AOW - Decisions, Decisions

[lottie]

I'm one of these people that is completely hopeless at making decisions.

Even though I'm land-bound for the next couple of weeks, I'm looking at taking my PADI AOW at the beginning of August. I know I need to take the Deep Dive and Underwater Navigation as these two are compulsory.
For the three others, I'm thinking about Night Dive and Peak Performance Buoyancy...but....I can't make up my mind which other one to do.

It's out of either the Fish ID, Underwater Photography or Wreck Dive as all three of them interest me.

Has anyone done these as part of their AOW and did it add any value to their diving post-AOW - I'd really like to know about the U/W photog in particular.

Thanks for any help

Lottie

[amtrosie]

If you are going to pursue the PADI curriculum (I am not a fan), do the wreck diving. It will give you additional skills that will be easily utilized in other areas of diving. What I would encourage you to do, after your ear issues are resolved is do as much diving as possible. Nothing replaces diving! Do not push your limits and your comfort level.

[lottie]

Hey, thanks for that amtrosie. I think you might be right plus wreck diving sounds cool.

Considering what's in my backyard - I'd go diving every day......but, money is an issue at the mo, so once i've sorted out my ear...it's back to diving 3, maybe 4 times a month.

Lottie

[acelockco]

He is right, wreck diving is going to teach you many more usefull things than the other two options. Remember you can always take them later if you so desire.

Glad to see you are getting some more training! I am thinking about some classes as well.

[Carp_dm]

Night Dive, Wreck Dive & Underwater Photography would be cool.

[Quero]

I don't know. I teach those adventure dives and I don't think the wreck one stands out above the rest. Recently I had an AOW student who chose Fish ID because she was learning to shoot u/w digital too. Her pictures and the fish ID course dovetailed beautifully because she was able to identify the fish she had decent photos of, and she actually looked at a lot more fish than she otherwise might have if she hadn't had shooting assignments to do as well, which really sparked her interest in fish families, distribution, and even behaviour.

[acelockco]

See, that is why you have the choice. What do you feel suits you the most? I guess the bottom line is you will learn some great stuff no matter which ones you choose. You may also have to take what the group is taking. It goes that way here sometimes for classes.

[Argonaut]

I'm one of these people that is completely hopeless at making decisions.

Even though I'm land-bound for the next couple of weeks, I'm looking at taking my PADI AOW at the beginning of August. I know I need to take the Deep Dive and Underwater Navigation as these two are compulsory.
For the three others, I'm thinking about Night Dive and Peak Performance Buoyancy...but....I can't make up my mind which other one to do.

It's out of either the Fish ID, Underwater Photography or Wreck Dive as all three of them interest me.

Has anyone done these as part of their AOW and did it add any value to their diving post-AOW - I'd really like to know about the U/W photog in particular.

Thanks for any help

Lottie

Ok .. my view may not be what you want to hear

Forget the frilly 'adventure dives' ... underwater photography & Fish ID ... IMHO should not be a valid way to ADV (but let's not go there now)
You can look at fish on any dive, and once you are happy with your basic dive skills start taking pictures..... hey even use your pictures to teach yourself fish ID and avoid PADI fee !

Do adventure dives that will improve your basic tool kit ...

Deep Dive & Underwater Nav ... mandatory
Wreck, Night & Multi-level would be a good choice.


Peak performance buoyancy should be something you practise and improve on dive by dive, so why pay separate for this.

Also think of which ones you would like to convert to a full speciality in the future - and then this would count as Dive one.

[Sarah]

I personally think the most improtant training a diver MUST have as part of any safe dive certification program is:

Manta Ray Awareness Speciality

[ScubaTexan]

I think I would choose Wreck Diving. I'm STILL wanting to do that one. I would have done it in Hawaii last year, had I not run out of time.