New divers often wonder how they can start an Advanced Open Water Course so close to completing their Open Water Course; they simply do not feel like advanced divers. While it is true they are new to the world of diving, and they need to go out diving, it is also true that having a few more underwater skills under their belts would make diving more enjoyable. This is really what an Advanced Open Water Course is all about; it is a combination of diving specialty courses designed to give new divers a few more underwater tools.
There is no substitute for simply going out and diving. After you complete your open water class, you and your diving buddies should plan on going diving as much as possible so you can gain some confidence and put your newly learned diving skills to work. At our facility, we try to promote this by offering dive local weekends at other times during the month. We also encourage new divers to return with us on the next month’s Open Water Weekend. By participating in these other events, there is a professional dive leader on hand to give you advice and to answer your questions while learning to dive outside of the classroom setting.
But, like I said earlier, one way to make an improvement in your diving is by learning some basic underwater skills. An Advanced Open Water Course combines the following specialty classes into one package:
- Underwater Navigation
- Deep Diving (over 60 feet)
- Night and Limited Visibility Diving
- Search and Relocation
These specialties are designed to introduce you, the new diver, to new environments and equip you with come new skills that you will use throughout your diving career. They are also tailored to give you more confidence and help you to relax more underwater. Why these specialties you ask? Well, let’s look at each of them in more detail.
Underwater Navigation – You probably noticed in your Open Water Class that you had no real idea where you were. You just followed your Instructor or a Dive Control Specialist with your Instructor following behind. You were mostly concerned with trying to maintain buoyancy and look around at things as you glided past. However, when you are diving without your instructor, you will have to find your way around the lake on your own. This course introduces you to the skills needed to navigate underwater and the ability to get lost creatively.
Deep Diving – While many people do not consider diving deeper than 60 feet deep diving, you were trained and certified in 20 to 40 feet of water so 60 feet is deeper than you have been. Assuming you do not want to repeat those out-of-air skills you were forced to endure as part of your Open Water Program, there are some things you need to consider when diving deeper, like when to start back to the surface. So here you will learn what to do to scale the equivalent of a 6 story building and return to the surface safely and proudly.
Night & Limited Visibility Diving – Here you get more toys! You need lights to complete this specialty so, boys get toys! Ok, it is not all about the toys but rather how to use them as tools to safely execute a night dive. And remember, if you are ever planning on sneaking into the cocktail party from the water, you will need this skill-set.
Search & Relocation – With the introduction of more toys comes the need to find them when you loose them. Here we introduce you to the fine art of finding the things you lost underwater. As part of the class you also get to use a lift bag to lift up a heavy object. This is a useful skill if you run across an canon underwater that you think will look smashing in your front yard!
While you are learning these skills, you will be getting more comfortable underwater and may even find you do not need as much weight to sink below the surface. You even get the opportunity to purchase some necessary toys to safely execute your dives – cool, more toys!
Taking an Advanced Open Water Course is a good way to prepare yourself for the dives that you want to do on your next vacation. The comfort you gain in the water will make those vacation dives more enjoyable and just plain fun. Don’t miss this opportunity to improve your diving while having fun diving in a structured program.
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