Redesigning AOW

[leapfrog]

Many moons ago, my instructor told me what I needed for my AOW: Deep, Night, S & R, Nav. and PPB. I still think they are the best choices for divers at this stage of their training.

Sounds good to me. You could say that the PPB should have been achieved during OWD and substitute it for Multilevel or Enriched Air, but I agree with the principles.

 

[jsdavis]

On redesigning AOW, I believe more time should be be given to To Navagation. Keep deep and night along with some intro rescue on aiding fellow divers. The specialties should be saved for specialty courses. Also there should be a minimum of maybe 20 logged dives after OW as an entrance requirement. Many divers are taken from Open Water to Advanced with no other diving. They are then considered "advanced" and may now go on the "advanced boat" into diving that they may not really be prepared for.

 

[owlbill]

On redesigning AOW, I believe more time should be be given to To Navagation. Keep deep and night along with some intro rescue on aiding fellow divers. The specialties should be saved for specialty courses. Also there should be a minimum of maybe 20 logged dives after OW as an entrance requirement. Many divers are taken from Open Water to Advanced with no other diving. They are then considered "advanced" and may now go on the "advanced boat" into diving that they may not really be prepared for.

Exactly the problem. The agencies will likely not change the course title, so why don't we as instructors take it upon ourselves to pool courses together, or add more dives, or whatever it takes so that the students come away with skills to match the card label.

Skip the cookie cutter courses and just give fewer levels of better courses. That is why we do our course the way we do. Totally different than anyone else in the area and the end result is students/divers who are much more skilled, confident and more keen to dive.

 

[leapfrog]

Exactly the problem. The agencies will likely not change the course title, so why don't we as instructors take it upon ourselves to pool courses together, or add more dives, or whatever it takes so that the students come away with skills to match the card label.

Skip the cookie cutter courses and just give fewer levels of better courses. That is why we do our course the way we do. Totally different than anyone else in the area and the end result is students/divers who are much more skilled, confident and more keen to dive.

This is so refreshing to hear. The agencies do a good job. The key to any education system is the quality of the teachers (Instructors) and the Students, not the system itself. Most people "get through" college but some students strive for excellence. To pursue excellence in a non competitive activity requires a special kind of person. It is the teachers/instructors and the students themselves who make all the difference.

As an Instructor do you just want to "certify divers" or do you want "your" divers to be the best and to make you proud? After all, your name IS on the back of that little piece of plastic!

As a student, do you just want to pass and get certified or do want to be number one, the best of your class and the best Advanced Open Water Diver in the water? Do you think it is better to be a bad Divemaster than an excellent Rescue Diver?

Most of us have seen the movie "Top Gun".

In the movie, the guys at "Top Gun" strive to win the "Top Gun Trophy". In reality there is no trophy at Fighter Weapons School in Miramar. Why? Because a. the pilots would end up killing themselves and b. it's enough to graduate and be the best of best.

So, in diving be the best you can, whether it be as an instructor or any other level of diver and "if nobody else wants to dive with you, call me, I will!".

 

[noah813]

