How to answer "what is your highest certification level"?

[Blackcrusader]

This does not make sense. You asked to see the "Deep Dive" certs of DM's and Inst's, and the reply was they don't have any. Then, they say "we are trying to sell them deep dive courses". How can they teach deep dive courses if they don't have the certs to do so?

Ask some of those certified a long time ago.

 

[boulderjohn]

A dive buddy of mine was on a LOB in Egypt last year. the LOB would not let him use his PADI instructor cert to do a deep dive. He never did a deep dive cert with PADI.

That sounds ridiculous to me. Any PADI instructor can teach the AOW deep dive, and if they have enough experience, they can teach the Deep Dive specialty.

 

[Rose Robinson]

Most often when diving with a new dive operator or even the same dive operator with a new/different crew you will be asked a few questions such as when was your last dive, have you dived in cold water, how many dives and what is your highest certification level.

I can easily tell the op when my last dive was, how many and if I have cold water experience.

I don't know the answer to the last question because I don't know how different certifications are ranked. I am guessing that OW is the lowest, AOW next, Rescue next. Where do the other certifications rank? If asked does does Solo/Self reliant rank higher? How about Deep or Wreck or Cave, Nitrox, drysuit, etc?

When I'm diving, especially on charters, I have all my cert cards with me. I keep them in a credit card folder, anyone who is curious enough to ask, is welcome to review my folder and make a determination for themselves.

I have found, that the term ''technical diver'' is very broad, and does not answer many questions.

Log book, and cert cards are always together.

Happy New Year,

Rose.

 

[Rogerdd]

I’ve read this thread and it seems the consensus is that for dive operators, ‘Rescue’ is considered higher than ‘AOW’.

Is that true regardless of the agency? For example with NAUI, Rescue can be taken right after OW. So why is Rescue higher than AOW?

 

[Cthippo]

I’ve read this thread and it seems the consensus is that for dive operators, ‘Rescue’ is considered higher than ‘AOW’.

Is that true regardless of the agency? For example with NAUI, Rescue can be taken right after OW. So why is Rescue higher than AOW?

Rescue is higher than AOW with most agencies, and the exceptions are small enough that they mostly get ignored.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I’ve read this thread and it seems the consensus is that for dive operators, ‘Rescue’ is considered higher than ‘AOW’.

Is that true regardless of the agency? For example with NAUI, Rescue can be taken right after OW. So why is Rescue higher than AOW?

AOW means you did 5 dives with an insturctor after OW, including a "deep" dive and a "use your compass to swim in a straight line for 20 kicks and return to me" dive.

Rescue means you actually spent a few days learning and demonstrating what hopefully will never become required skills. But they still likely make you a better diver.

OMMOHY

 

[boulderjohn]

AOW means you did 5 dives with an insturctor after OW, including a "deep" dive and a "use your compass to swim in a straight line for 20 kicks and return to me" dive.

Rescue means you actually spent a few days learning and demonstrating what hopefully will never become required skills. But they still likely make you a better diver.

OMMOHY

I disagree. With AOW, you have 5 dives with an instructor during which you learn more about different kinds of diving and skills. There is very little actual diving in a rescue class.

 

[Wibble]

My experience of PADI Rescue was a massively harder course than the AOW with lots more in-water time and generally being pushed hard. My AOW was an utter walk in the park in comparison.

Advanced... Yeah, the PADI (and other copiers) agency dumbing down and re-defining what "Advanced" means. Kind of like writing to a 1st grader. Rescue was like being in 5th grade(?).

There are other agencies who use the more traditional meaning of "advanced" -- a much higher standard. BSAC is well beyond DiveMaster for example, maybe NAUI too.

 

[tursiops]

My experience of PADI Rescue was a massively harder course than the AOW with lots more in-water time and generally being pushed hard. My AOW was an utter walk in the park in comparison.

Advanced... Yeah, the PADI (and other copiers) agency dumbing down and re-defining what "Advanced" means. Kind of like writing to a 1st grader. Rescue was like being in 5th grade(?).

There are other agencies who use the more traditional meaning of "advanced" -- a much higher standard. BSAC is well beyond DiveMaster for example, maybe NAUI too.

Your experience with AOW is unfortunate, is not typical. and is likely due to the instructor, not the course per se.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I’ve read this thread and it seems the consensus is that for dive operators, ‘Rescue’ is considered higher than ‘AOW’.

Is that true regardless of the agency? For example with NAUI, Rescue can be taken right after OW. So why is Rescue higher than AOW?

Others answered this (in most agencies AOW is a prerequisite to Rescue).

I'd add that my own rescue class 20 years ago was MUCH more challenging than AOW. But I took AOW from a friend I'd been diving with for 15 years prior to doing the class and we'd pretty much done all the dives previously.

I act as a DSO where I work, and NAUI allowing Rescue prior to AOW is throwing a few of me and folks at other similar employers for a loop. I think the consensus is that if you don't have AOW, we'll be taking a lot closer look at your dive logs before releasing you to dive.