PADI Advanced Open Water Question

[mcohen1021]

I can tell you there was a huge difference between the PADI nav AOW dive people I know have done and the nav specialty (SDI) I did. One square against, among other things, a class including a nav course of 8 different waypoints, with legs of different distances.

I expect the PADI nav specialty would be more intensive, as well.

It's been a few years since 1990 when I took my PADI AOW, but we definitely did not do what you describe in your class. We did however do it in <2 ft of visibility at Squaw Creek Reservoir in TX, so that added to the fun.

My last 5 or so freshwater dives I have done have all been in literally <1 ft visibility (working to install anchors), and it has been done by literally feeling around. Occasionally, I was lucky enough to have a stationary object at the surface to follow the line to the existing anchors. A real blast, I'll tell ya.

 

[mcohen1021]

"Take AOW, it is a quick and easy class."

Easy to some is difficult to others. If you're a diver with 500 dives, AoW should come relatively easier than someone with 20.

 

[Marie13]

It's been a few years since 1990 when I took my PADI AOW, but we definitely did not do what you describe in your class. We did however do it in <2 ft of visibility at Squaw Creek Reservoir in TX, so that added to the fun.

My last 5 or so freshwater dives I have done have all been in literally <1 ft visibility (working to install anchors), and it has been done by literally feeling around. Occasionally, I was lucky enough to have a stationary object at the surface to follow the line to the existing anchors. A real blast, I'll tell ya.

At times in my nav class, we had less than 2ft viz, as well. It was fun! LOL.

 

[mcohen1021]

At times in my nav class, we had less than 2ft viz, as well. It was fun! LOL.

yeah, yuck!


I will say after years of only ocean diving, going back into the murk was a bit unnerving... I was following ¼" steel cables from a ski jump to the anchors(in order to attach surface buoys to each) and literally all i could see was a "black mist" haha

 

[DanielRJones]

I can tell you there was a huge difference between the PADI nav AOW dive people I know have done and the nav specialty (SDI) I did. One square against, among other things, a class including a nav course of 8 different waypoints, with legs of different distances.

I expect the PADI nav specialty would be more intensive, as well.

My nav course was the following.
All in viz of 3m max
Swimming a square.
Running a five point route recording bearing and distance and then the other group swam it and vice versa.
Finding an object on the bottom using surface bearings and then descending.
Recovering 5slates (had bearing and distance to first slate and the next bearing and distance was on each slate)
And a few other tasks

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Some of the responses here are why I wrote my own AOW course that is definitely not a sampler. Bob Bailey's AOW was the inspiration in part. 6 dives, all skills laden and requiring classroom, minimum entry and exit skill requirements, and it is actually the foundation of the book I wrote for advanced level training.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Easy to some is difficult to others. If you're a diver with 500 dives, AoW should come relatively easier than someone with 20.

Sure. If someone has earned a GUE Tech fundies pass, AOW will be easy. But those are not the people going back to take AOW. Most are under 50 dives.

 

[USMC CPL.]

My AOW class was pretty good. Nav course was numerous dives for bearing drills kick cycles for distance covered all in about 3-5 feet of visibility. Search and rescue was done with in low visibility and combined what we learned from the nav course. We found a bucket that had twenty pounds of weight tied a lift bag and then had to safely ascend with it to the surface in a controlled ascent. Deep dive was at 110 feet on the HMCS Yukon. Wreck dive on the Ruby E and then my night dive. All together I think it took about a month to get thru all the dives.

 

[Sevenrider860]

...Unfortunately search and recovery requires AOW (if anyone know why, I’d like to know as it makes no sense to me).

The Search & Recovery specialty does not require AOW. The Prerequisites are Advanced Open Water -or- Open Water Diver with the Underwater Navigator Specialty. The reasoning behind these requirements is that the student taking a Search & Recovery specialty should have skills beyond the OW "out and back" compass swim to be successful in performing some of the required search patterns.

 

[Bob DBF]

To clarify a bit, PADI AOW, SSI Advanced Adventurer, and SDI Advanced Adventure Diver are equivalent training and cards. Each gives the first dive of five different specialties which must include Nav and Deep.

Not arguing that doing five specialties can be much better for your diving skills, but is marketing that drives towards SSI Advanced Diver and SDI Advanced Scuba Diver instead of their AOW equivalent. PADI just sets the target at Master Diver after AOW.

The Agencies all have equivalent training, it is just how it is packaged and sold.


Bob