[Mr T.]

Whilst in Maldives last July, there was a Jock/Yank undergoing his PADI AOW course; part of which is the requirement to do a 'deep' dive to 30 metres.

He was a good lad, CFO for a section of the largest global drinks manufacturer, and came bounding off the Dhoni happy as a pig in when he'd been out to the complete the deep section of the course.

Chatting to him about this over a beer in the bar later, he let slip that he'd been on a 32% mix to do his deep dive!! (it was actually 33.2%, as I checked the 60 bar he had left in his 80-ally tin later with my Analaox unit).

Now unless training has changed in the years since I did my AOW, one of the key points of taking students down to 30m is to show them the effects and affects of narcosis on one's ability to undertake tasks, reason, remain calm and RECOGNISE the on-set of the condition so as to take preventitive measures to either counter or correct them!?

His dive, as I understand it, achieved none of the above (he actually managed to complete the repeat tasks at depth on mix quicker than when he'd done them at the surface!) and in no way allowed him to recognise the on-set of narcosis.

Has PADI changed the purpose and methodology of it AOW course, as I think giving students a 32 mix off the bat to complete the deep section of the course is both counter-productive and, in a way, 'cheating'?!