Recommendations for budget trimix (OC) training in Caribbean

[ScubaSamScubaStevesFather]

Hello I am from east coast US with TDI Extended Range certified from Roatan, Honduras, and I’m looking for recommendations on where I can get quality trimix training (TDI preferred but I’m agency agnostic) for a lower cost.

For example, I received great AN/DP/ER TDI training in Roatan for a very good price ($1500 for 2 weeks everything including gear, gas, and generous tip). I’m hoping to find something similar in the Caribbean but Roatan/Utila prices are as high as here on the east coast ($1500 for trimix, gas not included).

FYI: no I can’t do rebreather unfortunately even though that is the most sensible and economical option long term; I simply won’t be able to dive it enough every year to mitigate the safety risks (I’m a relatively risk averse diver).

Thanks!

 

[J-Vo]

$1500 + GAS is a low price for TRIMIX in most areas. I would wonder why the instructor does not value themselves more.

This is not a class you want to go cheap on.

Edit: grammer

 

[Searcaigh]

Budget and Trimix do not usually go together.

Better get that valve shutdown done quickly when it comes to the free flow exercise at 50m.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I charged 1500 for 5 days of AN/DP and that included no gear, entry fees, or gas, That was tuition and classroom materials only. That instructor is devaluing the training and themselves.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Diving OC Trimix is not cheap. Due to the increased risks, the training also should not be. The words Trimix & budget simply don’t belong in the same sentence.

 

[LFMarm]

Hello I am from east coast US with TDI Extended Range certified from Roatan, Honduras, and I’m looking for recommendations on where I can get quality trimix training (TDI preferred but I’m agency agnostic) for a lower cost.

For example, I received great AN/DP/ER TDI training in Roatan for a very good price ($1500 for 2 weeks everything including gear, gas, and generous tip). I’m hoping to find something similar in the Caribbean but Roatan/Utila prices are as high as here on the east coast ($1500 for trimix, gas not included).

FYI: no I can’t do rebreather unfortunately even though that is the most sensible and economical option long term; I simply won’t be able to dive it enough every year to mitigate the safety risks (I’m a relatively risk averse diver).

Thanks!

If you are discarding CC because of not diving enough to keep it fresh, I would strongly advise against OC trimix as well. Being OC doesn’t make it easier not less risky. You use trimix for serious dives where you should be comfortable of your skills and reflexes. If you are unable to practice more and you are rightly conservative on safety, I would rather do less difficult dives. With AN/DP and helitrox (ie 21/35), you can still do amazing dives with good bottom time, just shallower than 45m which is deeper than 90% of divers would ever go to in any case.

 

[GF99/99]

$1500 + GAS is a low price for TRIMIX in most areas. I would wonder why the instructor does not value themselves more.

This is not a class you want to go cheap on.

Edit: grammer

Hello I am from east coast US with TDI Extended Range certified from Roatan, Honduras, and I’m looking for recommendations on where I can get quality trimix training (TDI preferred but I’m agency agnostic) for a lower cost.

For example, I received great AN/DP/ER TDI training in Roatan for a very good price ($1500 for 2 weeks everything including gear, gas, and generous tip). I’m hoping to find something similar in the Caribbean but Roatan/Utila prices are as high as here on the east coast ($1500 for trimix, gas not included).

FYI: no I can’t do rebreather unfortunately even though that is the most sensible and economical option long term; I simply won’t be able to dive it enough every year to mitigate the safety risks (I’m a relatively risk averse diver).

Thanks!

@J-Vo has a very very very good point. When your looking for more advanced course like Trimix/Adv. Trimix, cave, CCR, etc. you should be picking the course based on the instructors reputation. Price should not really be a factor. Any good instructor is going to charge between $200-$300 per day no including consumables.

What you are paying for is the instructors knowledge and experiences that are not in the XYZ organizations manual. This is what makes you a better diver and could possible save your life some day.

At those levels of diving its more about what and how much you can learn and not so much about the cert card.

I remember years ago my good friend Will Goodman was teaching me a course and he told me: anyone can drop down and follow there computers deco schedule up, but not anyone can surface safely when they have multiple problems/failures. This course is an underwater survival course, at this level I know you can dive and do all the book skills so this course is about teaching you to problem solve for your self or your buddy so you can safely surface when the sh!t really hits the fan.

 

[ScubaSamScubaStevesFather]

If you are discarding CC because of not diving enough to keep it fresh, I would strongly advise against OC trimix as well. Being OC doesn’t make it easier not less risky. You use trimix for serious dives where you should be comfortable of your skills and reflexes. If you are unable to practice more and you are rightly conservative on safety, I would rather do less difficult dives. With AN/DP and helitrox (ie 21/35), you can still do amazing dives with good bottom time, just shallower than 45m which is deeper than 90% of divers would ever go to in any case.

Appreciate the response . I can see your argument for hypoxic trimix (adv trimix), however normoxic trimix would make my dives safer simply by reducing narcosis by using helium, while extending my range by 20 feet (remember I’m already er certified which is air to 180). Helitrox would provide the same as normoxic Trimix but just at limited depths. make sense, or am I missing something special about helitrox?

 

[ScubaSamScubaStevesFather]

@J-Vo has a very very very good point. When your looking for more advanced course like Trimix/Adv. Trimix, cave, CCR, etc. you should be picking the course based on the instructors reputation. Price should not really be a factor. Any good instructor is going to charge between $200-$300 per day no including consumables.

What you are paying for is the instructors knowledge and experiences that are not in the XYZ organizations manual. This is what makes you a better diver and could possible save your life some day.

At those levels of diving its more about what and how much you can learn and not so much about the cert card.

I remember years ago my good friend Will Goodman was teaching me a course and he told me: anyone can drop down and follow there computers deco schedule up, but not anyone can surface safely when they have multiple problems/failures. This course is an underwater survival course, at this level I know you can dive and do all the book skills so this course is about teaching you to problem solve for your self or your buddy so you can safely surface when the sh!t really hits the fan.

thx for the response. Any advice on how I can find better than average instructors? I feel like google maps reviews isn’t a great method

reddit/ Scubaboard?

 

[LFMarm]

Appreciate the response . I can see your argument for hypoxic trimix (adv trimix), however normoxic trimix would make my dives safer simply by reducing narcosis by using helium, while extending my range by 20 feet (remember I’m already er certified which is air to 180). Helitrox would provide the same as normoxic Trimix but just at limited depths. make sense, or am I missing something special about helitrox?

That’s it. Helitrox allows He<35% and max depth of 45m, normoxic trimix is unlimited He and max depth of 60m (they can vary depending on agency) — both with min O2 of 21%. Based on your requirements, I think helitrox would make sense. With normoxic you will definitely go into longer deco