Training System: PADI vs. TDI

[flots am]

My goal is to be able to responsibly, safely, and skillfully penetrate wrecks between 130 feet and 200 feet in tropical waters.

Just a FWIW.

While training can make the diver safer, there's no part about a 130' - 200' penetration dive that can ever be considered "safe."

 

[CamG]

Greetings Mike I would suggest that you look into taking Adv. Nitrox / Deco. and meet both instructors.
Don't just talk with them but ask to review the training materials, ask questions about skill sets, gear requirements, and cost breakdowns an training, training dives, and check out dives.
These will help you to determine a better fit for your dive goals.

When I did the same interview process I chose TDI because the instructor was just as anal and OCD as I am.
He taught me so much more than what the class requirements covered!
I feel confident heading into Tri Mix having trained with this instructor.

Good luck and safe training.

CamG

 

[Michael Guerrero]

When was the last time you ever had a full mix/cave diver say that about a brand new PADI diver?

My first dive with one of my dive buddies on my 30th dive. I think I had taken PADI rescue at that point but not Nitrox . I'm not entirely sure though. And to be fair, my OW was through SSI--not sure that really helped me though.

And really, who cares. Just because you're in trim and can accomplish a reef dive using a frog kick doesn't make you a good diver. A good diver is someone who can think on their feet (so to speak), and has the experience to avoid problems, stay calm, and solve unavoidable problems in stressful situations.

I've met some great GUE divers. And I've met a few who could trim out and do a deco stop, but didn't really know much about diving.

I applaud GUE for putting an emphasis on certain important skills, but in my opinion the prices are kind of ridiculous and being a good diver means a certain dedication to learning on your own outside the classroom and training environment as well as striving to constantly improve.

Mike

 

[boulderjohn]

Perfect example was last month I did a dive with an out of town full mix/full cave diver and a GUE Rec 1 diver (maybe 20 dives under her belt), we dove as a team on some shallow reefs. Afterward when talking to the mix guy he asked why we did not use scooters (which we have plenty of). I explained that our other member was a brand new diver, he was shocked, thought she had been diving for years. What is that worth? When was the last time you ever had a full mix/cave diver say that about a brand new PADI diver?

I was diving in Akumal in October with two old friends. The boat trips were short, so the dive day was set up as a series of one tank dives. We did a morning dive with a DM we had not seen before, and when the dive was over, the DM came to the 3 of us and said that we were the only ones signed up for the afternoon dive, and he wanted to know if it was OK if he took us to a more challenging site, one more befitting our experience. We said sure. Just before we left, though, another couple signed up, and it turned out they did not have the skills needed to do that site properly. (It included complicated swim throughs and coral canyons requiring expert buoyancy control.) We ended up skipping a lot of the best parts and just swimming around the reef.

When the dive was over, the DM apologized to us, saying he had no choice because that couple did not have the vast experience the 3 of us did. He was quite surprised to learn that my two friends had just completed their OW checkout dives the day before, and he had witnessed their first 2 dives as certified divers.

That was PADI. What was your point?

 

[jadairiii]

...What was your point?

My point is that this poster has a goal of doing extended range diving and wreck penetration. My suggestion was that rather than take a laundry list of courses (some of which seem a bit dubious) he should consider a GUE fundamentals course with a tech pass.

With GUE he will have the benefit of learning from instructors that have participated on the Britannic expedition, USS Atlanta expedition, deep wrecks throughout Europe and the US, not to mention the experience gained from diving with the WKPP and Project Baseline. Add to that the value of having some of the top decompression experts in the world diving with GUE/WKPP. Also, GUE instructors are required to actually dive beyond just teaching and recertified every so many years.

Value vs price. That was my only point.

 

[boulderjohn]

My point is that this poster has a goal of doing extended range diving and wreck penetration. My suggestion was that rather than take a laundry list of courses (some of which seem a bit dubious) he should consider a GUE fundamentals course with a tech pass.

With GUE he will have the benefit of learning from instructors that have participated on the Britannic expedition, USS Atlanta expedition, deep wrecks throughout Europe and the US, not to mention the experience gained from diving with the WKPP and Project Baseline. Add to that the value of having some of the top decompression experts in the world diving with GUE/WKPP. Also, GUE instructors are required to actually dive beyond just teaching and recertified every so many years.

Value vs price. That was my only point.

Got you. None of the other agencies have any instructors who have ever done any real diving. None of the instructors from other agencies have any skills that can help a diver. Is that what you are saying?

By the way, as to your attack on PADI in comparison.....

The home of GUE is Extreme Exposure in High Springs, Florida. They use PADI for almost all of their recreational instruction. Go a little farther south to Pompano Beach, and you will find Pompano Dive Center, a GUE Instructor Training Center. They, too, use PADI for their recreational instruction.

 

[jadairiii]

Got you. None of the other agencies have any instructors who have ever done any real diving. None of the instructors from other agencies have any skills that can help a diver. Is that what you are saying?

By the way, as to your attack on PADI in comparison.....

The home of GUE is Extreme Exposure in High Springs, Florida. They use PADI for almost all of their recreational instruction. Go a little farther south to Pompano Beach, and you will find Pompano Dive Center, a GUE Instructor Training Center. They, too, use PADI for their recreational instruction.

Please re-read my post or any of my posts, I have stated nothing negative regarding any TECHNICAL training agency or instructor. I have merely added a third choice in the matter.

Walk into EE/PDC and ask about the type of training the OP is inquiring about and I would be surprised if they pointed him in the direction of PADI Rec/Tech or TDI. We are not discussing recreational instruction, the poster is asking about TECHNICAL instruction.

As for accomplishments (again if you should care to re-read my post) I did not state that any of the other organizations did or did not have listed accomplishments, but merely stated just a few of GUE’s.

Rather than trying to point out my bias or pick apart my posts, why not give the OP your opinions on good tech instruction or instructors, list their accomplishments. Attacking me does him no good.

 

[abnfrog]

bottom line its ALL about the instructor NOT what letters are behind his or her name ......................good is good bad is bad , but try to find one with more dives than posts , that might be a step in the right direction ......

 

[PfcAJ]

bottom line its ALL about the instructor NOT what letters are behind his or her name ......................good is good bad is bad , but try to find one with more dives than posts , that might be a step in the right direction ......

Unless the agency's standards don't reflect your own

 

[boulderjohn]

but try to find one with more dives than posts , that might be a step in the right direction ......

You read that comment a lot.

An active Internet use can post 20-30 times in a day easily. A weekend could easily get 40 posts. How long would it take to do that many dives?

There are people with thousands of dives and tens of thousands of posts. Are you saying that someone with 100 dives and 50 posts is better?