'Maximum' dive depth based on certification

[Manatee Diver]

I did 2 dives yesterday to 130 and 115. I was talking to an instructor and asked if she was teaching AOW. She said it was Padi Deep and AOW was only good to 100'. To goto 130' you Neff the deep specialty.

I never did the Deep and have no interest in it (I'd rather put the money toward AN/DP). So far no one has asked for it here in Florida, and I've routinely exceeded 100ft.

 

[tursiops]

Thank.
I looked into that as it made sense to me, but it requires AOW.
For now I will do what everyone else does and that is focus on comfort levels as I go deeper. Then maybe take AOW. I think I will also need to find an instructor whom I can talk to who would focus on deep dives with me.

In the PADI system, Deep does NOT require AOW, but it does require Adventure Diver. The prereqs are:

By the start of the course, a diver must be:

1. Certified as a PADI Adventure Diver or Advanced Open Water Diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization. In this case, a qualifying certification is defined as proof of certification beyond entry level (at least two certifications total) with proof of 20 or more logged dives documenting experience in deep diving and underwater navigation. Verify student diver prerequisite skills and provide remediation as necessary.
2. At least 15 years.​

Adventure Diver is three dives, not five like AOW, and thus can be done in one day. The standard for certification is:

For Adventure Diver, student divers meet performance requirements:

• Complete three Adventure Dives.
• Complete the three Knowledge Reviews for the completed Adventure Dives.
• Complete Thinking Like a Diver Knowledge Development section.​

The first dives of PADI Specialty Diver courses for which there are standardized specialty instructor guides (and the PADI Rebreather Diver course) qualify as Adventure Dives.
​

Note that one of your Adventure Dives could be Deep, and one could be Wreck, plus one of your choice; I'd suggest Navigation because it contains some skills that can be useful on a larger wreck, and because Adventure Diver including Navigation is a prereq for Rescue.. So that is three dives on Day 1, and then the remaining 3 dives of the Deep class on day 2. On Day 3 you could do the remaining 3 dives of the Wreck class, and then someday you could do two more Adventure Dives and actually complete AOW.

I'm not actually recommending this schedule, but pointing out that it is possible. This schedule will cost you a little bit more, because there is one extra certification (Adventure Diver), and not all shops/instructors will teach it, because it is not the standard AOW+DEEP+Wreck sequence they are used to.

What I AM recommending is that you take the entire Deep class, not just the Adventure dive, and the entire Wreck class, not just the Adventure dive. And I am recommending you do AOW first, because at most there are two elective dives (and you might find something else you like besides deep!) you need to do and some operators will want to see an AOW card even if you have a Deep card.

 

[dmaziuk]

New diver jumping into this thread.
I realized during my first deep dive to 60 feet that it’s a different world than the 30-40 foot shallow dives. I know there is a new learning curve especially when it comes to air consumption. I think it’s a good idea to have AOW class and certification as I feel I represent the average diver, but where I have issue is that I have to take other courses within AOW that I don’t care to do. I want to focus on the deeper dives and not photography. But I have to take these extra classes within AOW.

IIRC @stuartv figured out how to get a deep cert, not PADI though, without a full AOW. Apparently it's doable if you put your mind to it.

 

[Fastmarc]

I did 2 dives yesterday to 130 and 115. I was talking to an instructor and asked if she was teaching AOW. She said it was Padi Deep and AOW was only good to 100'. To goto 130' you Neff the deep specialty.

Hmm, it seems it would be better off to get the Advanced from another agency like NAUI then.

 

[Bob DBF]

I looked into that as it made sense to me, but it requires AOW.

Not if you do the deep through SSI, same lack of prerequisites for their Rescue.


Bob

 

[happy-diver]

Not sure how a helmet would prevent an accident; seems it's just about damage control in any situation.

a foot long piece of cast iron pipe toppled onto my head after I dislodged it with said head
wriggling through a crumbling wreck yesterday, whoever said that wasn't a stupid pastime


Is there a course for that

 

[Bob DBF]

This schedule will cost you a little bit more, because there is one extra certification (Adventure Diver), and not all shops/instructors will teach it, because it is not the standard AOW+DEEP+Wreck sequence they are used to.

I've checked it out with a couple of shops, and the Adventure Diver will cost nearly as much as AOW. There was $50 to $70 difference from AOW, as the materials are the same, and it will take special scheduling, and possibly a private class, because only the AOW classes are regularly scheduled.


Bob

 

[Jcp2]

I think adventure diver is a just in case type of certification, in that you go somewhere signed up for AOW, but then weather or sea or health conditions conspire against the completion of AOW before you have to go back. Much like scuba diver vs OW.

 

[tursiops]

I think adventure diver is a just in case type of certification, in that you go somewhere signed up for AOW, but then weather or sea or health conditions conspire against the completion of AOW before you have to go back. Much like scuba diver vs OW.

Except that it suffices to allow you to take Deep, Wreck, and Rescue (if navigation was one of the three Adventure dives).

 

[Anish]

It varies by dive op. On m OW cert dives in the Big Island of Hawaii my instructor took me to about 85 feet. The water was so clear and I was too new to notice until I looked at the depth gauge. He said he wanted to see if I would get narcosis. I didn't. On the other end, in the Maldives the hotel dive shop refused to let me dive the channel because the reef was 30m down and I didn't have AOW. I finally got AOW because I wanted to see the Theshers at Malapascua and they wouldn't let anyone without it dive. AOW is a good course and I don't regret it. But just having the paper doesn't make you ready to dive to greater depths. A very experienced OW diver beats a green AOW card holder any day.