(This is written from the PADI structure point-of-view, but is mostly applicable to most other agencies…)
Some like to take AOW immediately after they complete their OW certification, some like to wait and get experience first, some only take it after many dives and perhaps only because they feel they need the higher certification level to do certain dives they want to do…like a wreck at 100 ft (30m). There are pros and cons to these different approaches…
What is AOW? The “Advanced” in the title is often misunderstood. It does NOT mean the training is only for advanced divers, nor does it mean you will be an advanced diver once you have taken it. It only means that you are advancing your training beyond your first, OW, certification. You can’t possible learn in an OW class everything you need to know be to be safe and competent in all conditions…even though many old-timers will tell you that “in the old days….” Perhaps, but that was then, and this is now.
What is contained in the AOW class? It has five dives, each of which is the first dive of a specialty course. Two of those dives are required: Deep and Underwater Navigation. Other popular elective dives to complete the three more required are Peak Performance Buoyancy, Night, Wreck, Search and Recovery, Boat, and Underwater Naturalist. The complete list of possible elective dives is quite long, but many are not possible due to logistics at your training site….like Photography, Fish Identification, Drift, or Boat, for that matter. There five divers are meant to be a sampler of directions in which you might take your diving….they are NOT the full specialty for each topic. AOW also has a dedicated section on “Thinking Like a Diver,” which covers things like gas consumption calculations and varieties of dive planning.
How important is the choice of instructor? If you are a brand new OW diver, then the five dives in AOW can be really useful and interesting, if taught well. If, however, you are super experienced, you may already have covered much of the AOW material and might struggle to learn something new….even though most do. The caveat is the quality and attitude of the instructor; here is a case where choosing the cheapest and/or quickest possible AOW class might not be the best strategy. Like all training, it can be done well or poorly. The more experienced you are, the more important it is to have an instructor that can work with your knowledge base and not just provide you with the minimums. Underwater Naturalist, Fish ID, and Boat are examples of classes that need an instructor who actually knows something about the subject; the classes can be demanding, interesting, useful.
When to take the AOW class? PADI recommends right after OW. I personally would say maybe wait a bit, just to get some diving in that is not training, but don’t wait too long. The sooner you take AOW, the sooner you have advanced beyond your OW training and the sooner you have some new skills and interests to help you enjoy your diving.
Some like to take AOW immediately after they complete their OW certification, some like to wait and get experience first, some only take it after many dives and perhaps only because they feel they need the higher certification level to do certain dives they want to do…like a wreck at 100 ft (30m). There are pros and cons to these different approaches…
What is AOW? The “Advanced” in the title is often misunderstood. It does NOT mean the training is only for advanced divers, nor does it mean you will be an advanced diver once you have taken it. It only means that you are advancing your training beyond your first, OW, certification. You can’t possible learn in an OW class everything you need to know be to be safe and competent in all conditions…even though many old-timers will tell you that “in the old days….” Perhaps, but that was then, and this is now.
What is contained in the AOW class? It has five dives, each of which is the first dive of a specialty course. Two of those dives are required: Deep and Underwater Navigation. Other popular elective dives to complete the three more required are Peak Performance Buoyancy, Night, Wreck, Search and Recovery, Boat, and Underwater Naturalist. The complete list of possible elective dives is quite long, but many are not possible due to logistics at your training site….like Photography, Fish Identification, Drift, or Boat, for that matter. There five divers are meant to be a sampler of directions in which you might take your diving….they are NOT the full specialty for each topic. AOW also has a dedicated section on “Thinking Like a Diver,” which covers things like gas consumption calculations and varieties of dive planning.
How important is the choice of instructor? If you are a brand new OW diver, then the five dives in AOW can be really useful and interesting, if taught well. If, however, you are super experienced, you may already have covered much of the AOW material and might struggle to learn something new….even though most do. The caveat is the quality and attitude of the instructor; here is a case where choosing the cheapest and/or quickest possible AOW class might not be the best strategy. Like all training, it can be done well or poorly. The more experienced you are, the more important it is to have an instructor that can work with your knowledge base and not just provide you with the minimums. Underwater Naturalist, Fish ID, and Boat are examples of classes that need an instructor who actually knows something about the subject; the classes can be demanding, interesting, useful.
When to take the AOW class? PADI recommends right after OW. I personally would say maybe wait a bit, just to get some diving in that is not training, but don’t wait too long. The sooner you take AOW, the sooner you have advanced beyond your OW training and the sooner you have some new skills and interests to help you enjoy your diving.
