Are specialties becoming required for diving?

[Jibeho]

You actually can do the Spiegel without an AOW card. Ocean Divers in the Port Largo canal in Key largo will accept a dive log showing experience of that level and depth if you do not have AOW.

TOM

Yup and for just 250 Beer credits they will sell you PADI's latest specialty card the much coveted "Spiegel Grove card"

http://oceandivers.com/instr/spec.htm

 

[SparticleBrane]

NAUI recommends a max depth of 60 feet for the newly-certified OW diver. Of course, if you choose to go deeper, the NAUI police won't come down and give you a ticket or anything ... but there's no way I'd give any OW student of mine the impression that it was OK for them to go to 130 without further training and experience.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Didn't mean to imply that it's ok for new OW divers to go to 130 right off the bat--just that in a CYA situation such as being described here, the 130' should hold up in court.

 

[annasea]

I am of the understanding that NAUI OW cards are good to 130'.

Here's a quote from the NAUI Scuba Diver manual:

"As a certified entry-level NAUI Scuba Diver, you should not dive to depths deeper than 18 meters (60 feet). As a certified NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver, you should not dive to depths deeper than 30 meters (100 feet). The maximum recommended depth for all recreational divers is 40 meters (130 feet)."

 

[SparticleBrane]

Hmm I don't have my NAUI Scuba Diver book handy...although I've got Nitrox, Rescue, and Leadership & Instruction sitting on my desk.

 

[amascuba]

I am also AOW & Rescue (specialties in night, deep, navigation, underwater communications & Equipment specialist), but not EANx.

The thing with PADI AOW is that it doesn't give you any sort of specialty rating with any of those courses. What it does is give you experience with those subjects. With SSI you actually have to take tests in the given areas and usually make at least two dives within the specialty parameters. I'm not sure how it is with other agencies though since I haven't worked with the others.

In the instance of the OP having a PADI AOW card wouldn't necessarily give you the 'experience' that the dive operator is looking for. For instance if you wanted to make a dive over 60' you would need to have a specialty c-card of deep diver.

I know a girl thats a photographer on land and wants her Underwater Photo Speciality so she can get work as an underwater photographer....

It's her thinking that this will really help get her employment at a resort. I guess she thinks of this a type of Microsoft cert.

Ron

Having a specialty of underwater photography instructor would help give her work at a resort. Having a quality portfolio to go with the instructor rating would give her an even better chance.

 

[amascuba]

Here's a quote from the NAUI Scuba Diver manual:

"As a certified entry-level NAUI Scuba Diver, you should not dive to depths deeper than 18 meters (60 feet). As a certified NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver, you should not dive to depths deeper than 30 meters (100 feet). The maximum recommended depth for all recreational divers is 40 meters (130 feet)."

That's pretty much true with SSI and PADI as well.

 

[fairybasslet]

In the instance of the OP having a PADI AOW card wouldn't necessarily give you the 'experience' that the dive operator is looking for. For instance if you wanted to make a dive over 60' you would need to have a specialty c-card of deep diver.

When I took my PADI AOW I had to complete a dive to 90'. Isn't that "experience"? But honestly, I dove much deep than that before I had AOW.

 

[annasea]

That is Correct NAUI 130 PADI 100

Edit: Sorry I meant the AOW cards

NAUI and PADI's OW manuals basically state the same depths:

According to PADI's Open Water Diver manual:

"As an Open Water Diver, limit your dives to a maximum depth of 18 meters/60 feet. Divers with greater training and experience should generally limit themselves to a maximum depth of 30 meters/100 feet. Divers with appropriate experience and/or training may dive as deep as 40 meters/130 feet."

And once again from NAUI Scuba Diver:

"As a certified entry-level NAUI Scuba Diver, you should not dive to depths deeper than 18 meters (60 feet). As a certified NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver, you should not dive to depths deeper than 30 meters (100 feet). The maximum recommended depth for all recreational divers is 40 meters (130 feet)."

 

[SparticleBrane]

My point, though, is that NAUI OW cards certify you to 130fsw even though they might recommend you to stay to 60. PADI certifies to 60. That's a big difference...
I would be fairly pissed if someone on a dive boat restricted my depth to 60fsw just because I have an OW card, thinking that all OW cards certify to 60fsw.

You'd never see this mess off the coast of NC . Most of our wrecks are deeper than 80fsw and are usually in the 100-120fsw range.

 

[annasea]

I respectfullly disagree with your interpretation, SparticleBrane. PADI recommends one "should not" dive deeper than 60 ft as an OW diver, but they do not state one *MUST not* dive deeper.

As I see it, both NAUI and PADI make the same recommendations; they just word it differently.