AOW Certification

Mattleycrue76 · Post by **Mattleycrue76** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:41 pm

Wagon173 wrote: They teach you everything you need to know in OW.

Wow. I wish I could have learned from your brilliance before I wasted all that money on continuing dive education.

mz53480 · Post by **mz53480** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:31 pm

CaptnJack wrote:
Dashrynn wrote:
CaptnJack wrote:
mz53480 wrote:
Coward
Don't make fun of mz! He can't help it of his male cohones are equal to a nudibranch!
Dash : 1
MZ : 0

Richard, you're right. I shoulda just come out swinging and said that the OW statement was BS.

Dash, your Mom is a whore.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:34 pm

mz53480 wrote:
CaptnJack wrote:
Dashrynn wrote:
CaptnJack wrote:
mz53480 wrote:
Coward
Don't make fun of mz! He can't help it of his male cohones are equal to a nudibranch!
Dash : 1
MZ : 0
Richard, you're right. I shoulda just come out swinging and said that the OW statement was BS.

Atta boy!

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:42 pm

[quote=airsix]For example, when I first got involved in this club I quickly found a correlation between people I really enjoyed diving with and Bob Bailey's AOW class. It seems they were all graduates of it.[/quote]

Wow, and all this time, I thought you were enjoying diving with me . . .

diverden · Post by **diverden** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:44 pm

I'm surprised no one has gone there yet...

http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10450

Seriously, if you want to get on a dive boat somewhere warm and the reef or whatever is at 90 feet, they probably wouldn't let go without an AOW card. If you showed them a Tech-2 or Trimix II card, they probably wouldn't even know what that is.

Personally, I would have saved a lot of time and money if I knew about UTD or GUE when I was first getting started, but if my goal was to operate a dive resort in the Caribbean, I was on the right track with my PADI Master Diver cert!

Frankly, it might be the best business decision to just go PADI if that is your goal. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a PADI resort and 90% of divers will flock to the PADI logo because the biggest is the best, right?

Since that's not MY goal, I've moved on to what I feel is much better training for much more advanced diving in rough conditions.

spatman · Post by **spatman** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:29 pm

CaptnJack wrote:
spatman wrote:
CaptnJack wrote:I haven't shown a C-card of any type in years, even while vacationing in MX, Cali, or FL.
I've had to present an OW cert a couple times on vacation, and also my nitrox and (believe it or not) my drysuit cert right here in the PNW.
That's because nitrox oozes out of my pores. The only thing oozing out of you is beer

Which in many circles will get me a lot farther than your nitrox would.

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:42 pm

Wagon173 wrote: I was diving to 130 on my 10th or 11th dive and ...Just don't be a cowboy. Be conservative.

:shootself:

What more can I say?

Persue your goals to be an instructor some, day!

Be careful of the

And, +1 for GreatfulDiver

Dashrynn · Post by **Dashrynn** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:00 am

mz53480 wrote:
CaptnJack wrote:
Dashrynn wrote:
CaptnJack wrote:
mz53480 wrote:
Coward
Don't make fun of mz! He can't help it of his male cohones are equal to a nudibranch!
Dash : 1
MZ : 0
Richard, you're right. I shoulda just come out swinging and said that the OW statement was BS.

Dash, your Mom is a whore.

Woah woah, that's uncalled for. Proper term is "professional dancer" geez.

And you know what else!? Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of Elderberries

Geek · Post by **Geek** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:56 am

Wagon173 wrote:Contrary to popular entry level dive curriculum, there are no scuba police dude. If you're aimed at getting better at your underwater skills, team up with another competent diver and practice with them. They teach you everything you need to know in OW. You can calculate your bottom time at 60 feet. The tables don't change with depth, only your bottom time. I was diving to 130 on my 10th or 11th dive and logged them. And my instructor counted them when he reviewed my log for master. Just don't be a cowboy. Be conservative. And like I said, team up with someone who is comfortable progressively taking you deeper if you prove to be a competent diver. Log your dives. Get your experience. And when you find an instructor you like, jump on it!

