32 replies to this topic

[mistral]

You will need an EFR class before rescue. Any first aid w/ CPR course will do.

[Mishelle]

well since I am CPR and First Aid certified, that shouldnt be a problem

[finGrabber]

I really enjoyed my rescue class, though I was stressed the entire lake weekend!

it's a good class and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to further their skills

[Brinybay]

Right after AOW, get your Rescue Cert.  Most useful cert of all, IMO.

I do want to do rescue What can I expect friom that?

A lot of work, but a lot of valuable skills. How to approach a panicked diver on the surface, how to properly bring an unconscious diver to the surface, many other skills. It really should be part of AOW, or even basic cert, IMHO.

[Mishelle]

How to approach a panicked diver on the surface

Smack em right??

[Brinybay]

How to approach a panicked diver on the surface

Smack em right??

You never know, they might like that, hehe...

[Brinybay]

You will need an EFR class before rescue. Any first aid w/ CPR course will do.

Not necessarily, it's an exit requirement.

[Narwhal]

Mishelle,
The whole idea behind AOW is to give practical application to the basic skills you learned in OW. OW teaches you "how" to dive; AOW gives you a "why" to dive. Depending on your instructor (And, as with every other Scuba course, everything depends on the quality of your instructor) this can be one of the most useful and productive of your scuba courses or it can be, as Walter says, five dives. Most AOW courses require at least a deep dive (beyond 60 feet) and a navigation dive. The deep dive should demonstrate pressure effects and nitrogen effects at greater depths. I usually carry a tennis ball, a sealed two-liter soda bottle, and a simple puzzle down with me. The tennis ball is easily compressed by the student at depth and the two-liter soda bottle colapses completely. The puzzle is a timed event that was previously performed and timed on the surface. The puzzle is performed at depth and the time difference noted in the debriefing to show the narcotic effects of nitrogen at depth. In the briefing I always ask the student to note the differences in sounds and light at depth. The point is that these dives are (or should be) designed to inform and reenforce the student's previously learned skills. They are learning only in the sense that they allow the student to apply (in a practical sense) knowledge and motor skills they have already learned. The navigation dive allows you to reenforce and expand your skills from OW. If you enjoy these areas then you can explore either of them through extra study or enrollment in a specialty course. None of the dives is designed to make you an "expert" in that environment. They are designed to expose you to that environment and allow you the opportunity to decide if you wish to explore that area further. This course is purely for your enjoyment. I can't recall any student "failing" AOW or any instructor "failing" a student in an AOW course. So, relax and enjoy. There are no "mask removal and replacement" drills or "emergency out-of-air" drills. Beyond the required dives--PADI requires a night dive, NAUI likes a "limited visibility" dive, other agencies may have different requirements---explore a couple of areas you think you might be interested in (Underwater photography, fish ID, search and recovery, wreck exploration techniques, or dry suit diving) depending on what's available. Any instructor worth his or her salt will give you some choices as to which additional dives are to be made. I always ask the students for their input and try to accomodate them with something they are interested in.

As for Nitrox, this is also an extremely useful course which can teach you a lot about the mechanics of diving. It is mostly a classroom experience. PADI (and a few other agencies) require a couple of dives on nitrox for certification. I don't know why or agree with the concept. You don't breathe nitrox any differently than you breathe air and there are no new water skills learned. The dives give you a chance to compute oxygen exposure (and gives the instructor a reason to charge for another trip to the lake), but this could as easily be done in the classroom. The main value, in my mind, is that it shows you how the gases we breathe affect our bodies. It is another course in which to "relax and enjoy". I hope you can approach both of them as fun and enjoyable opportunities. Let us know what you thought of them as learning experiences.

Jim

[chinacat46]

You will need an EFR class before rescue. Any first aid w/ CPR course will do.

Not necessarily, it's an exit requirement.

Actually with the new PADI rescue course you need to know First Aid/CPR before knowledge presentation Two and Rescue Training Session Two. So you might not need it to start but you definitely need it early on in the course.

