What is AOWD ?

Simply put AOWD stands for Advanced Open Water Diver. What is this rating according to PADI ?

After the basic Open Water training the next logical step is to get the Advanced Open Water Diver certification. This rating consist of 5 dives that may span over two days or could be in 5 separate days. Basically you look at all the advanced specialties that PADI offers, and you are going to make the first dive of these specialties in 5 of them. However there is an exception. You must make the deep dive and the navigation dive as 2 of the dives. The other three can be a choice from a wide list of dives. Some of the choices are as follows: Altitude, wreck, night, dry suit, photography, search and recovery, drift, DPV (Dive Propulsion Vehicle), Enriched air, PPB (Peak Positive Buoyancy) and Boat just to name a few.

Once you have picked your 5 dives you must complete the text readings, and knowledge reviews in them. The advanced book will have all the other dives listed as well, you are only responsible for the 5 dives you pick.

Once you have done your 5 dives, the readings, and knowledge reviews you will awarded the Advanced Open Water Diver Certification card (or C-card).

But why do I need this certification. Remember I said you need to do the deep and navigation dives as part of you 5 total dives. The reason stems around those dives.

When you go on a dive trip, the DM(Dive Master) of the boat will ask for C Cards. If you have the Advanced Card they know you have had training in diving deep and navigation. Most dive operations take divers to spots that have the potential for a deep dive. If you had the training they know that they do not have to worry about your going deep and hurting yourself. They know you had the training.

Now for Navigation. In the Open water course we teach you to use a compass on the surface and underwater in a straight line. In this dive, we will teach you how to do a square, and a tri-angle. Every dive you do will have in it some form of navigation skills. Every diver need more advanced training in this area, and what you learn in the advanced course is that more advanced training. Not the end all to navigation, but a start.

Once these 5 dives are completed, you will be given credit for the first dive if you chose to go on and complete the entire specialty rating for those dives, Which I highly recommend.

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