OW Maximum Dive Depth?

[Squirm88]

Do the different certification agency's impose a maximum depth limit on the OW students they certify? I was having a discussion with my fiance who was recently certified and she informed me the maximum depth she was allowed to dive was 60'.

I did my OW in 1992 and my AOW in 1995 and do not recall my instructors or certifying agency's imposing any depth limit other than the 130' for recreational diving. Have the agency's always had these limits?

While I do the majority of my diving from my own my boat, we are planning our honeymoon to Turks and Caicos and was wondering if dive operators take these limits into account?

Thanks!

 

[AndyNZ]

To be honest, no agency really specifies a depth limit on a diver - irrespective of the level of training.

What they do is:

(a) specify a limit that must be adhered to during training dives
(b) recommend a maximum depth for post-course dives

As you gain experience, you can use your judgement to decide whether those guidelines are appropriate to you any more.


That doesn't really answer your question..... but yes, different agencies to make different depth limit recommendations for divers.

Whether a boat operator requires to to stay within the recommended depth guide is the million dollar question - some will, some won't. Some will have arbitrary rules of their own, others might not even count you in or out of the water. It's always worth asking how your day of diving will go before signing up with a particular company - as much to check your own expectations as to find out what they do.

 

[Gombessa]

To be honest, no agency really specifies a depth limit on a diver - irrespective of the level of training.

Exactly, at least in regards to PADI (my OW agency). I actually had an experience where I was not allowed to join a charter on an 80ft OW dive in Hawaii because I didn't have an AOW card. When I asked about their rationale and tried to describe my diving experience, the guy at the shop said that by diving below 60ft, I was in breach of the limits of my OW certification.

I knew this was hogwash, and for some reason I was particularly offended by such a statement, so I called PADI and spoke to a member of their training council, who verified to me that there was no "maximum depth" to PADI OW certification. They "do not recommend that new divers exceed 60ft," but the standards merely say to "not exceed the limits of your training or experience." So there it is...

 

[AndyNZ]

Exactly, at least in regards to PADI (my OW agency). I actually had an experience where I was not allowed to join a charter on an 80ft OW dive in Hawaii because I didn't have an AOW card. When I asked about their rationale and tried to describe my diving experience, the guy at the shop said that by diving below 60ft, I was in breach of the limits of my OW certification.

Alas, such lack of understanding is far too common.

It makes perfect sense for new divers to stay shallow - the 18m/60ft mark isn't entirely arbitrary. It's the depth where gas consumption is likely to end a dive way before a NDL is reached, so it's a fairly "safe" depth. But as experience grows, so should ability to extend beyond that depth.

 

[rstofer]

Exactly, at least in regards to PADI (my OW agency). I actually had an experience where I was not allowed to join a charter on an 80ft OW dive in Hawaii because I didn't have an AOW card. When I asked about their rationale and tried to describe my diving experience, the guy at the shop said that by diving below 60ft, I was in breach of the limits of my OW certification.

I knew this was hogwash, and for some reason I was particularly offended by such a statement, so I called PADI and spoke to a member of their training council, who verified to me that there was no "maximum depth" to PADI OW certification. They "do not recommend that new divers exceed 60ft," but the standards merely say to "not exceed the limits of your training or experience." So there it is...

It is true that PADI, among others, recommends a depth limit of 60' for OW. The dive shop was just using that recommendation as a 'rule' so they didn't take a bunch of new OWs to 80' for what could be their first post-certification dive. Log books don't prove much, talk about experience is meaningless; if I were the shop I would have the same rule: show me the card.

There are too many customers that have the card (whether they are competent or not) for a shop to have to consider taking divers that don't. And there are certainly too many lawyers... "So, why did you take an OW diver beyond the limits of their training?" There is no defense for this.

Richard

 

[Lead_carrier]

The only hard limits that I've ever encountered were imposed by the dive boats I was on. I knew the rules before I got on them and I agreed to their profiles. A couple of operation in the Caribbean would impose a 60' limit if you didn't have AOW cards, even if you had a number of deeper dives. Like was stated earlier, agencies only impose hard bottoms on training dives.

 

[explorer08]

Log books don't prove much, talk about experience is meaningless;

And what does a C-Card prove?
It proves that the holder has fullfilled the certification requirements at day X.
But if day X is more than a couple of months ago, what does he remember today and what is he able to do today?
If the AOW certification is five years old and the holder didn't dive within these five years, what is it worth today?

if I were the shop I would have the same rule: show me the card.

Probably in the states you have to act that way because of your liablity laws. Fortunately in other parts of the world they have other laws.

 

[Gombessa]

It is true that PADI, among others, recommends a depth limit of 60' for OW.

According to their training council, PADI recommends 60ft for new divers. They do not seem to have any such suggestion beyond that.

The dive shop was just using that recommendation as a 'rule' so they didn't take a bunch of new OWs to 80' for what could be their first post-certification dive. Log books don't prove much, talk about experience is meaningless; if I were the shop I would have the same rule: show me the card.

I fully support a shop having such a policy, sometimes you just have to draw a hard line for the sake of expediency--you can't take everyone on a shake-down dive to determine their skill. I've never begrudged a shop having an AOW requirement I can't meet; but I do begrudge one that baldly lectures me for diving outside of my certification level based solely on their own policy.

"So, why did you take an OW diver beyond the limits of their training?" There is no defense for this.

As one of your "too many" lawyers (perhaps making that point for you ), I disagree, and that defense is written right into the OW certification standard, as "training" is not the only criteria on which to to base their decision.

 

[AndyNZ]

As one of your "too many" lawyers (perhaps making that point for you ), I disagree, and that defense is written right into the OW certification standard, as "training" is not the only criteria on which to to base their decision.

Yep, it's "training and experience" as written in all the (PADI) quizzes, exams, said in the videos etc.

Way too many people worry about risks of litigation that just don't exist.

 

[Squirm88]

Thanks all for the responses. I have never dived in Turks so I am not sure how deep our dives will be. Having done several trips to Grand Cayman I expect some dives will be deeper than 60' and if that is the case I am not sure how our dive boat will handle the situation. I'll be giving them a call tomorrow to ensure my fiance will be able to dive.

And there are certainly too many lawyers... "So, why did you take an OW diver beyond the limits of their training?" There is no defense for this.

Richard

Well I guess that was part of my question. When I did my OW certification 18 years ago there was no 60' restriction. We were taught how to use a dive table past 60' and we learned the physiological effects on the body that deeper dives may cause.

Are OW students today not taught how to compute and plan dives past 60' using a dive table? Is the science behind diving no longer being taught? Do their written exams not have any dive table problems past 60', or questions on nitrogen narcosis, etc...?