AOW or More OW dives first?

[TheRedHead]

Spectrum is right that bottom time is typically limited by the size of the air supply, not what's in it.

You haven't been on a liveaboard.

 

[Storm]

Well I'll add another Canuck voice to the chorus.

Take the refresher....and maybe even hit the pool for four or five sessions.

Then find some good dive buddies and mentors and just get wet.

Give yourself every opportunity to get your comfort level back, and dial in your gear and buoyancy control.

Then challenge the AOW./ Jdy and I rushed into the AOW last fall, and the results were not good, and actually hurt our confidence level. We did eventually regain that...after 20 or so dives this summer, and we're moving ahead, but rushing into the AOW will not necessarily help, and it could actually hurt your over all progress.

safe dives.

 

[HappyFunBoater]

You haven't been on a liveaboard.

True. And good point.

 

[BigTuna]

I'd suggest, and many dive instructors agree with me, you take the peak performance buoyancy specialty course.

Good thought. I'd add a navigation specialty, too.

 

[ClayJar]

A friend of mine just took AOW after logging 22 dives (9 in Florida, 13 in Cozumel), but she took to diving as if she were part cetacean. I tend to think that AOW should be taken as soon as you're comfortable in the water, as waiting too long to take it can make it seem rather irrelevant. If I were you, I'd definitely do the refresher (as everyone agrees) and get comfortable first, but I'd also want to follow up that comfort with AOW as soon as I'd feel ready. (Of course, I love to learn.)

Is Nitrox certification worth getting even if you never plan on diving using it?

As has been mentioned above, Nitrox is for middle depths, and it's a useful thing to have in your box of tricks. My AOW friend absolutely sips air (actually, I think she may actually be able to fill tanks by breathing from them on the surface). When we were on her AOW checkout (and my NAUI MSD checkout) this past weekend, we bumped up against NDLs on the second dive all three two-tank boat trips. (First dive: 70-80 fsw, second dive: 60-70 fsw, AL80 for each.) By the time the weekend was over, she fully understood the justification for diving Nitrox, as we could've significantly extended our time on the sand (surface intervals and total dive times being limited by being on the class boat).

 

[BarryNL]

I got my OW back in 1993 when I was in highschool. I've been in school and haven't been able to afford to dive, or didn't make it a priority while in school. I recently moved out to British Columbia and am looking at getting back into Diving again. The last time I went diving was in 1997 in California (my only ocean dive ever).

That's the background I'm coming from. So now, I am wondering if I should do a refresher along with a bunch of OW dives just to get back into diving before I take my AOW, or should I take a refresher and then sign up for AOW? Or would it even matter if I want to do my AOW?

I know I need the refresher for sure, and probably 5 or more dives with a DM or something along those lines to feel comfortable diving again, at least that's how I feel.

What would my best course of action be if I want to do my AOW?

I'd dive straight into the AOW course - it should include a pool session refresher first and the rest of the dives are basically a chance to get some diving in under the supervision of an instructor.