AOW immediately after OW?

[Kingpatzer]

If you are intellectually stimulated by learning more about diving you can buy the "Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving"(my favorite book ) and the workbook to learn and check your knowledge development.

If you really want to understand diving, go grab the NOAA Diving Manual it is quite possibly the best single source of diving information out there.

It is geared towards a particular type of diving, and must be read with that in mind, but it is much more carefully edited and written than the "Encyclopedia." Which, frankly, is an amazingly poorly written and edited collection of idiocy.

 

[leapfrog]

If you really want to understand diving, go grab the NOAA Diving Manual it is quite possibly the best single source of diving information out there.

On this we agree....however...

It is geared towards a particular type of diving, and must be read with that in mind

Which is precisely why I didn't recommend it for this diver at this stage of his progression.

but it is much more carefully edited and written than the "Encyclopedia."

which is your personal opinion, which you are entitled to

Which, frankly, is an amazingly poorly written and edited collection of idiocy.

which is a totally idiotic opinion, unless you are an author or editor of Diving Manuals for entry level recreational divers.

Here are some independent reviews of the ERD:

"While the Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving is a very informative book, it is not the "heavy" reading that one might expect from a PADI manual. The terminology and concepts covered in this book nicely supplement what one learns throughout the recreational diving classes -- novice open water dives, advanced techniques, underwater navigation, and rescue techniques.

I recommend this for divers who have gone through open water and advanced classes (and even Rescue), feeling that they did not get all they could out of the classes and textbook. This book is a must for those wishing to seek a professional dive rating (divemaster and higher), or pursue technical dive certifications."

"PADIs Encyclopedia is a great book! Im both PADI and NAUI certified, currently getting my Divemaster certification through NAUI and even my NAUI instructor recommended I get this book because its so thorough. Reading it from cover to cover not only helped reinforce information I'd learned for my Master Scuba Diver course but it explained certain things (ingassing, for one) better than my textbook did. Now that I'm going to be working in the dive shop as well, its helped as a quick reference with certain questions customers have come in with. This new version is an easy read with great pictures, drawings and colors for those easily bored by pages of nothing but text. I think its an invaluable resource."

 

[TSandM]

It is geared towards a particular type of diving, and must be read with that in mind, but it is much more carefully edited and written than the "Encyclopedia." Which, frankly, is an amazingly poorly written and edited collection of idiocy.

I have little good to say about my original training -- Anybody who has been on this board for a while knows where I stand But I have to disagree with the statement above. Having just reread the Encyclopedia for my DM class, I am amazed at just how MUCH information they have packed into the book. Although the patronizing tone of the writing is annoying at best, I still think one can learn a great deal from reading the book. This is especially true for the newly minted open water diver, who has acquired little of this material by other means.

Kingpatzer, do you perhaps have the older version of the book? The one I bought in 2005 is completely different from the one being sold currently, and I would not be so effusive in my praise of that one.

 

[Kingpatzer]

"PADIs Encyclopedia is a great book!

Some opinions are simply wrong. The book is terribly written, poorly edited and horrendously formatted.

In the realm of writing and editing, gems like the following abound.

When the blood reaches your tissues, the PO2 is lower because metabolism consumes the oxygen. In lower partial pressure, oxygen unbounds from the hemoglobin, releasing it for use by the tissues.

In terms of layout, the uses of boxed items, bold, italics and quotations are inconsistent.

 

[leapfrog]

"PADIs Encyclopedia is a great book!"

Not my quote at all. Quoted from someone who bought the book from Amazon.

Some opinions are simply wrong.

Some opinions are simply... simple. Most are given without any previous thought or sufficient knowledge.

The layout, editing, and writing style of this text is atrocious.

Opinions are also free. I would agree that it is not an excellent work of prose but that's not what it sets out to be.

I am not too excited about "Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?" by Margaret Wang or "Why Frogs Are Wet" by Judy Hawes, but both of them help kids to learn to read.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Kingpatzer, do you perhaps have the older version of the book? The one I bought in 2005 is completely different from the one being sold currently, and I would not be so effusive in my praise of that one.

The book I have was purchased last month from a local PADI shop and has a 2006 copyright.

I'm always impressed to find an encyclopedia's entries on physics and physiology written and edited by the same person who holds an MA as the height of the formal education. Not that there's anything wrong with an MA, mind you, excepting that you can't earn one in physics or physiology.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Opinions are also free. I would agree that it is not an excellent work of prose but that's not what it sets out to be.

It fails as a work of technical writing. In general it fails in presenting information in an accessible, accurate way. And if that is not the intended purpose of this text, pray tell what is? It is possible to use most any page of this book in a class on technical writing as an example of what not to do.

I am not saying that this text is of no values. There is some decent information within the pages. Said information is, however, obscured by the abounding flaws.

According to PADI, for example, one Joule is 107 ergs. For the rest of the world, it is 10,000,000.

 

[Kingpatzer]

which is your personal opinion, which you are entitled to which is a totally idiotic opinion, unless you are an author or editor of Diving Manuals for entry level recreational divers.

Does being an editor for a text published by Oxford University Press count? How about having technical papers published in peer-reviewed journals?

Now I'll grant that my accomplishments did not come from within the field of scuba diving. However, careful authorship and adequate editorial effort are recognizable with only a moderate knowledge of the subject matter under discussion.

When one knows enough about the subject matter to perceive factual errors in addition to clear mistakes from the author and editors it is hardly an uninformed or idiotic opinion to state the obvious about the quality of the text.

 

[CamG]

Greetings K374 and in reply to your thread, What do you feel comfortable doing?
Would more dive time with a instructor or DM help you to master your skills?
Do you have a trip planned that requires a AOW c-card?
These three questions were proposed to me by a friend not a LDS or instructor. He challenged me to think about it and reminded me mastery of skills was my responsibility. This line of reasoning lead me to choose to take the AOW.
With the added time with a instructor that encouraged and demanded mastery of skills on every dive was a unbelievable boost to my dive evolution.
It has became very disturbing to me in previous threads and posts of just what the term "instructor" means. I have also became acutely aware of just how fortunate I was and am to be affiliated with great instructor who's passion will not allow him to turn out unsafe / unready beginning divers. I am horrified by some of the stories and things I have seen and read as a DMC. This is wrong!
To all the new divers and interested divers trolling these threads please seek out the search engine on FINDING A GOOD INSTRUCTOR.
THAT IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION OF YOUR DIVNG CAREER! Do not just purchase a card demand to be trained properly no compromise! Diving is a safe very fun activity when you are properly trained and comfortable with your skills. If you are not them continue to train. If you have problems finding adequate instructors seek out help here on SB. There are many here who are passionate about training good divers.
Enough of that rant to the OP I took AOW to be able to dive deeper on a vacation.
What I walked away with was relationship and philosophy that changed my life.
Never stop learning, never stop training, and by all means never stop diving!
Good luck with your decision whatever it is and dive as much as you can whenever you can. After all what good is training without experience!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[k374]

thanks to all! I'm going to wait until I get a few more dives until I pursue it. At this point I have no plans of diving below 60' and want to get a bit more experience so that when I do the speciality dives I will be able to focus better on those specific skillsets rather than still being distracted with soem of the basics.