ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVER: The PADI Way
According to Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) – one of the biggest scuba diving certification agencies in the world – the next level of scuba certification is called Advanced Open Water Diver (AOW).
Advanced Open Water course offer a wide range of training dives to choose from. You are only required to complete 5 training dives prior to certification. Normally, the course can be completed within 2 days.
A few years back, PADI introduced the Adventures In Diving Program with PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification as part of it. The other one is called PADI Adventure Diver certification where a student diver needs to complete only 3 Adventure Dives.
You can sign up for the AOW course immediately, if you prefer, after your PADI Open Water Diver course or have a qualifying certification from another training organization (This is defined as proof of an entry-level scuba certification with a minimum of four open water-training dives).
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New Diver: To Get To Know Your Options
Photo: For Illustration Only.
It may take months or even years, after becoming a newly certified diver, to come to know your options that you can consider taking seriously. After the entry-level course was completed, you don’t really remember asking anyone or even yourself what to do next in terms of continuing your scuba journey.
A walking example is me (the author): I had a valid reason:- I was a university student by than. So I needed to give study a priority. But, what waited after that; I didn’t really have a clue. Just hang the wall certificate somewhere and be proud of the achievement? Boast to friends or relatives or anyone that I’m part of the biggest underwater community? That I’m an explorer of the deep? That I’m following the footsteps of the famous Jacques Cousteau?
That will be a big hahaha…
If you refer to my previous article The Scuba Diving Roadmap: Explained, I’ve explained the steps you can take to get yourself certified as a scuba diver and eventually become one of the member of the biggest underwater club in the world: the divers club.
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5 Devices To Add Safety & Fun To Scuba Diving
Standard scuba diving equipments like mask, fins, snorkel, BCD, regulator, tanks and wet/dry suit can be yours or rented ones. BUT there are a few non-standard equipments or devices that could and will add more value to your safety and fun when you carry one of them.
These devices, generally, will not be readily available for rental at most dive centres, dive resorts or liveabords.
Here are 5 devices that you can buy and carry around with you. They are small, lightweight and compact. So, they wont take much space of your bag or BCD pockets or pouches.
1. Surface Marker Buoy (aka Safety Float or Tube or Balloon)
SMB, as the name suggest, is use on the surface as an indicator/marker to send signal to dive boats, or rather the boatman/captain, that you are back at the surface and need picking up.
SMB can also be used as a marker to pinpoint location of divers so that a dive boat can follow them especially in places where big waves or strong current is constantly present.
2. Dive Alert/Horn (underwater & surface)
It’s a small and compact device that you attach directly in between the power inflator and the Low Pressure inflator hose of your regulator.
Dive alert or dive horn comes in different design. Some are designed to function underwater and some for surface use only. There are also 2-in-1 dive alert/dive horns.
This air pressure activated device, although small in size, will massively help divers in emergency situations. Dive horn is one of the most favourite signalling devices among many divers due to the powerful sound it produces. Some of this device can be heard a kilometre away or even more.
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How To Get Certified As Scuba Diver
The question is how to get certified as scuba diver? Simple, you need training. That’s all. To get trained you need to find a trainer or an instructor to teach you. You need some quality training too as you are in this for the rest of your life. Get trained how to use scuba equipments and swim the deep blue sea.
But wait a minute. You don’t simply show up at some random dive shop/centre/resort and sign up for the course. This is especially true when you are going to do your entry-level certification.
No matter where you are going to do the course, you need to do some research. You need to do some digging here. Your research SHOULD include these:
1. Find a reputable dive shop: good track record
If, for example, there are a few dive shops in the area where you live, find out which of those shops has a good track record. Another word: professionally run operation. Ask your diver friends or your friend’s friend(s). You can even search for those information via the Internet: Google them up. Remember: you want quality training.
This step also applied even when you are on vacation some where in the nice and warm tropical water.
2. Price
Prices for the same course may vary from one shop to another. Don’t be caught in the ‘hype’.
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