Advice on TDI Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures training

[uncfnp]

From the standpoint of a perpetual student...

I think the answer to this question mostly depends on you, your skill set and objectives.

First, what are you wanting from this course? If its mostly to improve your dive skills and knowledge base and ultimately safely extend your bottom time just beyond NDL's then most any AN/DP with a quality instructor should work for you. If you are planning to go heavy into tech then I recommend choosing your instructor very carefully and selecting the most strenuous course available to you.

Second, your current skills. Waterpirate is right on. If your skills are spot on and you have the ability and self discipline for independent learning, a shortened course should be adequate.

Only you can decide if this course and instructor meets your individual needs.

 

[Redshift]

The other issue is that some agencies allow some deviation (10%) from the standards and this is up to the instructor. An instructor I know signed off technical cave students that are unable to reach their valves, forget about an actual valve drill.

That's inadmissible! The instructor is basically saying it's ok to go into a cave without redundancy! If the students couldn't reach the valves, even when trying to adjust the position of the cylinders, then they should go to independents.

I have heard that the fact that the instructors could exercise some discretion when passing/failing a student was the reason for the standards being taken away from the website. Apparently some students were being failed even when they were "checking the boxes" and were complaining. Could be just a myth.

To the OP, I also agree with others who have posted here... It will be a fast-paced course. Maybe not much room for practising and improvement, so think of how you are in the water now. With those very few dives in the last >year, how do you think you'll be in the water?

 

[Nasser]

I'm of the belief that you shouldn't rush your technical training (or really any dive training for that matter). The combination of drills and dive skills, the mindset and dive planning involved, and the subsequent task loading in executing these dives should be learnt gradually over several days (or weeks) and several dives. Too fast paced a course does not allow it to sink in properly and build a solid foundation. It doesn't necessarily have to be learnt over several months... but IMHO three days is just too short for AN/DP.

Consider that once you enter the realm of decompression diving and have this "virtual ceiling", you cannot simply call the dive and head straight to the surface. You will need to have the skills and mindset to remain calm and deal with any problems at depth. As such, the margin for error is much "thinner". The drills you learn and practice will eventually have to be ingrained over several dives and become second nature, and your planning skills need to be impeccable. You will obviously not perfect all of this during the duration of a course... it comes over many many dives, but it does start with a strong educational foundation.

Technical diving need not be restricted to the elite few but it should be approached with the full knowledge that you are accepting more risk in doing it and that the adequate time given to education and practice is crucial to your safety and success.

Take your time and try to get a course that is not condensed - if anything, try to get one that offers extra dives or at least the maximum rather than the minimum requirement. You will be all the better for it.

 

[waterpirate]

I hate to even say this, but the mindset in the middle of the east coast is wildly different than a lot of other places. You can blow through the skills and drills as quick as you can, plus the book work. Yet you will get no card. The quality instructors here, regardless of agency want to see you safely execute a wide range of dives in varying conditions, before you get the "gold ring ". Here when you pass the standards for the agency, it is like a GUE provisional, or a cave apprenticeship.
I am sure it is similar a lot of other places, we are not special or unique. We tend not to be a card mill though, when it comes to tech.
YMMV
Eric

 

[tursiops]

I hate to even say this, but the mindset in the middle of the east coast is wildly different than a lot of other places. You can blow through the skills and drills as quick as you can, plus the book work. Yet you will get no card. The quality instructors here, regardless of agency want to see you safely execute a wide range of dives in varying conditions, before you get the "gold ring ". Here when you pass the standards for the agency, it is like a GUE provisional, or a cave apprenticeship.
I am sure it is similar a lot of other places, we are not special or unique. We tend not to be a card mill though, when it comes to tech.
YMMV
Eric

I'm sorry, I can't figure out what you are trying to say. You start by saying your area is different, then end by saying you are sure it is the same elsewhere. ?? And what motivated the "not a card mill" comment?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[waterpirate]

I was trying to not start another east coast diving chest thumping waste of bandwidth.

There are many other tech oriented enclaves with very high standards.

Card mill = Traveling to a vacation destination. Paying a ridiculously low price for 3 days of minimum standards training, then getting turned loose to do as you see fit, safe or not.
Eric

 

[Randy g]

Great advise.

My journey into AN/DP took a dozen dives and almost a year to complete....ymmv

I had a pretty kickazz instructor too.