Should I take AOW or just dive?

[wreckchick]

but I agree with all the people that said to take it so you can get to rescue. I'm *almost* done with my AOW (long story) and the biggest thing I learned in my class was that I need to be more proficient in my ablities to rescue myself and others. I'm kicking myself for not taking Medic/First Aid the last time it was offered and I'm looking at Rescue in the very near future. Once I have that in my pocket, then I'll dive a bunch and see what happens.

I understand at least as much as most how important it is to really stress yourself underwater in emergency situations while under guidence to learn how to conduct myself in a calm and controlled manner.

I want to be a good buddy and be self-reliant at the same time and Rescue is the right place to do that.

Rachel

 

[bwerb]

OW, AOW and Rescue are basicly three parts of the true minimum amount of training you should get prior to thinking about diving without some sort of supervision either by a DM or by a much more experienced buddy/buddies.

I think if you just have OW certification, you will be fine for underwater tourism but the three courses together really are the full package to introduce the basic diving skills. I totally agree with Herman and Cave Diver on this.

The misnomer is "advanced"...no you are not automatically an advanced diver, you have just taken a course which is one step up or "more advanced" than OW.

My advanced course was 5 OW dives and one pool dive. I took Deep, Night, Wreck, Drysuit and Navigation. They were great for spending some more time in the water under direct supervision and getting drysuit diving dialed.

Rescue is a phenomenal course! Totally worthwhile for so many reasons.

Definitely do some diving as much as you can, but look at the three courses together as true "must do's" if you want to be anything more than a reef tourist in the future.

 

[jonnythan]

bwerb once bubbled...
OW, AOW and Rescue are basicly three parts of the true minimum amount of training you should get prior to thinking about diving without some sort of supervision either by a DM or by a much more experienced buddy/buddies.

Do you really believe that?

Wow. Damn. Guess I better stop diving til I can find a DM to supervise me at Dutch Springs.

 

[bwerb]

jonnythan once bubbled...


Do you really believe that?

Wow. Damn. Guess I better stop diving til I can find a DM to supervise me at Dutch Springs.

Are you saying that you think it is alright for a "new" diver...not one who has been diving for years and years before training declined to what it is today to just get an OW certification and then feel totally free to dive the world over? Or one who has hundreds of dives under their weight belts as it were.

I think that unless you have tons of experience diving, preferably with someone who is more experienced than you, you really should consider certification up to Rescue or equivalent as a real bare minimum.

Dive however you want...read "DM" supervision however you want...heck, it could be a much more experienced buddy. I just don't think that someone with bare minimum OW dives...6...should now consider themselves a "diver" good to go wherever and whenever.

 

[jonnythan]

bwerb once bubbled...


Are you saying that you think it is alright for a "new" diver...not one who has been diving for years and years before training declined to what it is today to just get an OW certification and then feel totally free to dive the world over? Or one who has hundreds of dives under their weight belts as it were.

I think that unless you have tons of experience diving, preferably with someone who is more experienced than you, you really should consider certification up to Rescue or equivalent as a real bare minimum.

Dive however you want...read "DM" supervision however you want...heck, it could be a much more experienced buddy. I just don't think that someone with bare minimum OW dives...6...should now consider themselves a "diver" good to go wherever and whenever.

I think OW certifications are just that - OW certifications. After OW, you should be competent to go out and do non-demanding dives of around 60 feet or less without supervision. If you can't, your instructor seriously failed you.

I've only been certified for two years. I'm AOW but I don't have rescue yet since the rescue classes in my area are $350+ and only offered once a year. I only have about 40 OW dives (obviously not counting 20 or so pool dives).

Your flat out saying that I have no place in the water unsupervised is a bit offensive, and I think the attitude is pretty elitist.

 

[bwerb]

jonnythan once bubbled...


I think OW certifications are just that - OW certifications. After OW, you should be competent to go out and do non-demanding dives of around 60 feet or less without supervision. If you can't, your instructor seriously failed you.

I've only been certified for two years. I'm AOW but I don't have rescue yet since the rescue classes in my area are $350+ and only offered once a year. I only have about 40 OW dives (obviously not counting 20 or so pool dives).

Your flat out saying that I have no place in the water unsupervised is a bit offensive, and I think the attitude is pretty elitist.

Dude, if you knew me, you'd know that I am anything but elitist I sincerely apologize that it came out that way.

I think that you will be fine in the water providing nothing goes wrong... but...do you agree with me that in order to dive anything more demanding should require at least Rescue certification for at least one member of the team?

Do you know CPR? Does your buddy? Do you know what to do if your buddy becomes unconscious at depth?

We are involved in a sport which is statistically very very safe but when stuff happens, it can become fatal very quickly.

I take my personal safety VERY seriously and I take my buddies safety very seriously. Before I took rescue and CPR etc, I would NOT have known how to assist if something went seriously wrong. I think I owe it to myself and my buddy to make sure that at least one of us (and preferably both of us) know what to do in an emergency.

I don't think asking that at a bare minimum one member of the team know what to do if problems occur is elitist, I think it is intelligent.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I logged better than 1000 dives before I bothered with the aow. I had no desire to instruct and didn't see a need for it. The dive boats I've used only have asked how many dives I've had and when was the last time I dove. I also have never run into the dive police at depth.

A few years ago I decided to take some courses just mainly for the hell of it. I agree that the rescue course is important to take and I urge all to strive for that.

My diving buddies are mostly DM's or instructors. I have gotten a lot of insight from them over the years.

I also feel that a divers level isn't that big an indicator of their ability as a diver. There are instructors that I have little respect for and would never count on them for assistance on a dive. I also wouldn't let them plan a dive for me. Ever.

 

[Phish-phood]

Everyone i have spoken to in my club has said that the rescue course is the most useful PADI course that they have taken. That said they do say that it is a course that should only be taken when you are comfortable with your own diving ability otherwise it is a waste of time. I have one friend who was pushed onto her rescue course having completed her AOW and not dived for almost a year since. She didn't complete the course because after the first day she realised she wasn't ready to do it.

I have always said that I want to do the rescue course but would not be ready to do it until I had at least a season's diving under my belt and am a more capable and independent diver. At the moment I don't buddy with anyone other than my Boyf who is an instructor or one other guy who is DM with years of experience. Neither have any problem with the fact that I am a Novice and still learning and both are very keen to help me learn and I feel totally comfortable diving with them. It's really down to the diver, if you feel your skills as a diver are good enough to deal with an emergency situation then dive with who ever you like but for me I just feel more comfortable at the moment diving with people whom I know and trust to be able to help me out if I get in a situation. This doesn't mean that I refuse to dive with anyone else but I do refuse to dive with anyone until we have done one easy and shallow dive so that a) they know where they stand in terms of my skills because I hear too much moaning from people who get buddied with some-one not up to their standard and b) to give me the opportunity to see what they are like to dive with, are they going to be patient while I learn or are they going to expect me to fend for myself.

 

[Sebastian]

You should do it when you feel ready for it.

After my OW I did about 16 dives and then did the AOW.

Now I've logged 53 dives and improved a lot. I just completed my Emergency First Response Course (Medic First Aid) last weekend.

I'm doing my Rescue Diver in 20 days...I can't wait