[chinacat46]

Beyond the required dives--PADI requires a night dive, NAUI likes a "limited visibility" dive, other agencies may have different requirements---explore a couple of areas you think you might be interested in (Underwater photography, fish ID, search and recovery, wreck exploration techniques, or dry suit diving) depending on what's available.

Actually PADI only requires Deep and Nav. Night used to be a requirement for PADI AOW but hasn't been required for at least 5 years now. You need 5 dives total with Deep and Nav as two of the five.

[peterbj7]

Actually PADI only requires Deep and Nav. Night used to be a requirement for PADI AOW but hasn't been required for at least 5 years now.

Only because dive centers in the far north complained that in the summer they couldn't do night dives, which meant they couldn't do AOW courses. It's still best to include it if possible.

[chinacat46]

You will get no arguement from me as I love night diving almost as much as I love going down.

[peterbj7]

The whole idea behind AOW is to give practical application to the basic skills you learned in OW.

I'd say that AOW (PADI style) is just 5 "experience" dives showing you aspects of diving you haven't seen before. So little point in choosing an AOW dive that you're already proficient at. I suspect Walter's terse comment has something to do with what he thinks of current training standards. I certainly think that you should regard your AOW card as far more OW than A.

It's a good idea to go through AOW not long after OW, but I'd leave Rescue for some time - try to have 50 or so dives beforehand. And when you're diving watch others and learn. You can often learn more from diving with bad divers than good, but best try some of each. The main thing is, try to think self-sufficiency. It'll be a while before you get there, but having the right approach is a good start. Always think what could go wrong and what you would do if it did. Then look at experienced divers kitting up and see what they have or do that you don't, and ask yourself "why".

Remember - it's not about the card, it's about you.

[Walter]

There's nothing to be worried about.  Unless you have an unusual instructor, you'll just make 5 dives and get a card for it.

I think there's more to Walter's post than meets the eye.

Naw, it's straight forward. Most AOW classes are simply that - 5 fun dives. Unusual instructors will make you work more and you'll get much more out of the class as a result. I hope everyone here has that unusual instructor.

[mongoose]

Right after AOW, get your Rescue Cert.  Most useful cert of all, IMO.

I do want to do rescue What can I expect friom that?

Well, FWIW, I just completed rescue (under the NAUI organization) this weekend, and you can expect realistic scenarios, which will put you in the position of being part of (and sometimes a leader of) an emergency scene.

Anything can happen on your lake weekend. Maybe it's a scenario ... maybe not. Keep your eyes open.

Be prepared to be worked hard, and *STRESSED*. I was very surprised to find that my heart was racing and that I was under extreme pressure running FAKE accidents. I can only imagine what it would be like for real.

The most stunning thing for me: I thought I had the emergency procedures down. I absolutely did not. When the heat is on, you forget things. Goofy things. For example, I consider myself a half-way reasonably competent diver... during a scenario, after careful checking of my gear, I bolted into the water and not only did not do a buddy check, I did not have my LP inflator hose connected. Things that are drilled into you... you forget. Dropping the weight belt on a victim... I forgot it. The ratio of compressions to rescue breaths... forgot it. Putting someone at the front gate to direct EMS to the scene... forgot that too.

Pay particular attention to Out-Of-Airs. It's funny... the OOAs depicted in the videos & books always show a convivial, hello-how-are-you-I'm-out-of-air-would-you-like-my-octo-why-yes-I-would-thank-you-very-much-oh-you're-quite-welcome-ho-hum-shall-we-head-for-the-surface-now type of exchange between divers. Wrong answer. OOAs are a lightning-quick biker-bar brawl. A wide-eyed, panicked diver swims at you full speed, hits you from behind like a linebacker, tearing at your face, mask, hair, rig, armpits, whatever he has to do to rip the reg from your mouth. Bubbles fly, arms twist, fins fly.. I actually saw one of the students' mouthpiece *COME OFF* the regulator from being yanked from his mouth. It is an intense and eye-opening thing to behold.

Now... I don't want to scare anyone.. You will be supervised under controlled circumstances and safe. But you will have your eyes opened, and I think you will agree that it some of the best money you can spend becoming a more-prepared diver.