Also wanted to pass on a good point that Burhan made in an email. He pointed out the conditions where i live and will be doing most of my diving is a factor. I'm in Ventura, California and while I'm fortunate to live so close to the channel islands, the conditions here aren't as easy as the Bahamas. It may be paradise compared to where some of you vets dive but he's right, it does play a part in how much training and confidence I need to be safe in these conditions.
One of the benefits of an AOW class is that it opens up new venues for the diver to explore. One of the drawbacks of an AOW class is that it opens up new venues for the diver to explore. Deeper dives ... or even shallow dives in more challenging conditions ... will inevitably mean that you will use up your air supply faster than you did while diving in less challenging conditions. Given where you dive, one thing to be aware of is how easy it is to get yourself into trouble with respect to air management ... primarily because new AOW grads are often surprised by how quickly they go through their air supply when they start doing deeper dives ... or even diving shallower in surge or current, of which there are plenty where you live.
During your training, ask your instructor the following questions ...
- How do I know that I'm bringing enough air to do the dive I'm planning to do?
- How do I know when it's time to turn around, or begin my ascent?
- How do I know that I have enough air remaining in my tank to make a safe ascent if I should have to share it with my buddy?
In order to safely do the sorts of dives that you'll want to do once you're AOW certified, you'll need to be able to answer those questions confidently.
One of the primary reasons that newer divers get into trouble is that they lose track of how much air they have at a critical time, and discover later that they have less than they should to safely complete the dive. Out-of-air isn't the only risk at that point ... stress is a significant issue, because it takes your mind off what you should be thinking about and causes you to react, rather than think rationally about what to do about it.
My biggest complaint about taking AOW too soon is that it opens the door for divers to put themselves in a situation they aren't yet prepared to get themselves out of ... this is particularly the case on deeper dives.
I won't suggest that you hold off taking the class ... that is an individual decision that each diver has to make for themselves. I will say that getting the AOW card too soon tends to give divers an incentive to push themselves beyond their actual qualifications ... and this is something you need to be aware of and try not to do. The majority of divers who push for AOW soon after OW do so because they want to do deeper dives. Be aware that problems are magnified by depth ... and that the deeper you go the more serious the potential consequences of those problems become. Take your training at whatever pace you wish ... but take your diving at a pace that allows you to become comfortable with your skills, and confident in your ability to resolve issues that may occur underwater. There is only one true emergency underwater ... and that is running out of air. As long as you have air to breathe, everything else is just a problem that can be resolved with a calm head and adequate skill and knowledge to find a solution. AOW won't teach you those things ... only time in the water will.
Whatever training path you decide, give yourself that time ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
