AOW Dive Expiration

[Zen1300]

First, let me say it has been three years since I've been here and three years since I last dove. I'll be doing a refresher soon. You can skip the narrative and jump straight to the question at the bottom, but for those interested.

Three years ago I took the AOW course as a follow-on to the OW. It was a less than desirable experience with the dive master not even going under with me, but staying below the surface above me. I was not nervous about this, but it did put me off a bit. I finished all the adventure dives with the exception of Deep Dive.

After complaining to the dive shop about my experience, they did offer to get me a dive in Lake Murray, but the instructor had said he had never been to this spot and we would be hiking down a hill to get there. Needless to say this did not make me feel comfortable. A lot of other personal family issues were going on at the time and things just went their way.

Now, three years later, I have a buddy that is completing his AOW and wants to dive. I'm excited to get back into this.

Can I just do the Deep Dive and get it signed off to complete the AOW or would I have to sign up for the course all over again?

 

[tomfcrist]

Personally, I would have you complete a refresher and start AOW over from the start.

 

[Scott]

Welcome back to the wet world!

If the instructor has signed off on the dives and knowledge reviews being completed, then technically yes all you would have to do is complete the deep dive requirements.
Whether you have to sign up for the entire class again or just pay for the one day or dive is a business decision made by the shop or instructor.

My recommendation would be talk with them. I would hope they would like to see you do a couple of shallower dives prior to doing the deep dive. This would be beneficial for you, the instructor and your new buddy.

 

[Zen1300]

Yes, as mentioned, I'm all for getting refresher dives in. My question was more with regards to PADI requirements.

Since the dive shop schedules the deep dives when there are enough people, I'm hoping that they would just charge me for the dive (even though technically I paid for it already).

 

[Jim Lapenta]

When there are enough people? Can you elaborate? I never take more than two students on a deep dive. More than that, especially for AOW is very risky.

 

[Zen1300]

Jim,

The AOW course was done in the local scuba park. It's not deep enough for the Deep Dive so they go to a lake about 3 hours away for that. They schedule this when there are enough students to make the trip worth it. They do the dive from a boat, if I remember correctly. I don't know whether they do a one-on-one dive for this or if they take all students down at the same time. Given how other things were run, who knows.

 

[hroark2112]

I'm pretty sure you have to complete the AOW course in 1 year from start to finish. You most likely have to start over.

I'm sure a PADI instructor can verify or refute this.

 

[oly5050user]

I'm pretty sure you have to complete the AOW course in 1 year from start to finish. You most likely have to start over.

I'm sure a PADI instructor can verify or refute this.

No time limit..adventure dives that are logged by an instructor with kr's completed have no time requirements..do suggest a good refresher if you have not dove in a few years.

 

[Zen1300]

I checked e-learning and it shows the e-learning expired in a year. I completed that and it shows complete as the status.

 

[tursiops]

You need to do the Deep Adventure Dive to finish AOW. Deep includes the Knowledge Review...which is now 3 yrs old. If you were my student, we'd do at least one dive together to see if you are sorted out, and then do the Deep dive and the Deep KR. Best if you do a full Scuba Review....3 years is a long time without diving, but the SR could suffice for our "are you sorted out" dive. If possible, I'd do the SR in a pool, then the sorting-out dive in not-deep OW, then finally the Deep dive. Could all be one day, but more likely two. And I'd charge you for all 3 dives.

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