Advanced isn't advanced! It should be called "Additional Open Water"
To become a DiveMaster one would expect considerable experience in all sorts of conditions and a demonstrable "mastery" of scuba diving. You can't gain that in 50 dives. It's often said that just because the card says DiveMaster it's no guarantee of excellence.
Your progression should be to go diving and build up enough experience -- with a drysuit -- to do the Rescue Diver course. IMHO Rescue is the best of the PADI recreational diving courses. It's a tough course especially if done in the UK sea.
Why are people, that mostly live near cold water diving, so adamant about experience in all the different conditions, including wearing a Drysuit, gloves, hood, etc for every DM or Instructor?? Is it jealousy that they can't dive year-round in warm waters?
If I lived, and DM'd or Instructed, in Puerto Rico or Bonaire or Grenada why would I have to be an expert, or even have experience, in these things? My diving does not involve them. Why is it relevant or required, in some people's minds, that any DM or Instructor should be able to be picked up by helicopter and then dropped ANYWHERE in the world and be an expert in that region....and if they aren't then they are just the standard Agency hack out to only make money?
From the PADI website: Advanced Open Water Diver | PADIReminding all the relentless PADI critics that "advanced" in AOW means advanced beyond OW....that's all. Quibble the semantics all you want, but that is how the course is designed and marketed. Suck it up.
"About the Course
The Advanced Open Water Diver course is all about advancing your skills. You'll practice navigation and buoyancy, try deep diving and make three specialty dives of your choosing (it's like a specialty sampler platter). For every specialty dive you complete, you can earn credit toward PADI® specialty certifications.""How to Become an Advanced Open Water Diver
Learn about underwater navigation, deep diving and three types of specialty diving that interest you. After some skill practice with your instructor, you'll make five open water dives. There's no exam because this course is truly about having fun and gaining experience."
Very clear language that states the purpose of the Class. The words that are bold and italics are my emphases. I will never understand the complete Hate by people. Do you hate PADI or do you hate that you have to actually look things up yourself, and actually read, instead of just trusting other haters?
See the above "How to Become an Advanced Open Water Diver", from the PADI website, to understand how this is not a waste of money. It allows you to TRY Drysuit, TRY Photography, TRY Search & Recovery, and TRY Wreck.Unpopular opinion, advanced is a worthless certification and it’s way for agencies to milk more money out of divers
You might find that Drysuit diving is horrible for you. That Wreck stuff makes you uncomfortable. Great way to learn that without taking a Full course in that Specialty. It is like getting the Sampler Platter appetizer at the restaurant...a little bit of many things. How is that bad or a waste??
Fwiw, I hold active Instructor Credentials with both PADI & SDI