Huh? What? Wait...... Ummmm... *sigh*

Never mind, carry on...

airsix · Post by **airsix** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:06 am

LCF wrote:
airsix wrote:For example, when I first got involved in this club I quickly found a correlation between people I really enjoyed diving with and Bob Bailey's AOW class. It seems they were all graduates of it.
Wow, and all this time, I thought you were enjoying diving with me . . .

Oh Lynne! You know you rank high on my list. Always have and always will. And that would still be the case even if it weren't for the fact that you spent dozens of hours training with Bob. : )

I know you're teasing, but just for the record I didn't mean it takes a Bailey AOW card for me to enjoy diving with someone. I haven't met one of his students I didn't enjoy diving with though.

BDub · Post by **BDub** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:44 am

Lots of good information given to you, and I think you’d be hard pressed to find an AOW class as thorough as Bob’s. I know how much time and effort he puts into his curriculum and it really shows with the students who take his training.

As has been mentioned, it’s important to do your research to find the class that meets your objectives. If your objective is to add another card to the wallet to move up the chain (not saying that’s your intent in any way), then you’re short changing yourself.

When I take a class there are two things at the top of my list in terms of what I expect from my instructor. First, I expect him to teach me the skill and knowledge needed to safely and enjoyably perform the dives he’s training/certifying me to do. Second, I expect him to not only identify and fortify my strengths, but also identify and attack my weaknesses.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. As Bob said, a good instructor will put in the effort to identify and address both.

As far as your goal of becoming an instructor….awesome goal! There’s always room for good instructors. My advice to you is to find a healthy mix of training and diving. One thing that has really helped me as an instructor is to draw from my different experiences diving, good and less-than-good. Almost anyone can teach off a checklist. Drawing from your own experience is invaluable as an instructor, as it can really help communicate the “why” to your students.

My advice is to keep your goal in mind and develop a plan, but don’t get so focused on the goal that you lose sight of why you enjoy diving in the first place. We’re fortunate to have some amazing dives at all levels. Get out and explore. You'll eventually figure out what kind of diving appeals to you the most (reefs, fishes, photography, wrecks, etc). When you start getting bored with the dives you’re doing at your current training/certification level, it’s time to consider taking the next class in your progression.

lamont · Post by **lamont** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:09 am

Wagon173 wrote:Contrary to popular entry level dive curriculum, there are no scuba police dude. If you're aimed at getting better at your underwater skills, team up with another competent diver and practice with them. They teach you everything you need to know in OW. You can calculate your bottom time at 60 feet. The tables don't change with depth, only your bottom time. I was diving to 130 on my 10th or 11th dive and logged them. And my instructor counted them when he reviewed my log for master. Just don't be a cowboy. Be conservative. And like I said, team up with someone who is comfortable progressively taking you deeper if you prove to be a competent diver. Log your dives. Get your experience. And when you find an instructor you like, jump on it!

I was diving to 100 on about my 7th dive, and in retrospect that was a fairly bad idea. I know several former recreational divers who took CO2 hits at 100 feet around here on recreational dives in high current and don't dive any more. I've also been involved in one body recovery of a woman who was diving to 100 in cove 2 and really should have built more experience and had a better dive plan before going there (and she had 50 dives).

If you are diving below 60 you should really be able to operate efficiently as a diver, know how to deal with stress and be able to handle a simple gas share and ascent, and be able to plan and execute your dive and gas plan. I definitely didn't have those skills back when I only had 7 dives.

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:35 am

[quote=Bdub]When you start getting bored with the dives you’re doing at your current training/certification level, it’s time to consider taking the next class in your progression.[/quote]

I can hear Joe Talavera's voice as I read that . . . sure miss Joe.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:59 am

LCF wrote:
Bdub wrote:When you start getting bored with the dives you’re doing at your current training/certification level, it’s time to consider taking the next class in your progression.
I can hear Joe Talavera's voice as I read that . . . sure miss Joe.

