Should I do Padi Deep before TDI deco & Adv Nitrox

[alexxred]

Hi All,

I'd like your thoughts on the next step in my training.

I have completed enough dive on doubles to feel more than confident to do the PADI deep course. This has been recommended to me by my dive instructor as a good progression step to TDI deco and ADV Nitrox.

First my instructor is excellent, and a highly experience tech diver. Not just someone trying to milk me for money. He would spend a lot of extra time on theory and gas planning etc.

Without doubt the deep course would open up a lot of excellent dives in my area, and give me the opportunity to get more experience deeper than AOW.

However I can't help but wonder if it really is necessary. Especially if I prepare, do plenty of 30m dives, work on my drills etc.

Any thoughts?

 

[battles2a5]

Honestly, I would not recommend the PADI deep course. Why mess with it when the TDI course will teach you the RIGHT way to dive deep. The Padi course will explain the effects of narcosis, some very basic gas planning, deep diving considerations, etc. Your instructor may show you some parlor tricks with a pop bottle or to show how colors fade with depth. On the other hand, the TDI courses will teach you detailed gas planning, detailed dive planning, more advanced nitrox techniques, equipment redundancy (hell you are already in doubles), etc. Plus you get the benefit of spending some time at depth instead of 8 mins at 130. Max depth for the tdi courses is only 20 feet more but you can stay there

I've taken Deep and I have my TDI checkouts this weekend. Skip the deep cert and go with TDI.

 

[diver12345]

In my opinion any speciality class offered by PADI is a waste of money and time. Why? Because all you are really paying for is an instructor to baby sit you while you get more diving experience. I am assuming that you are AOW so how does getting a Deep speciality open up deeper dives? You are certified to 130ft right. Anything deeper is now tec diving. You can go out with a trusted friend and get experience diving deep. Now gas planning is important especially when you start going deeper. However these things should be covered in great depth as well as deco theory in a deco class. Also any class that takes you deeper than about 100 ft or into deco without helium in your mix is just wrong. The last thing you want is to be narked,at depth,and have a problem. You want a clear head to solve any problem that may arise. Avoid deep air at all cost! I know it has been done for many years,but times change and evolve. The risk is not worth it! Your instructor maybe excellent, but how many different ones have you had? Things like rock bottom and lost deco procedures are things of importence. Not just for you but your buddy as well. You are a team and that means all the way to the bottom and back to the shore or boat or bar. Make sure you can do valve drills quickly. Also I hope you are diving a long hose. Makes sharing air when you may have to swim to the up line or out of a wreck to get to your first gas switch much easier. These are just some things to consider.

 

[nereas]

Hi All,

I'd like your thoughts on the next step in my training.

I have completed enough dive on doubles to feel more than confident to do the PADI deep course. This has been recommended to me by my dive instructor as a good progression step to TDI deco and ADV Nitrox...

Any thoughts?

This is what they call Putting Another Dollar In.

...

First my instructor is excellent, and a highly experience tech diver. Not just someone trying to milk me for money. ...

Not so far!

...Without doubt the deep course would open up a lot of excellent dives in my area, and give me the opportunity to get more experience deeper than AOW.

However I can't help but wonder if it really is necessary. ...

Good point. So what was the question then?

 

[nereas]

In my opinion any speciality class offered by PADI is a waste of money and time. ...

True-er words have never ... .

 

[texdiveguy]

I might skip the deep class specialty (thought nothing wrong with taking it with a good instructor--I did and enjoyed it--learning little though).. the TDI courses are good...assuming your selected instructor is good and has real world experience.

 

[alexxred]

Thanks for the all the replies

I appreciate all the points that are being made. I too have the same feelings (esp regarding putting another dollar in) and would appreciate if people could put in some more input considering the following:

1. I don't dive on deep air. While I'm only nitrox qualified, I could still use nitrox mix to 39m, say EAN 26 (my rough guess??)

2. From an personal cost perspective the deep course would open up a HEAP of dive sites for me in my area, allowing me to build up experience. Sure in the long run, it may cost me a bit more but I believe in doing my apprenticeship, and don't want to rush into things.

3. I've know a lot of instructors, and this guy is really good. He makes all courses hard, and comprehensive (more than required). He has said that I could go onto deco procedures if I wanted to.

He never pushed my hard into PADI deep or tried to sell me split fins and snorkel just suggested it would make a good stepping stone, and that he would provide me with a lot of extra training and theory; specifically for me diving on doubles.

Still I'd be interested to hear peoples views.

Thanks again

Alex

 

[Meng_Tze]

In my opinion any speciality class offered by PADI is a waste of money and time. Why? Because all you are really paying for is an instructor to baby sit you while you get more diving experience.

Agreed, get a proper class that teaches diving deeper properly. This means gas management, decompression, planning etc, etc. A 'specialty' is just not cutting it.

Now gas planning is important especially when you start going deeper. However these things should be covered in great depth as well as deco theory in a deco class. Also any class that takes you deeper than about 100 ft or into deco without helium in your mix is just wrong.

Gas planning yes. The He statements are both wrong, especially the one about He and deco. Doing a deco dive properly does not mean having/requiring He in your mix.

 

[ianr33]

Do you have any mentors in your area that you dive with?

If you do not feel ready to do the TDI course you can still do some decent dives with your currrent certifications. Your depth limit is 130. Nitrox 28 is OK at that depth and has an NDL of around 15 minutes. If you stick to 100 feet on 32% then the NDL is around 30 minutes. Diving Al doubles with a reasonable SAC rate of 0.6 you will have at least 1500 psi of gas left at the end of your bottom time which is plenty to do a slow ascent and long safety stops,even if you had to share air with a buddy.

If the above makes sense,and if you really are comfortable in doubles (can do valve shutdowns) and if you have somebody to dive with then I dont see what you would learn in the PADI course.

 

[battles2a5]

Yep, the TDI class does up to 150 on air/nitrox. TDI extended range is 180 on air. To the OP, diving a light nitrox mix on 25 or 26% is not going to help you with narcosis (O2 is thought to be narcotic anyway) it would only buy you a tiny bit more no stop BT. But since it is decompression procedures, that's not much of an issue anymore. If you are concerned about diving deep on air, then TDI is not for you. NAUI and GUE both introduce He in the "tech 1" class. I don't think they dive a END (equivilant narcotic depth, meaning N2 and O2) of more than 100fsw. I may be wrong on the details.

In terms of the deep class opening up more dive spots, I don't think that is the case unless the PADI police are out there checking c-cards. Find a buddy that has experience at those spots. Go dive them. Or slowly push your comfort zone over a succession of dives to gain experience at deeper depths.