The More Advanced Course is the second one I took along with my dive buddy Josh.  We started together and still dive once in awhile. He continued into the Dive Master program and I went into the technical end of diving. I am not sure about the others in our class. However, we never see them at any of the main dive sites.

 Before we take off on the Advance Open Water we should talk about dive insurance.  There are several of them. I have DAN. You can find out more about dive insurance from the dive shops or  in the dive magazines which are the other important sources of information. Read the magazines that your dive shop has on display or order them for yourself. They provide a lot of information on diving safety.

The Advance Open Water is exciting to me. I would learn to navigate and get to go a little deeper than I had dived before. We were able to learn more about Nitrogen Narcosis. You remember that from the open water class. That affects you the deeper you go on air. Some divers feel the effects at shallower depths. However, at about 100 feet you can tell if you are being affected by narcosis. Just try doing a math problem or opening a lock at that depth is a task.
 

Some get uncomfortable and others feel great and just disregard safety and think 100 feet is great so let’s go to 150 feet. I have felt the effects of Nitrogen Narcosis. I thought that I had never had Narcosis until at 120 feet diving on a wreck in Canada. The dive was going well when all of a sudden I knew that I needed to get out of there. I was somewhat uncomfortable and I told my dive buddy that I wanted to slowly go to up to 100 feet where we stopped for a minute and then on up to seventy feet where we stopped again. There I was fine. The feeling drifted away. We continued the dive, ascending do the rest of our safety stops during the ascent. I have never felt that almost panic feeling again. I am sure glad that I haven’t.

 The advance open Water will provide some training in navigation and search patterns as well.  After that you should start taking other classes such as, Deep diver, Altitude diver, Boat diver, Drift diver, enriched air and Night diver. There are many more specialties courses out there, all of which enhance your diving experience. The more you dive the more you want to dive.  Experience is the key and the more you have the better it is. Some dives require that you be an advance diver.

 I love diving in Canada on wrecks. But first I had to be certified as a wreck diver.  Nanaimo, B.C., has several wrecks and all are great dives. You can find the dives on the net with all the information about them, and the experience levels you need to take part in them. My dive buddies and I have dived on the wrecks many times and still find them to be great experiences. Once you have completed the Wreck Diving Course and the enriched air courses you are a go. As you may be able to tell this is my favorite dive. I love the wall dives as well. There is so much life on the wall and the colors are stunning. Snake Island which is right at the wreck dives is always on the dive schedule.

 We also like the boat that we charter while there. Ken Adrian, the Captain of Divers Choice Charters, has become a friend to all who dive from his boat.  His wife Carol dishes up the hospitality and is first mate. Never a dull moment when we go aboard.

The advance open water is your real start to the adventure that awaits you. Experience, training and the right equipment, will make your diving a joy.  So drop what you are doing and head on down to the nearest dive shop and sign up for the next class. There is always room for one more good diver who will learn to enjoy the deep.  See you there!

©  02-16-2005