I agree 100% and that is exactly what I did. I did SDI OW, then skipped Advanced Adventure and went straight to taking the full specialty courses for the things I wanted to learn.
The only reason I know of to take SDI Advanced Adventure (or PADI Advanced Open Water) is if you think you need that card in order to get on the dive boats you want to get on. But, even if you think that, I would suggest to check around and re-think that. Unless that's really as far as you care to go in your training anyway. Then, sure, knock out AAD/AOW and be done. Otherwise...
One, I have never been asked for a higher level card than OW, even on boats where they specifically say Advanced is required. And I have made a point a few times of only showing them my OW and Nitrox cards, instead of my higher cards, just to test that. Most places I've been have some questions on the waiver about how many dives you've done or maybe how many in the last 12 months, and when your last dive was. I think if they see that you are not fresh out of OW and have been diving at least once in the last month or two they are pretty unlikely to ask to see an "Advanced" card. But, my experience is not that much. I'm sure there probably are boats that will ask to see some kind of C card for more advanced training!
Two, I think that places that say they require Advanced would generally accept a Deep specialty card in lieu of an Advanced card. It seems to me that they really just want to see that you've had more training than just basic OW and that you have had some kind of training or experience in diving deeper than 60', at least. Regardless, if you knock out 4 specialties, you'll have more than 25 dives and be able get your Advanced Scuba Diver card and then you will be able to satisfy any of those operators.
I think your plan to take Nitrox and Deep first is a good one. By the time you finish, you should have 20+ dives and with those two cards, I would bet you'll be able to get on pretty much any normal recreational charter that you want. But, call ahead and confirm!
I think CaptTightPants is wrong about SDI vs TDI Nitrox. The course curriculum and standards for SDI Nitrox (aka Computer Nitrox) is way less than for TDI Nitrox. But, it is true than any given Nitrox instructor may choose to teach everything that would be in TDI Nitrox in the SDI Nitrox class. But, a lot of that material will not be on the official SDI Nitrox final exam.
I have taken both SDI and TDI Nitrox. My opinion is, if you don't plan to go into Tech diving, then don't bother taking the TDI Nitrox course. It's more money and the extra money will net exactly zero difference in your diving. All it does is give you extra theory and training on doing calculations manually and using tables. Stuff you won't do if you're doing recreational diving with a computer anyway. OTOH, if you think you even might go into Tech diving, then you may as well skip SDI Nitrox and just go ahead and take TDI Nitrox. TDI Nitrox is a prerequisite for Advanced Nitrox, which is combined with Deco Procedures (usually) to form the first real TDI tech course. Assuming you go the TDI route for tech, anyway.
I never took the Night specialty. I went on a couple of night dives with boat charters and the DMs always covered basic light signals, etc.. I've also done plenty of other training dives in the local quarries where the visibility is normally 6' or less. I've never really felt like I would get my money's worth out of a Night diving specialty course.
I also never took underwater navigation. I was a Boy Scout. I've had solid orienteering skills for years. Underwater has its differences but, again, not something I thought I needed to pay somebody to teach me.
After Nitrox and Deep, I would consider these:
Wreck - with a decent instructor, you should learn how to deploy an SMB, how to run a reel to lay a guideline, light signaling, some basic navigation stuff. The Wreck course I took was the most valuable course I have taken, prior to starting tech training.
Search and Recovery - I have not taken this specialty. But, the basics were included in the Rescue class when I took that and I thought it was really good stuff to learn and train on and I may yet go back and take the full specialty just to learn more about it.
Cavern - I have not taken this specialty, either, but it is definitely on my list. This class would be another good dose of training in buoyancy control and trim, finning techniques, running reels, and light signals. Even if you don't progress on to Intro to Cave, you should still learn a lot of really good stuff that will help you no matter what kind of diving you do.
Underwater Photography - I have not taken this, either. And I believe that with anything other than a very good instructor it would be pretty much a waste of time. But, with a really good instructor, if you have any interest in shooting photos or video underwater, this course would be VERY helpful in many ways. You should get a good dose of training on buoyancy control and trim, various finning techniques, and then a whole raft of info on actually taking pictures underwater, that you would otherwise have to learn by spending a lot of time reading books. U/w photography is LIKE surface photography, but it's different enough that being good at one wouldn't carry over a huge amount to the other.
Once you have 4 specialties and enough dives, then you can do your CPROx AED course (I took the DAN DEMP course for this and would recommend it to anyone) and take Rescue Diver to complete your Master Scuba Diver requirements.
As for Solo vs Intro to Tech, all I can say about that is that I just did Solo a couple of months ago, after already being a certified tech diver. I did not learn anything new in that course. And my Solo instructor told me that he does not teach people to dive Solo. For people that come to him for Solo certification, he takes them out and essentially does an assessment (versus teaching a class). He first runs you through the exam from the course book to make sure you have the knowledge. And, of course, he makes sure you have the prerequisite number of dives. At that point, he just goes diving with you and assesses whether you are diving properly to be doing it on your own. His feeling is that if you don't have enough experience to know what you're doing on your own without him teaching it to you, then you're not ready to dive Solo yet.
So, my personal perspective is that I wouldn't take Solo to learn. I would take Intro to Tech. I would take Solo simply to get the Solo card - which is what I did. I already felt comfortable and competent to dive alone. I just wanted the card so I can go to dive parks and dive by myself - generally, so that I can practice skills and drills without having to have a buddy that is just sitting there bored to death. Or so i can go out on a charter boat without having to bring my own buddy and dive without having to be buddied up with a stranger.
Since I listed several courses that I did not take, you may be wondering what I actually did take. I took Computer Nitrox, Advanced Buoyancy Control, Drysuit, Wreck, Deep, and Rescue. Plus tech courses. I thought Advanced Buoyancy Control was a waste of time (though that was certainly in part because I believe the instructor I had for that was complete crap). You'll get the same and more from Wreck and/or Cavern. Drysuit doesn't sound like something that you will need. I took it because I bought a drysuit and I read some things that suggested SOME places won't let you dive dry unless you have a Drysuit Diver C card. I have since decided that I think it's more likely that it's just that nobody will RENT you a drysuit unless you have the C card. It's hard for me to imagine showing up for a dive that I paid for, with my own drysuit, and being told I can't use it because I don't have a drysuit C card. Certainly nobody has ever asked to see my Drysuit card. But, whatever. The class was cheap and only took a day.
into those areas. TDI Nitrox and SDI Nitrox are the same class when I teach it. You can have your choice of cards.
