To certify or not to certify

[Hitdbeach]

Hello all,
Been diving since about 2009 but have gotten more serious the last couple of years logging about 30+ dives a year for 2013/14 and closing in on the 100 dive total. All my diving is done on vacations and at this point don't see that changing anytime soon or at all. So far I've been primarily in Cozumel, Cabo, and Hawaii. In Coz I think I've hit the bulk of the reefs and wrecks in the area diving anywhere between 30 and 120 feet. My buoyancy, trim, and consumption are solid.
So with all that said, is there a reason I'd want to spend hundreds of dollars on an AOW course when I can already dive pretty much everything I've wanted to while on vacation. Other than the nitrox and navigation course I took, I'm not planning on other advanced courses....cept maybe photography. I don't see the value in the AOW. Am I missing something?

 

[Dr. Lecter]

The plastic card, no. If nobody's turning you down for dives you want to do, you don't need the AOW card.

The training might be a different question, if you found a really good AOW instructor who basically treated it like an intro to tech course. Even then, with your present level of experience...why bother if you're not planning on doing more challenging dives than you presently do? And if your plans change, an intro tech course would likely be more valuable to you than most AOW classes.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

About the only reason I would recommend most AOW classes is if you happen to go to a dive operation that requires them for deeper dives, which does happen some places. The only other reason is to work towards a Divemaster rating.

 

[NAM001]

I say yes get the card.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Check the wording on your insurance. If it says you are 'insured to dive within the level of your certification, or whilst receiving instruction', then you might not be insured for an accident that happens below 18m with an OW cert...

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Check the wording on your insurance. If it says you are 'insured to dive within the level of your certification, or whilst receiving instruction', then you might not be insured for an accident that happens below 18m with an OW cert...

First, nobody in the US should have such tty dive insurance. Get DAN Master or better.

Second, OW cert is good to 130', contrary to sleazy instructors' self-serving insinuations to the contrary.

 

[Freewillow]

Fair by me, but don't even think about beeing able to dive on your own in some parts of Europe and Egypt. PADI OW are considered by most operators as people that cannot go deeper than 20m maybe 30 with an instructor, but nothing more. As long as you stay on the west side of the pound and you have a golden VISA or Master, I would not worry about the PADI cards

 

[dbulmer]

Hello all,
Been diving since about 2009 but have gotten more serious the last couple of years logging about 30+ dives a year for 2013/14 and closing in on the 100 dive total. All my diving is done on vacations and at this point don't see that changing anytime soon or at all. So far I've been primarily in Cozumel, Cabo, and Hawaii. In Coz I think I've hit the bulk of the reefs and wrecks in the area diving anywhere between 30 and 120 feet. My buoyancy, trim, and consumption are solid.
So with all that said, is there a reason I'd want to spend hundreds of dollars on an AOW course when I can already dive pretty much everything I've wanted to while on vacation. Other than the nitrox and navigation course I took, I'm not planning on other advanced courses....cept maybe photography. I don't see the value in the AOW. Am I missing something?

You said your buoyancy, trim and consumption are solid - how do you know?
Is this a self-assessment?

The more I dive the more aware I become of my own shortcomings and it often takes someone else to point out what I could better. Training can take many forms - AOW is one way but another way might be to book an instructor for a day and see what he/she thinks of your diving and go from there.

Spend a little time in researching your instructor and you might find someone who can change your mind about training.

Personally I'm not a great fan of the AOW - there are good aspects to it but too often it's taught pretty much by the book.
There are instructors out there who do teach it very well but they are hard to find which is why I suggest you find out about potential instructors .
The better instructors take the AOW course material and mould it to expand the capabilities of the student. Less capable instructors often do little except regurgitate the book and then tick off the boxes required for AOW certification.

 

[Bubble Junky]

First, nobody in the US should have such tty dive insurance. Get DAN Master or better.

Not everybody reading this is from the US. And there are different types of divers. Most 'holiday divers' dive with travel insurance that also includes diving, and these policies normally operate as I mentioned. If you're a 'serious diver', who dives all year round, then I agree, DAN is the way forward (or something similar).

Second, OW cert is good to 130', contrary to sleazy instructors' self-serving insinuations to the contrary.

Again, for DAN policies the OW cert would be good. But if you're diving on holiday under your travel insurance, check the wording. Or better still, check directly with your insurance provider - don't just take the word of a sleazy instructor or a know-it-all tec diver on an internet forum. Not all insurance companies operate in the same way...

 

[tbone1004]

$100 a year to not worry about it is worth the cost of the DAN Insurance.....

I wouldn't take the AOW while you're travelling. If I were you, and you can suck the cold up for a little while, I'd consider pming TSandM and asking her when her husbands next classes are and take an intro to tech type class with them. It will make you a better diver no matter how you look at it, and if any of the operations have questions about not having AOW for deeper dives or whatever you'll have that. They also dive locally quite a bit, so again if you can brave the cold it would be a good option for getting mentored by divers better than you.