FAQS - Advanced Open Water Diver Course

• Once I complete the Advanced Open Water course, am I qualified to engage in the types of dives I did during the course?
  Not necessarily. The Advanced Open Water give you the experience of different environments and types of diving under the direction of an Instructor. It is more of a "sample" of what the corresponding Specialty course involves. Specialty diver courses will be anywhere from two to four dives in total, with the dives done during the Advanced class counting as the first dive in the related specialty. Your Instructor can give you more information on Specialty Diver Courses.
• Are there any depth restrictions for Junior divers?
  Yes, Junior Open Water divers who are 12-14 years old and taking the Advanced class have a maximum depth of 70 feet. 10 or 11 year old Junior Ope Water divers are eligible to earn the Junior Adventure Diver certification, which does not involve a deep dive. Junior Divers must be 12 years old to participate in all dives for Advanced Open Water, with the exception of the Enriched Air Dive.
• What are the depths of the dives for the Advanced class?
  Most of the dives for the Advanced class are 40 feet or less for the most bottom time. The required Deep Dive for the Advanced class has to be greater than 60 feet. Depending on where this dive is conducted, it could range anywhere between 70 to 90 feet.
• Is there any classroom work?
  No, there is no traditional classroom time. When you sign up and pay for the course, you will receive the Adventures in Diving manual, which contains chapters on all required and elective dives in the Advanced Class. There is no need to read the entire manual, just the chapters on the dives you'll be doing. You'll also need to complete the Knowledge Reviews at the end of each of those chapters. These will be discussed and collected right at the dive site.
• What equipment is provided for the course?
  We do not provide any gear for the course, but rentals are available. We ask that rental gear be reserved in advance. We do have a special package price for the Advanced class includes the rental gear.  The standard course fee only includes the course manual, work slate and certification fees. Neither course fee option includes entrance fees to the dive sites (if required).
• Where is the Advanced Class conducted?
  If we dive locally, we usually do the first day of dives at our private quarry near Dousman. The second day is done at either Pearl Lake (near South Beloit, Illinois), or at Redgraite Quarry (near Oshkosh). We also schedule weekend trips to Lake Wazee near Black River Falls, where we conduct various levels of training in a weekend.
• What is the typical schedule for the Advanced class?
  If the class is done locally, we generally try to do three dives the first day and two dives the next. Many of our instructors prefer to start with the Peak Performance Buoyancy dive, to get the students weighted properly, and get them comfortable in the water, especially if they haven't been diving in a while or haven't made any dives in the local area.
• Do all five dives have to be done in one weekend?
  No, you may elect to do only one day's worth of training, and then join another Advanced class at a later date. Just let your Instructor know and they can offer suggestions for completing your Advanced Open Water class.