Put that in the entry level class where it belongs. Require night, deep, low viz, wreck and search and recovery, increase the required dives to 10 and throw in some real academics.
I believe that the AOW needs too be somewhat generic in that the wreck specialty doesn't do us here in Oregon muck good unless you want too travel. Buoyancy can always be improved, no matter what level you are. Also, as far as Night and Low viz, I believe that should be classified together Night/Low viz. Also, don't you think Nav should come before S&R. So maybe something like this might do, Deep, Nav, Buoyancy, and Night/Low viz, with two other electives, that way they would get a well rounded class and a glimpse of the main body of diving. Leave the others (wreck,photo,naturalist,and such) as specialty courses.
I found the course in and of itself was good, however the thing that does need to be changed is the name. As already mentioned, get rid of the word "advanced". It gives the wrong impression. For example, I was an advanced diver at 9 dives. A person with only 9 dives is not an advanced diver. I know I was not.
AMEN!!! And that was said from a relatively fresh diver.
I would like to see the course re-attached to the OW course as I think this is where it belongs. All of my OW course was sitting on the bottom at 20' doing skills. We did the skills but no diving. Put OW and AOW together and you do the skills, then you do some diving where you learn how to use those skills.
Again, BRAVO!!! The way you describe the course in this paragraph is the way we do our OW course. Not plugging or bashing, but SDI structures their certs. differently than others. Diving is supposed too be fun, not boring and stuck in one place at 20'.
Isn't it?
I'd say that redesigning OW needs to come first. Part of that would involve revoking certifications of instructors who can't actually dive, and don't have the experience you'd really need to be a good knowledgeable instructor. 100-dive instructor-wonders shouldn't exist.
Whoo who!!! Someone else with same outlook. It seems too me crazy, that someone with basically only four certs.( OW, AOW, Rescue, & DM ) can become an Instructor. At which time they can certify OW divers. SCARY HUH????
I really think you should come out of your basic open water class with buoyancy and trim essentially mastered. That isn't a tough requirement.
Maybe not MASTERED, but at least be able too show control.
Geographic considerations: Altitude and dry suit around here. Could be incorporated into OW, but usually aren’t.
With my OW cert. we were not certified as altitude divers, but were given the basics (theoretical depths, changed safety stop depths, highest altitude for planning, and so on )
Sorry for the lengthy post, but these were some of the key points I felt strongly about. The problem is,IMO, do any of us really think any of the agencies will listen too a bunch of wanna bees from Scuba Board?
These are all great ideas, but I don't think we stand a chance of changing anything unless we start our own agency.
Joe