PADI EAN course

[TeddyDiver]

You should learn how to rescue a toxing diver (discussed in the course).

That would be a realistic scenario only with FFM. Although I know one "suck"sesfull case with regular setup. Happened in Red Sea a couple of years ago, and it wasn't actually meant to be a nitrox dive. The DO just filled EAN40 in an unlabelled tank...

 

[TheHobster]

Hmm.. So why are dives required for trimix? After all, it's just more dive planning, inhale exhale and repeat right? Not so.

The truth to all of this is that you can teach people how to plan a dive, but you also need to be able to verify that they can execute that plan. Don't we teach people to plan the dive and dive the plan? So why only verify just one part of that? I don't hand out c-cards unless my students can verify that they are capable of the certification. Anybody can teach the book and hand out a c-card. But can they verify the student has mastered the material?

Let people teach these dumbed down classes. I want to give my students more than just the book and go above what standards say.

Duane, for once I must disagree with you. Recreational nitrox does not require a dive. We can teach it to an OW student; we can dive it as a dive for another specialty. Plus, how much dive planning are we doing sending them to a 30' quarry? Truth is, most of the "knowledges" of Nitrox class are a just an extension of OW class knowledges; just add PO2 and MOD to the planning.

I know a bit about where you are coming from. I have gotten EANx students from other instructors, and I pray to God that my students remember more than these folks did; and I felt it is my duty to set them straight before class is over. That said however, it would take more than a 4-5 hour class session and a 2 tank set of dives to break all those habits. Additionally, many students will NOT dive locally. For whatever reason, they are salt water or warm water snobs. Telling them they must dive to get certified will send them away. Then they won't have the benefit of your professionalism. And, yes, any time a diver can dive under an instructors supervision is a good thing. So find a way to do the teaching you do at the dive site in the classroom.

You can still go beyond the text material. You still have to have students plan dives; have them bring their computer in and make sure they know how to set the mix; if it has a planning mode, have them plan for depth and time; plan dives on gas that they did on air to see the difference between them; if they are not that experienced, have them work some of your actual dives out on different mixes. Always encourage them to make their first dive with you in an AOW, specialty, boat dive, club dive, whatever. I think you will get more students this way, and still be able to positively impact them.

Being progressive doesn't have to mean crossing over to the dark side.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Heaven forbid, an instructor who requires dives of his students!
This is a DIVING forum, and people are complaining about diving. Geez, get over yourselves.

Are dives for a basic recreational nitrox class absolutely necessary? Probably not...but you just took a diving class, might as well go out and enjoy yourselves.

 

[ianw2]

When the dives were required we were able to do another specialty at the same time because all skills required for the Nitrox dives were done on land. Only time you could do that. Otherwise briefing was basically breathe in breathe out and repeat as necessary. Now go dive.

Laura and I got our PADI Nitrox certs last month. We did the Wreck Diver specialty, too. Our first Nitrox Dives were to the Yukon and the Ruby E in San Diego’s Wreck Alley.

For recreational Nitrox diving, other than staying above the depth limit of the mix, there is no functional "skill" to practice or demonstrate. For Nitrox planning, there a re a number of skills to master and demonstrate, but they are all done above water.

Man…on Sunday, we went down to find out how to get to the Marine Room at La Jolla. It was smooth as glass. We decided that we’ll be able to take off Thursday top dive. We were really looking forward to it! We wake up this morning to find that a really nasty cold front blew through here early this morning. There is a small craft hazardous seas warning out until tomorrow afternoon. The waves are 6 to 10 feet with sets to 12 today and tomorrow. :light:

I think I’m gonna go sit at the bottom of my friends pool for an hour or so.

 

[ianr33]

Lets see.

Trimix meaning decompression meaning strict adherence to run times, depth and redundant equipment and all the associated drills with it. Procedures for gas switching, carrying gas(es) below their MOD and operating at high PPO2s. Contingency planning for loss of one or other type of gas. Much increased risk of tox.

Yeah but you learn all that stuff in advanced Nitrox/Deco class. The dives are the same whether you have air/nitrox or trimix in your tanks.

The dives I did on my Trimix course I had done before using nitrox.

 

[pir8]

Yeah but you learn all that stuff in advanced Nitrox/Deco class. The dives are the same whether you have air/nitrox or trimix in your tanks.

The dives I did on my Trimix course I had done before using nitrox.

Don't know what you did but my trimix dives were to 200ft. I don't want to do that on Nitrox!