Depth allowed for Newly Certified Divers

[Addict]

Also, as you become more experienced, you will learn more sign language. This is what really sets off the AOW (and more advanced divers) from the standard OW.

Aside from the typical "OK", "Out of air", and "Problems" signs, you will learn these hand signals:

"The deflator button on my BCD is stuck, and I don't want to take my reg out of my mouth, so will you manually inflate my BCD for me?"

and if you are an instructor, you will learn to read these signals, and be able to reply with:

"I am now manually inflating your BC for you, please plug the hose with your finger, so the air will not escape."

I too am a very new diver, but I am looking forward to my AOW so that I can learn these tactics & signs. That way I can know exactly what to do in these underwater emergencies.

 

[O-ring]

Addict, I like you already... Too funny.

 

[JDostal]

Addict once bubbled...
Aside from the typical "OK", "Out of air", and "Problems" signs, you will learn these hand signals:

"The deflator button on my BCD is stuck, and I don't want to take my reg out of my mouth, so will you manually inflate my BCD for me?"

That is hilarious!!

You'd be surprised what you make up for hand signals. I was diving w/ a group of 5 people, one being my girlfriend. Viz wasn't the best, she was behind us and she fell behind. I tapped my friend on the shoulder, and counted on my fingers, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - when I reached "5", I shrugged my shoulders and put my hands up in the "air" signifying, "What the heck, or Where the heck" is the 5th person.

He looked around, trying to figure out who was gone, and where they had went. He took one hand, made an OK sign, and then took his other hand and moved the finger in and out of the O of the OK symbol...

He was asking if it was my girlfriend that was missing

"Insert bad joke drum sound"

And I'm not kidding either!

 

[Spectre]

Addict once bubbled...
but to prove that I was an inexperienced diver, the question was posed to me about "How to get air back into a BCD" when you are sinking. Not how to survive if you are sinking.

Nice to see you didn't get it. I gave you an example of possible problem, and asked if you would be comfortable handling it... the specific problem has nothing to do with it... The question stands: Are you comfortable enough in the water to deal with those situations. Whatever your answer to that gets you well on your way to answering your own question:

Also, was it 'unsafe' for us to be going that deep on our first excursion?

So go ahead, jump into AOW, go deep, have fun.

 

[Addict]

Ok, Ok...

When I asked if it was 'unsafe', I was merely trying to get opinions from some of the 'more experienced' divers on this board. I have obviously been getting mixed-signals everywhere I go.

Many of the answers were to the tune of "What the heck?" & "No way should you have gone that deep".

But then it seemed to turn into a "what do you think you are?" sort of conversation, and ultimately to a "what would you do in a situation like this" -with intentions of trying to belittle me by a 'prove to us that you have the knowledge'.

So yes, I did feel a little attacked, and when your question came about... it only seemed proper to 'dish some back' to my attacker.

It was not meant to be 'mean spirited' as I value the opinions that I solicit. I just don't like it when people try to belittle me based on my ignorance. I was raised on the 'No question is a stupid question' philosophy. How else do you learn?

 

[dotyj]

That's fantastic!

Did you understand the hand signal or did he explain it later?
I hope your girlfriend didn't see it.

Omicron once bubbled...

He was asking if it was my girlfriend that was missing

"Insert bad joke drum sound"

And I'm not kidding either!

 

[JDostal]

Heh...I got it after a few seconds - and we told her about it as soon as we surfaced after the dive!

I dive with a really fun group, but you've gotta have a thick skin to handle the comments we throw at each other

 

[Cave Diver]

Addict once bubbled...
Ok, Ok...

When I asked if it was 'unsafe', I was merely trying to get opinions from some of the 'more experienced' divers on this board. I have obviously been getting mixed-signals everywhere I go.

I'll stick with my original answer. I think a BOW cert should be considered a learners permit to dive and those wanting to explore beyond those recommended limits should do so by getting additional training and by building experience. There is nothing inherently wrong with diving to 100' or more, just make sure that you recognize the need for additional skills as your diving progresses.

 

[Spectre]

Addict once bubbled...
It was not meant to be 'mean spirited' as I value the opinions that I solicit. I just don't like it when people try to belittle me based on my ignorance. I was raised on the 'No question is a stupid question' philosophy. How else do you learn?

Ok... my original point had nothing to do with what you would have done in the situation I was in. It was not ment to get an answer [until Aaron started working towards an answer...]

The point had nothing to do with the situation I posted. It was just ment as something for you to think about. I'm not going to tell you you're not ready, I've not seen you in the water. I know divers that don't have their AOW cards, and I'd trust on much more serious dives than some divers I know with thousands of dives.

As Cave Diver points out, BOW is a learners permit. AOW isn't much more. You can think of it as BOW gives you a learners permit to go drive the back roads. AOW gives you the learners permit to go drive the freeways. You can get yourself killed both places, and rushing onto the freeway when your not ready is runs a good risk of getting yourself killed.

My comment was a thinking question. Like asking a driver if they feel they can react safely to a tire blowout on a freeway. If they are comfortable driving... yes, but if they still are working on the basic skills, then they might find themselves in a lot more trouble than if it happened on a side road.

I was not intending to belittle you, and I apologize for that. I was attemping to not just tell you, but help you understand, the following comment.

There are two things needed for diving advancement. Training and Experience. You can buy training, but you can't buy experience. Too much training without enough experience is how people end up getting into situations that cause panic and very possibly can get them, or their buddy, or both killed.

We all know what training is. But how do you judge experience? I judge if I'm ready for something by thinking out scenarios... what if this happens, what if that happens... am I comfortable enough with my diving to handle that? If yes, cool. If no... than I know I'm not ready.

The deep stuff'll be there when your ready for it.