how many dives until...?

[drbill]

When I got certified in the 60s, our "OW" course (Los Angeles County) essentially included the current OW/AOW/RD sequence in one long course so no wait. However, since many dive ops around the world had no idea what an LAC cert meant. I finally got an AOW card about 40 years after my first dive and RD a few years later so I wouldn't have to do "check out dives" with each operator.

 

[Nianne]

If you don't wanna work in the dive industry, you won't need the DM.

I've done the RD after 50 dives, after finishing the training to be a lifeguard, I thought it was a good + on my experience.

 

[Nikole]

I know 2 people that were already taking AOW after their 7th dive.....that that's including the checkout dives into the 7. Eek!!! They did it in September. I haven't heard anything since. But it was a great day to dive that weekend at least. Calm seas!!!

 

[scubadada]

I know 2 people that were already taking AOW after their 7th dive.....that that's including the checkout dives into the 7. Eek!!! They did it in September. I haven't heard anything since. But it was a great day to dive that weekend at least. Calm seas!!!

You can do AOW directly after OW and be AOW after a total of 9 dives. In fact, you could do nitrox online and be a nitrox certified AOW diver after just 9 dives!

 

[Nikole]

Yeah I wasn't comfortable enough after 5!

 

[bmorescuba]

AOW & Nitrox: 30
Rescue: 50
Start of DM: 125

I did AOW to get more and vaired experience. The most valuable thing I learned was to rely on myself (since my instructor was new and not very good). I did rescue because I met a great instructor and wanted to do the next level with him. I did DM because we don't live near good diving and I wanted to stay involved more than the 2-3 trips/yr I can afford. I found each experience valuable in its own way.

 

[scubadada]

You can do AOW directly after OW and be AOW after a total of 9 dives. In fact, you could do nitrox online and be a nitrox certified AOW diver after just 9 dives!

In reality, I did AOW at 80 dives, Rescue at 120 dives, and Solo at 760 dives

 

[boulderjohn]

When I got certified in the 60s, our "OW" course (Los Angeles County) essentially included the current OW/AOW/RD sequence in one long course so no wait. However, since many dive ops around the world had no idea what an LAC cert meant. I finally got an AOW card about 40 years after my first dive and RD a few years later so I wouldn't have to do "check out dives" with each operator.

I am not sure when you took the course, but LA county invented the AOW class sometime in the mid 60s. They decided that too many divers were getting certified and then dropping out of diving. They thought that a course that introduced divers to a series of experiences with different kinds of dives might allow them to find something to pique their interest. NAUI followed suit soon after for the same reason. PADI did not add that certification until later, again for the same reason.

Source: The History of NAUI, co-written by Al Tillman, NAUI Instructor #1 and the original director of the LA County program.

 

[Germie]

I hated the limits of ow and already knew I wanted to do technical diving. So I tried to do aow asap, but at club they where too slow. They complaigned about my nightdives and dives to 24m, but did not help me to get my aow/2* cert asap. So I ended up doing my aow with padi and not at the club after 55 dives. Then did my dm/3* combined with rescue (ok, rescue first, but in same month), I had around 130 dives then. Then had in 10 months 200 dives and decided that I was ready for technical diving. In that 200 dives I had done dives up to 50m, solo, wreckdiving, night diving, decompression diving, icediving, etc. So I was ready to move on to technical diving. My first 100m dive was dive 521, my certifying dive for full cave 390.
How fast in time depends on how often you dive. If you really want, dive a lot and practise a lot, you can go faster than only diving once or twice a month. I dive 4-5 times a week. Officially you can do aow directly after ow. But some take some time. But it all depends on you. And some divers are more talented than others. Some will never learn and some are really naturals. But even the naturals need to build up experience.
For technical diving you need really much more experience, but if you want, start directly with practising the frogkick and so on. Try to find an instructor for aow that can help you with these finkicks too. Don't shoot an smb sitting on your knees. That is not a good way for every diver. After your certs try to dive in different areas, current, no current, try to use your compass, do nightdives, maybe learn drysuitdiving, etc.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I actually address this in the new book. When to take advanced training, what skills you should have before you take it, the risks, gas management, gear, choosing the instructor and selecting the dives.
Check the link in my signature line.
I'm with Bob on this. If you had a good comprehensive OW class I want to see another 10-20 dives. With some I do workshops that get them ready for the advanced class. If your OW class was one of the one or two weekend quickie courses, it's highly likely that you don't have the basic skills necessary to start my AOW class.