PADI AOW Certification: A Really Dumb Question

[Graeme Fraser]

Don't forget your insurance.

Trips to the chamber don't come cheap and if an insurance company can find a legitimate reason for not paying, they will. Remember policies will exclude diving beyond the level of your training, not necessarily your experience.

I was involved in a rescue in Malta a few years back. When we recovered the victim back to the shore, the police immediately impounded his gear for investigation. This included his dive computer with evidence of his dive profiles.

Realistically based on your experiencw, AOW will be a walk in the park. You have mentioned doing it on holiday and treating it as a good excuse for 5 extra dives, which sounds like a good idea.

 

[caruso]

An instructor in FL told me a dive shop that takes someone with OW only deeper than 60' is liable for any accidents, whether it is their fault or not.

A dive shop that takes someone with OW deeper than 60' is liable only if a judge or jury says they're liable. Any time there's a dive accident one or more people are going to be sued whether they did something negligent or not, and sometimes they're going to have to pay up. It's all about risk management and that's what's driving the Florida keys dive Ops from disallowing OW divers on deep wrecks. They know they might be sticking their necks out so they turn away potential divers and the money they would spend in exchange for sleeping somewhat better at night, regardless of whether there would a) be an accident and b) they would be sued and c) whether they would be found liable and have to pay. Well their insurance would be the ones to pay but ultimately they would via higher rates. Even AOW divers who have accidents on deep wrecks such as those in the Florida keys can sue or have dependents that will do so on their behalf.

 

[tursiops]

The book is free if you can find someone to lend it to you and find a cooperative dive op to copy the review questions,

So I guess it doesn't bother you that this violates the training standards by which the instructor must abide?

 

[Marie13]

So I guess it doesn't bother you that this violates the training standards by which the instructor must abide?

I took this to mean copy the pages with the questions and write in your answers - if the answers hadn’t been written in the book.

 

[Steve_C]

I did my AOW with SDI. I recall reading some easy stuff and also have a discussion with the instructor for each dive. It was not just doing 5 dives. But I had a good instructor who was also a tech instructor.

 

[tursiops]

I took this to mean copy the pages with the questions and write in your answers - if the answers hadn’t been written in the book.

The requirement is that you have your own copy of the book, for use during the class and to refer to afterwards. If someone wants to give you their book, that appears to be OK, but not loaning it to you. And copying out pages is a clear violation of copyright. On the other hand, how is the instructor to know how you got the book? Just don't borrow/accept an out-of-date copy! In the end, it is all about the personal integrity of the student, and about those who suggest ignoring integrity.

 

[Marie13]

I did my AOW with SDI. I recall reading some easy stuff and also have a discussion with the instructor for each dive. It was not just doing 5 dives. But I had a good instructor who was also a tech instructor.

I assume you mean you did the Advanced Adventure? Or did they call it AOW in the past ( the 5 dive “sampler platter,” not the current Advanced that requires 4 specialties and 25 dives)?

 

[Marie13]

The requirement is that you have your own copy of the book, for use during the class and to refer to afterwards. If someone wants to give you their book, that appears to be OK, but not loaning it to you. And copying out pages is a clear violation of copyright. On the other hand, how is the instructor to know how you got the book? Just don't borrow/accept an out-of-date copy! In the end, it is all about the personal integrity of the student, and about those who suggest ignoring integrity.

Huh. Interesting. I’ve never taken a PADI class. I assume they require it for every class.

 

[caruso]

So I guess it doesn't bother you that this violates the training standards by which the instructor must abide?

Not at all. Especially given that I was told it's ok by the dive shop that employs the instructor that taught the course. The same dive shop that happily supplied the copies. And given that PADI accepted the photocopies of the knowledge review questions. And given that it's a waste of money to buy the book when someone is willing to lend it to you.

 

[tursiops]

Huh. Interesting. I’ve never taken a PADI class. I assume they require it for every class.

Yes, every class for which there is a manual; there are a few with no manual, for example Self-Reliant, Full-Face-Mask, and Ice.