Me too ... Joe was the kind of instructor I someday aspire to become ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

BDub · Post by **BDub** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:36 pm

Grateful Diver wrote:
LCF wrote:
Bdub wrote:When you start getting bored with the dives you’re doing at your current training/certification level, it’s time to consider taking the next class in your progression.
I can hear Joe Talavera's voice as I read that . . . sure miss Joe.
Me too ... Joe was the kind of instructor I someday aspire to become ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

+1. Joe made a big impact on me both as a diver and instructor.

scubnewb · Post by **scubnewb** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:50 pm

wow imagine if I posted something that might of been contraversal instead of a innocent question lol... Thanks for all the thoughts everyone. I think I got a good handle on it now. Looking to dive (Only to 60') tomorrow afternoon or eve if anyone is interested, otherwise i will just be hitting MMM if I dont tomorrow.

Dashrynn · Post by **Dashrynn** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 4:00 pm

scubnewb wrote:wow imagine if I posted something that might of been contraversal instead of a innocent question lol... Thanks for all the thoughts everyone. I think I got a good handle on it now. Looking to dive (Only to 60') tomorrow afternoon or eve if anyone is interested, otherwise i will just be hitting MMM if I dont tomorrow.

When you are talking about the safety of other people and possibly loved ones, anyone will feel overwhelming emotions. A fair number of us have taken classes with or seen THAT "instructor" who could have been better. On my 2nd OW dive me and my assigned buddy lost the group (because they hauled ass away and didn't pay attention to us), we both surfaced and waited for the instructor. That left a stink for instructors every since.

Norris · Post by **Norris** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 4:23 pm

mz53480 · Post by **mz53480** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:16 pm

Dashrynn wrote:.....That left a stink for instructors ever since.

no, that was your drysuit because you didn't hook up your p-valve.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:41 pm

scubnewb wrote:wow imagine if I posted something that might of been contraversal instead of a innocent question lol... Thanks for all the thoughts everyone. I think I got a good handle on it now. Looking to dive (Only to 60') tomorrow afternoon or eve if anyone is interested, otherwise i will just be hitting MMM if I dont tomorrow.

Some of us have actually seen students and/or friends die diving. So the whole idea of crappy instructors handing out cards as meaningless candy kinda gets people riled up. Fortunately we have some respected "good" ones participating on this board and in this thread even.

+1 on getting to MMM

Dashrynn · Post by **Dashrynn** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:23 pm

mz53480 wrote:
Dashrynn wrote:.....That left a stink for instructors ever since.
no, that was your drysuit because you didn't hook up your p-valve.

Hey I own a new shell suit now, and it has an H pee valve for when I start cave diving and other types needing it =D

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:45 pm

*sigh*

Looks like its time for our annual winter drama thread. I have a few thoughts I want to share on this, but I don't want to write them from my phone. I'll write something tomorrow, if I have time. In the mean time, could we all take it down a notch?

cardiver · Post by **cardiver** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:52 pm

Joshua Smith wrote:*sigh*

Looks like its time for our annual winter drama thread. I have a few thoughts I want to share on this, but I don't want to write them from my phone. I'll write something tomorrow, if I have time. In the mean time, could we all take it down a notch?

You've got to love having to babysit grown men and women........

Mongo · Post by **Mongo** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:59 pm

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY

GUNS ARE GIVEN TO 18 YEAR OLDS TO FIGHT IN FOREIGN LANDS

16 YEAR OLDS ARE GIVEN THE ABILITY TO DRIVE

TWO YEAR OLDS ARE GIVEN LOLLIPOPS

MOST OF US HAVE KNOWN SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN KILLED BY ANY ONE OF THESE.

AS A COMMUNITY, DO WE REALLY WANT TO EAT OUR YOUNG?

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:09 pm

Dashrynn wrote:
mz53480 wrote:
Dashrynn wrote:.....That left a stink for instructors ever since.
no, that was your drysuit because you didn't hook up your p-valve.

Hey I own a new shell suit now, and it has an H pee valve for when I start cave diving and other types needing it =D

Get yourself two P-valves with an isolation manifold. Then you can do away with the H valve ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Northwest Dive Club