FF-EMT Diver
Contributor
Hello all, I am a newb, Been PADI OW for 2 months I have made the Ow dives and feel pretty comfortable I will be making 4 more dives shortly, I am thinking of starting AOW shortly is this to soon?
Ow- Aow?
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DeNomad
Contributor
I don't think that is to soon. If you continue diving for a while after your OW, you will eventually learn most of the topics covered in AOW through experience. Then the AOW course will not be quite as interesting, but may still be necessary for deep diving, or taking a rescue course, etc.
RaixenViper
Guest
Imma enroute to AOW course soon. I only have my OW certification for a week so far. LoL! Movin' up the food chain pretty quick here. =P
You will hear different answers to that question here...
1. wait till you have more experience
2. take it as soon as you finish OW
There really is no 'right' answer to this question.
It depends on the divers comfort level.... are you (they) apprehensive about having to go to at least 61' for their required deep dive?
Do you want to gain more experience while diving with an instructor?
do you want to try different dives - night, wreck, boat etc?
I say go for it. I had an OW diver do his Navigation dive for his AOW as soon as he finished his last OW checkout dive. He already had good buoyancy skills and was very comfortable in the water.
I would really suggest to any diver that they progress to at least Rescue, knowing how to help other divers, recognizing any potential problems and how to possibly to prevent any problems and the key thing knowing how to care for yourself.
Safe Diving
1. wait till you have more experience
2. take it as soon as you finish OW
There really is no 'right' answer to this question.
It depends on the divers comfort level.... are you (they) apprehensive about having to go to at least 61' for their required deep dive?
Do you want to gain more experience while diving with an instructor?
do you want to try different dives - night, wreck, boat etc?
I say go for it. I had an OW diver do his Navigation dive for his AOW as soon as he finished his last OW checkout dive. He already had good buoyancy skills and was very comfortable in the water.
I would really suggest to any diver that they progress to at least Rescue, knowing how to help other divers, recognizing any potential problems and how to possibly to prevent any problems and the key thing knowing how to care for yourself.
Safe Diving
robint
Contributor
no, it isn't too soon. The AOW course is just the extension of your OW course. It doesn't make you an advanced diver, it just gives you 5 more dives under the supervision of an instructor. 
I've heard people say that OW is like "Intro to scuba 101" and AOW is "intro to scuba 102." Getting your AOW doesn't mean you're an advanced diver. I went straight from OW to AOW because some of my best diving opportunities around here involve deep dives and charters that require it.
emttim
Contributor
AOW gives you training under the supervision of an instructor for dives you may not feel comfortable doing on your own, in a sense "unlocking" those types of dives for later use. The ability to feel confident doing a deep or night dive can probably be gained through either experience, or in my case AOW, but why wait until you have enough experience to know what to do when you can learn what to do in a few classroom sessions?
I would recommend AOW to any OW diver, regardless of if they just finished OW or have done some dives first, primarily because night diving kicks ass and the extra work on navigation and buoyancy really does help. Sure, you can learn those on your own too, but do you want to work on navigation and buoyancy with the help of an instructor or would you prefer some long surface swims and shorter dives due to increased air consumption as a result of poor buoyancy?
I would recommend AOW to any OW diver, regardless of if they just finished OW or have done some dives first, primarily because night diving kicks ass and the extra work on navigation and buoyancy really does help. Sure, you can learn those on your own too, but do you want to work on navigation and buoyancy with the help of an instructor or would you prefer some long surface swims and shorter dives due to increased air consumption as a result of poor buoyancy?
covediver
Contributor
Asked another way, your question can be rephrased "is it too soon to continue learning?" The only reason to say "no" is because you feel that you do not have the comfort level, skills or prerequisites to start an AOW course, in which case you should be working on getting to the level required.
People learn in different ways. Some like independent learning, trial and error, and doing it on their own or with competent buddies (or even less than fully competent ones, from whom I have learned a great deal). Other like the structure offered by continued instruction in the social setting of a formal course.
I never did an AOW because I had the priviledge of diving with people who were much better divers than myself or equally as competent and seemed willing to put up with the foibles of someone learning the skills. They were great teachers. But, as a former teacher, I know the value of structured instruction. It really is a personal preference. Whatever you chose, you can never start too soon.
Go for it! Your deep dive for instance will qualify you for dives when traveling. Some places really are strict with regards to certs. The AOW is designed to give you experience in a variety of diving conditions to encourage you to keep diving. Hopefully you have a good night dive opportunity in your area.
If you take the wreck diving option in your AOW course, that dive should qualify towards your first wreck specialty dive. In that course you learn basic wreck pentration. As you can see, AOW opens many doors including the rescue course if you want to go that route.
Good luck,
AZ
If you take the wreck diving option in your AOW course, that dive should qualify towards your first wreck specialty dive. In that course you learn basic wreck pentration. As you can see, AOW opens many doors including the rescue course if you want to go that route.
Good luck,
AZ
...Yes to the advantages of further supervised diving...
...No to the fact that you've had precious little time to develop what you've learned in your O/W program. Why not spend some more time in the shallows ( up to 40' ) getting comfortable, working on finning, trim, bouyancy, breathing, skills development etc., etc. With that extra water time you will be better prepared to understand, absorb & enjoy the new experiences introduced in continuing education programs.
DSD
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