Posted by Wayne on June 20, 2001 at 13:52:52:
In Reply to: Re: Kendall's Probationary Card idea posted by Bill Johnson on June 20, 2001 at 11:57:52:
Openwater cert carries a recommended limit of 60fsw, but not a hard limit. They are told to limit themselves to 60 until their training and/or experience make this a normal dive. There is no pre-set formula regarding when you can suddenly dive deeper without supervision.
There are many experienced OW divers who are better able to deal with 125 fsw dives than some AOW divers.
Let's keep straight what you get with an "advanced" certification. You get additional training above the beginning orientation that is the OW course. Having an AOW card does NOT mean you are an advanced diver with superior skills. It just says that you have a bit more training.
As for the Yukon, you are right that a newbie should not be doing penetrations and the like, but if the vis, current, and buddy competency are sufficient, there is plenty of fun that can be safely had on this dive. It is not all deep and has many open areas at reasonable depth. It is easy to navigate back to the line and the lines make safe ascents into no-brainers.
Wayne