I only read up to page 5, but it seems there is a constant theme. From an instuctor's point of view, AOW is an extension of OW...a great course to become a diver comfortable diving without a guide in your geographic location. Lets face it most people take a class, and never dive unless they are with a DM or instructor. I encourage everyone to take it.
NAUI's required dives are Night, Deep, and Navigation. The other three dives can be any specialty. I know "how is boat diving a specialty?" And I agree, but some bone head out there will pay an instructor 100 bucks to learn to dive off a boat, which should be taught in OW. The "boat dive" will consist of things such as: new entry method, air consumpion, carry a flag, navigate using the terrain, dive without an instructor telling them what to do, what animals you dont touch, being a good buddy, getting on the boat without the support of a DM, etc. I just sit back, watch everything that goes on, and I inform my students if they F-ed up, and I can evaluate them. I can use a "wreck dive" to teach dangers while diving on wrecks, navigating a large wreck, air consumption/turn around points and why, inform them on what is needed to penetrate the wreck, and why we don't do it. "Search and Recovery" to boat owners to find things that often fall off of personal boats, or public safety divers. Seach patterns and operating a lift bag in limited or no vis diving can be challenging. NAUI divers are taught rescues in OW, in AOW I can expand on that and make it a challenging experience instead of just going through the numbers....you wont be a "rescue diver" but you will have the basic tools to get someone to the surface, or ensure a paniced diver on the surface is safe. These can be taught as B.S. extra dives, if you Instructor lets them be that. or they can be great learning experiences and/or just making a diver more comfortable diving without an instuctor or guide. As far as the required dives, if your instructor is bringing you to 61 feet, calling it deep or making you swim in a square with out telling you how to navigate using the terrain and sealife, and checking a box, he needs his c-card taken from him.

PADI instructors must use their cards and teach you whats on them....which can be a good thing because some instructors need a reminder
NAUI instructors must teach a minimum of skills/knowledge, and are free to teach above and beyond that.
The cert. agency doesn't matter, the Instructor does. It sounds like many of you got the short end of the stick when selecting your instructors.
I'm done, thanks for reading.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Exactly the problem. The agencies will likely not change the course title, so why don't we as instructors take it upon ourselves to pool courses together, or add more dives, or whatever it takes so that the students come away with skills to match the card label.

Skip the cookie cutter courses and just give fewer levels of better courses. That is why we do our course the way we do. Totally different than anyone else in the area and the end result is students/divers who are much more skilled, confident and more keen to dive.

Some of us are doing that ... I learned it from a PADI instructor who's been taking that approach for years, and doing it within standards. He does all the right dives ... he just makes sure that no matter what dives the student selects, they are going to have some skills thrown into that they need to master in order to achieve the objectives of the dive.

Gave me a whole new paradigm on teaching the class.

Of course, being a NAUI instructor, I had more leeway to do it my way than he did. But seriously, any instructor from any agency can make AOW more of a learning experience. It's really a matter of what they believe the goals of the class to be.

If all you consider it is a chance for the student to get a few more supervised dives, that's all you'll end up offering. If you see it as an opportunity to take the diver's skills to a higher level, you'll offer that.

Anyone who takes AOW should be asking their instructor this question ... "What is the purpose of the class, and what will you be teaching me?"

The answer to that question may very well tell you how much you'll take away from the class ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Trixxie]

I think even Search and Recovery is of little use.

a bit late to this party but would like to respectfully disagree with this.

I was in the cayman islands - I rented a camera - dropped said camera while on my s.s. - had no idea when on the s.s. I dropped said camera but HAD to find it as I could not afford to replace it. I remembered the search patterns I learned in my AOW S&R class and a few stressful moments later I had found said camera and went back to do another s.s. with camera in a death grip..

Just my .02.

Thanks!

 

[Blackwood]

The key to any education system is the quality of the teachers (Instructors) and the Students, not the system itself.

True, though the quality of instructors is in many ways dependent upon the quality of the system.

That said, I agree with you 100% that if a student merely wants to get by, there isn't a whole lot anyone can do about it.

In reality there is no trophy at Fighter Weapons School in Miramar. Why? Because a. the pilots would end up killing themselves and b. it's enough to graduate and be the best of best.

and c. Top Gun school isn't at Miramar. It's at Fallon in Nevada

 

[leapfrog]

and c. Top Gun school isn't at Miramar. It's at Fallon in Nevada

My mistake, it was at Miramar until 1996, when the USMC took over the base, is that right? Thanks for setting the record straight.

 

[Thalassamania]

My mistake, it was at Miramar until 1996, when the USMC took over the base, is that right? Thanks for setting the record straight.

Nive try at a save, but no cigar ... sorry, you flunk being cool and macho.