PADI AOW w/ Nitrox specialty?

[Joneill]

There are two real or simulated EANx dives for certification. The standards allow one of the two real EANx dives to be an Adventure Dive, thus one of the five in-water AOW dives, and allow the other EANx dive to be done concurrently with another Adventure Dive. So, by offering you EANx certification as part of your AOW, they are having to provide two cert cards, but only do four real training dives with you; the EANx Adventure dive is just a dive....no in-water training. Or, demand a real training dive (like the Night you want), but then pay separately for EANx....which is indeed good to have. I don't think the shop is scamming you, but they are being disingenuous by saying it is part of the AOW....

For PADI, the 2 dives are now optional (simulated or real). To be honest, the dives would be sort a waste of time as diving on Nitrox is really no different than diving on air in terms of the dive experience!

What matters is understanding the theory, knowing how to analyze and log your actual Nitrox blend on the tanks you will be diving with, and how to set up your dive computer and monitor the critical Nitrox related parameters (reduced MOD, ppO2, CNS, etc.,) and warning signs (VENTID-C, etc.,). The E-learning and classroom sessions covered all of that and we also got hands on experience analyzing and setting up our computers.

 

[tursiops]

For PADI, the 2 dives are now optional (simulated or real).

Perhaps it is just semantics, but they are not really optional. Yes, you have an option -- do the real or the simulated dives -- but you can't just ignore them.

 

[Joneill]

Perhaps it is just semantics, but they are not really optional. Yes, you have an option -- do the real or the simulated dives -- but you can't just ignore them.

There is no longer a requirement for dives for PADI Nitrox Cert - it looks like it is up the instructor (but not sure what doing 2 dives would accomplish?). From the PADI site:

"You’ll learn why diving with air that has higher oxygen and lower nitrogen content gives you more bottom time, along with enriched air equipment considerations. During a practical session, and two optional (or required) scuba dives, you’ll:

• Discuss managing oxygen exposure.
• Practice analyzing oxygen content in your scuba tank.
• Set your dive computer for diving with enriched air nitrox."

I'm not sure what you mean by simulated dives?

 

[mi000ke]

When I did my AOW last year, nitrox was separate and had no required dive. I did the nitrox course (online) a few days before my AOW, so that I could use nitrox on three of my AOW dives (deep, wreck, and boat), all of which were deep (about 100') at my request. I did AOW specifically so I would feel more comfortable on deep dives, and the dive op was fine with my plan for doing my wreck and boat specialties as deep dives - especially as the first boat dive each day was a deep wall, so we were there anyway. BTW, I did PPB first so that I had that sorted out before doing the remaining dives.

 

[tursiops]

There is no longer a requirement for dives for PADI Nitrox Cert - it looks like it is up the instructor (but not sure what doing 2 dives would accomplish?). From the PADI site:

"You’ll learn why diving with air that has higher oxygen and lower nitrogen content gives you more bottom time, along with enriched air equipment considerations. During a practical session, and two optional (or required) scuba dives, you’ll:

• Discuss managing oxygen exposure.
• Practice analyzing oxygen content in your scuba tank.
• Set your dive computer for diving with enriched air nitrox."

I'm not sure what you mean by simulated dives?

The simulated dives are what you can do instead of real dives. You simulate going into the dive shop, asking for Nitrox, showing your cert card, (actually) analyzing, logging, marking the tank, setting your computer, and diving. Then, after the simulated dive, you have a simulated surface interval, a simulated planning of the 2nd simulated dive based on the (actual) analysis/logging of a 2nd tank, a simulated reset of the computer, and a simulated dive followed by logging of the dive. It is meant to simulate doing two actual dives. There is actually a form the instructor fills out to log the simulated dives as prt of the training record.

Are you saying you did PADI Nitrox and did not do either two dives or two simulated dives?

 

[Joneill]

The simulated dives are what you can do instead of real dives. You simulate going into the dive shop, asking for Nitrox, showing your cert card, (actually) analyzing, logging, marking the tank, setting your computer, and diving. Then, after the simulated dive, you have a simulated surface interval, a simulated planning of the 2nd simulated dive based on the (actual) analysis/logging of a 2nd tank, a simulated reset of the computer, and a simulated dive followed by logging of the dive. It is meant to simulate doing two actual dives. There is actually a form the instructor fills out to log the simulated dives as prt of the training record.

Are you saying you did PADI Nitrox and did not do either two dives or two simulated dives?

Yes, I'm saying exactly that. We did actual analyzing (and calibrating the analyzer) , logging, marking of tanks and setting up our computer. We did that a few times on several different tanks. However, we did not simulate a dive or a surface interval - I'm not really sure what that would add as it is really no different than air?

 

[tursiops]

Yes, I'm saying exactly that. We did actual analyzing (and calibrating the analyzer) , logging, marking of tanks and setting up our computer. We did that a few times on several different tanks. However, we did not simulate a dive or a surface interval - I'm not really sure what that would add as it is really no different than air?

Well, it sounds like your instructor never actually finished the course. You did the Practical Application, but the Performance Standards are:

The Instructor Manual also says:

So do you think your instructor followed the Instructor Manual?

 

[Joneill]

Well, it sounds like your instructor never actually finished the course. You did the Practical Application, but the Performance Standards are:
View attachment 411025
View attachment 411026
The Instructor Manual also says:
View attachment 411027
So do you think your instructor followed the Instructor Manual?

I'd say we essentially did Option C. We analyzed, logged, marked tanks, entered the Nitrox % in our computer, checked the MOD and then scrolled to see NDL's at different depths.

You were saying it was a dive or a "simulated dive" - in reality it is a Dive or just pre-dive planning - which we did. I know of no way to actually simulate a dive on my Perdix - the only other thing would be to look at tables based on assumptions to determine NDL's , which we did do.

All said, I feel like the training was comprehensive enough to fully understand the benefits, limitations and potential risks/dangers of diving with Nitrox. My original point was that, to me, actually doing dives using Nitrox is of no real educational value - it's the understanding and setup stuff that is important. I got more practice doing that on ~ 8 tanks than I would have gotten by doing 2 dives, so it make sense to me why they dropped doing actual dives as a requirement.

 

[Miyaru]

PADI Training Bulletin – Fourth Quarter 2016:

 

[Joneill]

PADI Training Bulletin – Fourth Quarter 2016:
View attachment 411028