I took AOW is so that I can take Rescue.
Deep (100ft) and Nav are required.
I also took S&R, DPV, and Night.

Nav is something that you will use to some extent on every dive.
Bouyancy is something you will use always on every dive.
Read these sections in the AOW book, and apply them in your diving.
Ask your buddies to check you out occasionally during your dive, and nudge you if neccessary,
Get in the habit of stopping 4 to 10 feet above the bottom, then adjust your bouyancy.
Learn to hang upside down (head down, fins up). This can be very handy for photography, and adjusting your buddy's rig.

You don't have to have a teacher to learn.

 

[NudeDiver]

The main reason that I took AOW is so that I can take Rescue.
Deep (100ft) and Nav are required.

Actually, you're only required to go deeper than 60'. You don't need to go to 100' for the AOW cert.

You don't have to have a teacher to learn.

Well, you need a teacher - but that teacher may be yourself.

 

[offthewall1]

The reality is that many places (operators) like to see an advanced card if you're jumping out for a deep or wreck dive. So working on an advanced card is a good idea.

What classes you take to get there is more important than the card itself. There are fluff courses that can be ignored... and there are core courses which you really should concentrate on. The core courses make you a better diver. The fluff courses put money in someone elses pocket... and are things you really should have learned in basic OW.

I recommend taking the SDI DM track.. which requires 3 core specialties... all of which are types of diving you may encounter or skills you really ought to have to dive safely. They are:

1. Deep
2. Advanced Navigation
3. Night & Limited Visibility

Our recommendation for a 4th is usually either Wreck, Search & Recovery or Advanced Buoyancy depending upon where your personal issues and or / desires lie.

The only other course I strongly recommend for most divers is Rescue. This is a great course that builds confort and confidence.

Others may recommend Nitrox - but Nitrox isn't for everyone and in many cases is a waste of money depending on the type and amount of diving you plan to do... so investigate it before investing in it.

If your LDS (or Instructor) has trained you properly in OW... you don't need fluff specialties such as Boat, Drift, Shore & Beach... blah blah blah..... you should know how to do these things at the end of your OW class. If they have not taught you these things in OW... then you may want to take them... but you may also want to assess where you're taking them. I wouldn't go back to the same place.

Happy Diving... and good luck on advancing your diving career... welcome to the club!

 

[sabbath999]

I just got back from Kona where I took my AOW training, and I am glad I did...

I had never been diving in the ocean or off a boat, and the AOW not only offered instruction, but it gave us an instructor all to ourselves for the first five dives of our trip. Our instructor had an insane skill level, I swear she was actually a fish, and she was able to show us what she was doing and how she was doing it.

We did the course work ahead of time, and she went through the reviews and over the materials before each dive, to make sure we really knew the stuff and weren't just filling in blanks. Then we made the dives, and worked on the stuff that we needed to improve on.

We ended up doing deep, boat, night, navigation and buoyancy. Of the classes, I think by far the most important one was buoyancy... we did it third (our second day there) and it really, really helped with the rest of our weeks worth of diving... it wasn't just the techniques, it was the feedback from the instructor on how to improve that helped. I saw a video of me diving later in the week, everything was streamlined and trim, I was horizontal, using breath control to move up, around and through the coral beds without touching anything and with my hands tucked properly and I was like "Whoa! That is me?".

The only "silly" class we took was "boat diving" but, you know, we were on vacation and on a boat. That class was a bit different than the others, since a lot of it was taught by the boat captain (also a certified instructor) who not only showed us the basics, but also taught us how to identify good looking dive sites by the color of the water, how to deal with currents and surge, how to recognize dangerous areas to stay away from through the champaign (etc.) so it didn't turn out to be as donk as I thought it would.

The AOW I took wasn't NEARLY as intense or complete as our initial training was, but rather it was kind of like an "introduction to specific kinds of diving".

It was nice to have an instructor with us for our first 5 open dives (actually she stayed with us through 8 dives since business was so slow and we are good tippers ) since we are NOOBs, but we did actually learn some stuff.

Navigation is too easy at Kona the way the AOW testing system is set up. With 100+ ft visibility, it would be WAY too easy to cheat if one had a mind to.

 

[CoachSteve]

that is very cool. my AOW would have to be around here in the atlanta area. one of the quarries in TN or AL, or someplace like that. I am definitely wanting to get my bouyancy correct. I read more about that than anything and my next dive will on my stop at the end of the dive work on bouyancy/weighting. That will be one of the classes I take for AOW and beyond. but Rescue will be the first class I take after the AOW.

I learn so much just by reading what the guys/ladies post around it. Thank you all for taking the time to respond and share your experiences and expertise.