What does Padi Deep water certification teach that AOW does not?

[Jay]

If a diver already has some progressive dive experience in the 30-40m range, knows gas management, knows their OW/AOW material, then from what I'm reading there's not much (new) educational substance in the course apart from completing an 8min deco stop (while breathing from emergency air for min'm of 1min), and being under supervision, except if an instructor adds in more material.

Paying for true education is one thing ... paying for a card ...hmmmm

 

[NAM001]

In response to Jay_antipodean's [post be for e this one. Im not sure how valuable takiing a deep course is so long as you are calling deep 100+ feet. I probably could not take a course to see if i can function in deep water.

On the flip side if deep is called 60+ feet then you have never even been close to the demons of the deep. you have never had to reconsider you r ability to do a CESA if needed. And if you look at it in that light then deep is another word for AOW.

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

I think expecatations for specialties can be too high for some.

The specialty's biggest benefit in my opinion is to allow an inexperienced diver the ability to gain 100ish ft deep experience under the supervision of an instructor. Hopefully the instructor is training dive planning, gas management, stressing good buddy practices etc.

Anyone regularly going down past 100 feet really should consider the AN/DP/Tec45 level stuff. Dive planning, gas mangement, gas mix understanding, and being able to safely dive in a (virtual) overhead environment are critical.