Which nitrox course?

[Lead_carrier]

Take whichever course is less expensive. If you're cavern certified then you should know how to maintain enough disipline to know the meaning of MAXIMUM as in MOD. IMHO, requiring 2 checkout dives is just another way to milk a few more dollars out of you.

 

[gj62]

The dives are unimportant, unless you really just want the experience - it certainly wouldn't help you learn the physiological effects any better - those stay the same regardless of whose teaching ;-).

This is one that you can almost do self-study. I'm not recommending it, but I don't think that the instructor brings much to the tables, unless you can't easily grock the info...

 

[itziar]

I'm not sure exactly what course materials the SSI course uses. I assume a book, and possibly tables of some sort.

The SSI nitrox package course includes a book, a combined AIR/32%/36% table and a second table with CNS "clock exposure time" combined with an equivalent depth table for mixtures from 22 to 36%, and an exam sheet.

The dive shop I did my training with had SSI, PADI and TDI courses, and I chose the SSI one precisely because a dive was not required to get the certification, although since the conditions were good and we could get out of the harbour, we did dive with our instructor with nitrox, but this was not compulsary, just recommended. Our instructor actually showed us what all agencies teach in their courses, so it was great to make the comparison. All that is required for SSI is that you pass the exam, are able to plan a dive with different mixtures of nitrox and learn how to analyze your tank. It is pretty basic.

-- Itziar

 

[mech]

A friend of mine and I both recently took the nitrox class.
He took the PADI course and I took the SSI course.
I know both of the instructors and they are more than qualified.
That being said our classes were very different.
I bought my study kit 3 weeks prior to the class because I had some out of town stuff scheduled and wanted the read.
In my class there was only one other guy and he also had the books for a few weeks so we knew the material.
We breezed through the chapters and then filled and tested some bottles that the shop needed filling. I really appreciated that part. After that we took our test and were done.
The class took about 4 hours and the instructor told us not to trip on the time because he would spend as much time as we needed to learn this even if it took a few days.
The class cost about $95. and I think another $50 if we wanted to do water work.
My friend Cameron's PADI class took 2 full evenings,2 half days diving and cost $150.
His class had 6 students in it.
He wasn't offered the chance to fill bottles but he did do testing/labeling.
Cameron is a good friend and after we critiqued our classes he thought I got the better education due to me being able to have the material earlier,class size and mainly because I got to do some (different) fills.
I don't think the agency is as important as the instructor.
mech

 

[gj62]

A friend of mine and I both recently took the nitrox class.
He took the PADI course and I took the SSI course.
I know both of the instructors and they are more than qualified.
That being said our classes were very different.
I bought my study kit 3 weeks prior to the class because I had some out of town stuff scheduled and wanted the read.
In my class there was only one other guy and he also had the books for a few weeks so we knew the material.
We breezed through the chapters and then filled and tested some bottles that the shop needed filling. I really appreciated that part. After that we took our test and were done.
The class took about 4 hours and the instructor told us not to trip on the time because he would spend as much time as we needed to learn this even if it took a few days.
The class cost about $95. and I think another $50 if we wanted to do water work.
My friend Cameron's PADI class took 2 full evenings,2 half days diving and cost $150.
His class had 6 students in it.
He wasn't offered the chance to fill bottles but he did do testing/labeling.
Cameron is a good friend and after we critiqued our classes he thought I got the better education due to me being able to have the material earlier,class size and mainly because I got to do some (different) fills.
I don't think the agency is as important as the instructor.
mech

Yes, PADI now requires the dives, but the class time is the same (at least according to the standards). You're right about the instructor making the difference.

Filling tanks is definitely not in either course, but testing the fills are. I have no idea why your friend's class took 2 full evenings - maybe it was 2 hrs for 2 evenings? He should also have been able to purchase the materials ahead of time, and fill out the knowledge reviews - again, that is not something that either agency requires or prevents.

 

[SCUBAgator]

TDI and SSI state the dives are optional... i would consider SSI's academic materials comprable to PADI's. TDI's academic course seemed a tad easier than TDI and SSI's. PADI and NAUI require dives, and NAUI seems to have the most challenging of the EAN courses...

 

[mania]

It seems all depends on the LDS. I did my nitrox with SSI but also IANTD because my instructor belongs to both. IANTD was much more detailed and advanced than SSI. But I had 2 dives as a part of the course without extra payment.
So as always it all goes back to the instructor.
Mania

 

[Tom R]

I would go with the instuctor with the most working knowledge, regardless of the price or extra dive check outs. Some instructors will only teach the bare essentials and by the min course standard, where others that really believe in and love to teach will give you that little "extra". Nitrox is now taught by all major agencies, so do not look at the agency but rather at the instructor.

 

[Lead_carrier]

I would go with the instuctor with the most working knowledge, regardless of the price or extra dive check outs. Some instructors will only teach the bare essentials and by the min course standard, where others that really believe in and love to teach will give you that little "extra". Nitrox is now taught by all major agencies, so do not look at the agency but rather at the instructor.

This is a great suggestion Tom, but how do you know which instructor would have the most working knowledge? For example, the first nitrox course I taught, I had an instructor sitting in and was asking more questions than the class. He had been teaching for a number of years but I had been in equipment maintenance and blending for a couple years. So we were each ahead of the other in our own ways.

 

[Tom R]

In every area where we all dive, the people around know, it's a research kind of thing. Local divers are sometimes a great source of information, unless they are "out of favor" with an instructor. Also this board has a lot of local area "clubs" just ask the question there. I took a course once with an instructor on it and it was a very enlighting experience. This would fall under the min standards and teaching that way, and they could represent agency unfortunatly.