AOW right after OW

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yeah, for sure. I would happily run 10 dive AOW courses....at the appropriate cost. But then, I am sure, some people would whinge about putting another dollar in.

Many of my AOW classes run more than 10 dives. And I have yet to have a student complain about it. But I make it clear to my students from the outset that my course is based on objectives that they must satisfy before I will pass them. My class includes six scheduled dives ... each focusing on specific skills. And if the objectives of a particular dive are not met, we will be repeating that dive until they are.

I've done as many as 14 class dives ... and it is not uncommon for there to be time (sometimes weeks) between class sessions to give students time to go practice specific skills they need to improve before we re-evaluate those skills. Sometimes these classes will run two or three months between start and end.

I have never, ever had a student complain about either the price ($300) or the amount of effort that went into a class. I DO have a stack of Thank You cards from students who came out of the class with much more skill and confidence than they had going in.

Don't underestimate your students. Just make sure you let them know at the start what your goals and expectations are. Most divers WANT to be good divers ... and are willing to pay for quality instruction and work hard if they have a clear understanding of what (and why) they need to focus their efforts on.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[waynne fowler]

if you still are using the manual/outline that I saw several years ago bob, there's little wonder they have no complaint's about the price or the time involved.
That was probably one of the most well thought out course manuals/outlines I've seen to date.

 

[Ninja Diver]

I agree, we see divers ALL THE TIME that are "not good divers" but they have plenty of certification cards.....
Just because someone went through the classes, does NOT mean that are qualified to do the dive.
It's not about going through the class, it's about mastering the skills taught in that class before you move on.

 

[JJTNJ]

Further instruction for inexperienced divers can never be a bad thing can it?

Exactly.

And can I add "Sooner rather than later" to the beginning of your sensible advice?

 

[stargost]

Thanshin,

It took me 12 years after my first dive to get the OW, so I won't wait so long to get the AOW this time..
Beyond thisr, here are some additional pros to get AOW sooner than later:

- a key point to get the AOW is to get access to the rescue diver course, which to me is even more important in terms of skills to acquire. As Ninja diver said, there are plenty of more certified divers I wouldn't trust, and in general, you don't find a lot of people comfortable with CPR, and 'rescue' skills. So better have this knowledge for yourself, especially if you dive with your family.

- if indeed the skills you get on the OW are critical and should be mastered, a few are too basic to my point of view: navigation, buoyancy and multilevel. You get little more with AOW.

- The AOW will give an extra few meters, than may not be needed very often, but may provide 'official' access to a couple of very good site you may get to.

- The AOW is just a certification, and people should (and will eventually) dive according to their skills. So after passing the AOW just after the OW , it is very likely that the next 10 or more dives would be still within the OW 'experience'. But then, when opportunity comes, you can go to see this wreck at 25m without thinking <<damned! I should have taken the class...>> and when this happens, it is very likely you actually have the extra 10 dives + some better practice on the OW skills.

So both camps of pros and cons of AOW just after OW will be ok eventually...

 

[DevonDiver]

- if indeed the skills you get on the OW are critical and should be mastered, a few are too basic to my point of view: navigation, buoyancy and multilevel. You get little more with AOW.

After 16 years and many dives, I still work to fine tune my buoyancy and control in the water. The same is true with navigation and my understanding of the dynamics of muliti-level profiles (so I can mentally predict my profile boundaries, for instance).

I suppose it depends on your definition of 'mastery'.

I think it is ludicrous to state that spending time on AOW to develop these skills would have little developmental value for an entry-level diver.

 

[Killer&Griller]

Why are you considering taking this course? We will get back to this later......

So all I have to do is find a PADI course that will take me out 10+ times, half the time they will drop me in 90' of water at a minimum of 75 yards away, with a bearing on for a wreck, ledge or structure at night with little to no vis, old torch batteries, no problem.

I know instructors that can't leave the anchor for lack of navigational skills. Lets face it, the training should be based on someone's aptitude more than looking for a title or security.

If you feel confident in your abilities as a diver in OW and want to learn a bit more, fantastic. If you are taking the additional training to aid in an obscure way of overcoming an "uneasy" feeling, insecurity or lack of confidence for your present state of ability, you might want to reconsider the additional training and focus on what you have been taught already.

Although quite a bit of the class is redundant, you are only going to absorb so much in a classroom and I would rather see you in a pool or on shallow dives with MORE EXPERIENCED divers around you then still swimming with peers....... Divers from places like SB and many local groups around where you live can be contacted in the quest for additional diving experience.

I guess what I am saying is make sure the motivation behind the additional training is genuine in nature, aspiring to advance your present abilities that you should be quite comfortable with.

Although your intentions might be right, your outcome may be less then fruitful if you are putting undo stress or expectations on what the training is going to provide in the long run.

Pushing yourself to get better may or may not work as you might expect.... Practice is going to be the key to being comfortable and confident

. I would also say that the type of dives and the amount of dives will also vary from student to student. It is really hard for me to agree with some of the formats that an LDS offers due to no consistency or methodology behind how the program format is structured. Your ability should be part of the evaluation in factoring a potential program curriculum. We each need to look at what is going to be most beneficial and productive. The program curriculum mentioned above....... a classic example. It sounds more like a retirement plan for an instructor that wants to cut their 20 year retirement plan down to 3 years, ..... wow.

Time to look in the mirror and ask the tough question....... Why am I considering taking this course?

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

When my husband and I got certified in 2005 we did OW, went immediately on a trip to where else but Grand Cayman (mecca of new divers). Within months of our first dive trip we did AOW. Looking back, I feel like PADI should raise the requirement for OW dive experience before a newbie can call themselves ADVANCED. We had maybe 25 dives before our AOW, hardly enough to warrant the title of that certification. I have over 100 dives now and while I feel like I'm a pretty confident diver, I would never claim to be advanced in comparison to someone that has 500-1000 or more dives. Maybe they should have used the term OWII, advanced just seems like people could easily confuse their actual abilities with that classification. Like others have said, it's a stepping stone to Rescue and training is always a good thing. Plus it's just another way to suck some more money out of us!

 

[rligon]

My kids and I did OW together, but when we were done felt we knew enough to put our gear on and blow bubbles. So my son (read built-in dive buddy) and I talked to the LDS about AOW. They said either way would be fine, lots of dives then do it or just go straight on. We decided that we needed a lot more diving with experienced divers that we knew, so went for it. OW was held pretty locally, but AOW was up in Hood Canal. This was a different and much more interesting environment, great for newbies. I guess a real advantage for us was the Instructor/DM ratio to students. Each pair of students had a staff member assigned, and normally a spare DM also. Since the ratio was so strong and they all do it for the love of the sport, we came away with more knowledge, enthusiasm and confidence. I agree with UBB above, maybe OWII would be a better title since we sure weren't advanced, but for us this was absolutely the right way to go. For those who will question the point, we had more confidence but also a lot more recognition of our capabilities and limitations than you can possibly come out of OW with.