Nitrox class question

[PhilD]

cornfed once bubbled...
Many classes seem designed to sell you the next level ("don't feel comfortable? We have and Advance class starting next week..."). My opinion is not just based on anecdotal evidence on this board but is borne out by my personal experience. But I digress...

That does seem to be the general trend with much of the training. However, on my ANDI CSU course no attempt whatsoever was made to sell me on further training. In fact, I was discouraged and told that if I wanted to move to the next level I would have to go ask the instructor and he would sit down and discuss it with me before I made a decision.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

PhilD once bubbled...


That does seem to be the general trend with much of the training. However, on my ANDI CSU course no attempt whatsoever was made to sell me on further training. In fact, I was discouraged and told that if I wanted to move to the next level I would have to go ask the instructor and he would sit down and discuss it with me before I made a decision.

Thats a switch.

It takes about a dozen dives on scuba before someone is competent in the basics of buoyancy, equipment, navigation, and buddy procedures. A dozen dives diving every weekend is 6 weeks of dive training. One LA or Florida County class, or two NAUI classes, or 6 PADI classes would be a good general rule as a minimum.

I wonder how long the ANDI course was, by comparison?

 

[cornfed]

PhilD once bubbled...

That does seem to be the general trend with much of the training. However, on my ANDI CSU course no attempt whatsoever was made to sell me on further training. In fact, I was discouraged and told that if I wanted to move to the next level I would have to go ask the instructor and he would sit down and discuss it with me before I made a decision.

I'm not all that familiar with ANDI but isn't the next level after CSU equivalent to IANTD's "Technical Diver" course? I would hope that your instructor would want to talk with prospective students and wouldn't let anyone off the street sign up. I was talking about the common recreational (OW, AOW, Rescue) progression.

 

[cornfed]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...


Thats a switch.

It takes about a dozen dives on scuba before someone is competent in the basics of buoyancy, equipment, navigation, and buddy procedures. A dozen dives diving every weekend is 6 weeks of dive training. One LA or Florida County class, or two NAUI classes, or 6 PADI classes would be a good general rule as a minimum.

I wonder how long the ANDI course was, by comparison?

The course Phil's talking about isn't a basic Nitrox course. Comparing it to one is rather silly.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

cornfed once bubbled...


The course Phil's talking about isn't a basic Nitrox course. Comparing it to one is rather silly.

<deleted>

The topic is training that promotes more training.

Why dont you let him speak for himself?

I dont know who else is interested in your ad hominems besides yourself.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

cornfed once bubbled...
I was talking about the common recreational (OW, AOW, Rescue) progression.

... as were we all. How silly huh?

 

[PhilD]

Karl, the course was over 8 hours of classroom and two dives.

Cornfed, yes the next ANDI course is Technical SafeAir Diver, which covers stage stop required, decompression diving to 165'. I'm not sure what that is equivalent to though.

I had a choice of doing the LSU (EAN32 or EAN36 only) or CSU (up to EAN50) courses. After speaking to the instructor at some length, he recommended the CSU course and I would have only ended up doing it at some point anyway.

I'm a newly qualified diver and did the CSU course at the same time as my OW, I actually dived Nitrox on two of my OW qual dives, as they were also my CSU qual dives. I'm sure some may say this was too soon, but I was sold on Nitrox and wanted to get qualified asap and the instructor was comfortable with me doing it this way, although he sometimes will make students wait, or do the LSU course first.

For me the CSU was my "basic" Nitrox course, and part of my "recreational progression", and was followed shortly by AOW. While on the subject of AOW, I found the CSU course to be very in depth, useful and infortmative and my diving knowledge increased considerably. Whereas the elements of my AOW (SSI), deep diving, boat diving, navigation, computer, where very basic and while I did learn something, most of it appeared to be common sense. If the Nitrox training I received would have been at the same level, I would definitely say it would have been too basic for what certainly appears to be a complicated and detailed subject.

 

[cornfed]

PhilD once bubbled...

For me the CSU was my "basic" Nitrox course, and part of my "recreational progression", and was followed shortly by AOW.

That may be true, but it's really doesn't compare to the "standard" basic EAN class that we've been talking about. It sounds like a great course but isn't a good comparison here.

While on the subject of AOW, I found the CSU course to be very in depth, useful and infortmative and my diving knowledge increased considerably. Whereas the elements of my AOW (SSI), deep diving, boat diving, navigation, computer, where very basic and while I did learn something, most of it appeared to be common sense.

LOL, pretty much sums up my SSI AOW class. The card gets me on the boat, but that's about all it's good for.

 

[PhilD]

cornfed once bubbled...
That may be true, but it's really doesn't compare to the "standard" basic EAN class that we've been talking about. It sounds like a great course but isn't a good comparison here.

Okay, point taken. I don't know what they teach on a "basic" Nitrox course, and assumed that all Nitrox training was of a high level.

 

[DIR]

DIR and GUE have the only high level of training in SCUBA..