Advanced open water?

[ScubaG]

The class consists of 5 "speciality" dives.

I think I did the navigation specialty and deep diving for my advanced few years back, both were valuable before venturing into the overhead environment.

[battles2a5]

I agree. I don't know if it was my instructor or just one of those "Ah-ha!" moments, but the peak performance bouyancy dive really made it all click. It really changed the way I dive. Not because of the actual class, but it helped my understand the fundamentals and variables associated w/ bouyancy. So again, it's all about what you take from it. I think everyone has given some good advice on this thread.

[Gary]

Without AOW you could be in the interesting position of not being able to go deeper then 60' in the open water but 130' in the cave. We use to laugh about that one a lot because Kathleen still had her junior OW card - and Full Cave.

So we could only dive caves where the entrance was shallower then 60'.

The joke ends at Trimix because it's an OW cert also.

Seriously when you go to the Keys most dive shops have no idea what a cave card is and they frequently want to see some OW certification regardless of what cave level you are certified.

Some Nitrox certs pre-req AOW so are just as good as AOW - other don't so there is no guarantee. If the shop isn't sure you might just get stuck having to pay a divemaster to follow you for the dive.

[runawaylobster]

Does anyone have their advanced open water?

I've been looking at nitrox classes, and EVERYONE tries to get me to sign up for aow and nitrox at the same time. It's like $80 extra, and I can't fathom why I would ever need this class.

I'm doing intro to cave this summer, and hopefully rescue diver (I've heard good things about this course), and was thinking the money would be better spent towards those two classes, does anyone agree?

I'm willing to take it if I'll gain something from it, but if they're just going to take me to 80ft deep and say "congrads! here's your card!", I'll keep my money, and take AOW when I want to do one of Lloyds west palm trips that includes it.

you will gain alot, believe me it's part of the fundamental knowledge base, and in fact $80 is cheap, I charge $100 for that add on. Your biggest advantages will be in the 60-90ft range so it will help with exactly what you are going to be doing.

have fun in WPB

LL

[DogDiver]

When I tought AOW in Michigan my students, at Gilboa Quarry, were given the basics of line and reel work, advanced navigation in zero vis, how to deploy a lift bag for ascent without an up-line or anchor line, and then we spent a day out on Lake Huron doing two mid-range wreck dives (exterior only). When I came down here for my Cavern and Intro course it was recommended to me to have at least 100 OW dives in varring places, not just the carribean. I was also a NAUI Instructor. I learned more in those 4 days than I did 30 years of diving in the Great Lakes. I would advise taking the Cavern and Intro course. If you never set fin in a cave again, you will be a better diver for it. I have been told that the novice cave diver with 20-30 dives, has more watermanship skills than most OW course directors. Food for thought...Ken

[ajimmythekid]

I have been diving for a little while now, & just bought a new dry suit. I so badly would love to take it to Manatee or Eagles Nest this weekend. Heck ¾ of the people I dive with have em’ I understand how it works. “It will be fine” But I know the right thing to do is take the class. So I guess this week I’ll find my self in the pool <lol. So all I have to do is convince the instructor we need to have the pool cover on and take the class at night. In order not to bruse my full cave ego.
So here is my take on some of those classes:

An opportunity to dive with an instructor, with an open mind to learn something.

If that don’t work how about it will improve your awareness, a lesson best not self taught.

[tflaris]

Do some agencies require AOW before you can take intro or cavern? Or is it just a certain number of dives?

[Oister]

Do some agencies require AOW before you can take intro or cavern? Or is it just a certain number of dives?

NAUI requires it.

[fixxervi6]

I do not have my AOW card.

However I did not have your average OW class, mine lasted 6 weeks and included rescue etc. (not rescue to the extend of the C class rescue).

I went from OW, to Nitrox, started Adv OW and decided I wasn't going to spend my money on it, to me at that point in my diving career there was no "value add" to taking the class so I did not.

You need to evaluate the class for yourself and determine does this class give me a value add or not, do not look at it from the perspective of do I need this card before I can proceed to the next card.

If the goal is to hop from card to card until you get the collection you need to take cavern/intro in my opinion is not the way to do it, look for skills to add and add from hop to hop so that when you get to cavern/intro your best equiped for the challenges, this may or may not include AOW for you.

Drill the instructor, if its one of those AOW classes where they take you in the dark and swim you in a circle, then bounce you to 60 feet for your "deep" dive etc, then its paying for a card, no value add. If they take you out, beat you up, drag you down to 130 or whatever it is now and these are areas you have not done before, then there could be some value add.

I'd be plenty willing to pay for certain scuba classes that give me no certifications, I just haven't found those yet.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I guess my opinion is well within the minority here...

If you have good OW buddies with good bouyancy, trim, experience, or cave diver friends who'll dive with you in OW water conditions - just mentor under them.

Rescue and Nitrox are the only recreational courses I've found worthwhile. My OW instructor did teach me bouyancy, weighting, and trim - I guess that makes a huge difference. Through my OW "career" so far, I spent the majority beach diving passes and shore divable wrecks through limited visibility, surf, and currents - quite often at night while spearfishing. Once I ended up taking those courses, they were far too basic to gain anything from them. The experience was far more rewarding and helpfull.

Do you need an AOW card? Plan to dive the Oriskany? Speigal Grove? Need it for further coursework? If not, I wouldn't bother.

SSI certifies OW divers to 130' with a recommendation that divers stay above 100'. Atleast thats what was taught in 2003 and I just browsed through my old OW course book(funny stuff) without anything stating a 60' recommendation or cut-off depth.

All that being said, if you don't have the opportunity to get the experience safely in place of the card, perhaps its worthwhile...

Don't think I'd rush into any overhead course without experience in various basic conditions, that will be covered in AOW(briefly). So at the very least pick up the AOW course before signing up for anything more significant.