Wreck (external) vs Deep Specialty with/following AOW

[feldomatic]

What are your eventual goals?

Deep is...a good one to have and essential if you plan on pushing your diving past the tropical vacation diver model.

My goals are effectively the opposite of the tropical vacation diver. I actually got into diving with the intent to do deep cold and full penetration wreck/cave dives.

Asking my instructor proved fruitless, those three are his favorites, but I know he's not into tech stuff. So I'll move from obi wan to Yoda when it's time for wreck training.

I did just finish a tethered harbor cleanup dive today which was basically a full silt out. The experience was a pretty good indicator that I should do night/limited vis. It was a good time but I definitely want to develop more confidence swimming in stuff I can't see through.

 

[formernuke]

If you want to get into tech don't bother with deep and wreck. The stuff for each will be covered in your AN/DP and then if you decide to do advanced wreck to penetrate the wrecks.

Save up and get the drysuit take that one.

I thought about doing deep but decided to do AN/DP instead. Note you will need to get your bouyancy and skills down pat first.

 

[formernuke]

Forgot to add for that goal definitely do night.

 

[Wibble]

My goals are effectively the opposite of the tropical vacation diver. I actually got into diving with the intent to do deep cold and full penetration wreck/cave dives.

You’re not the only one who sees that in your future. That road is a tough one with lots of work to get there.

Asking my instructor proved fruitless, those three are his favorites, but I know he's not into tech stuff.

This is quite common in the recreational world. The truth is that the majority of recreational instructors know very little about technical diving and even fewer actively and regularly do technical dives.

You need to find a technical instructor you can get along with for a long term relationship. Their agency is less important as, within reason, all technical courses are very similar.

A good technical instructor would regularly dive for fun and rarely in quarries/lakes (Great Lakes excepted). They will have a lot of experience well beyond recreational levels: deep with trimix well over 60m/200ft, long decompression durations (e.g. two plus hours) and probably mine/cave diving too, all in a wide range of environments around the world. They’d have racked up hundreds of (non-teaching) technical dives with hundreds of hours spent at decompression. They will dive on a rebreather and probably be qualified to teach on more than one type.

In other words, someone who walks the walk, not talks the talk.


For your future you need to get through your introductory level diving. If PADI this means Rescue Diver is their best course and the last recreational course to complete.

You must have excellent core skills — trim (horizontal), finning (frog kick, helicopter turns, back finning) and superb buoyancy. Master those and everything else is easy. People mention GUE Fundamentals (Fundies) at this point. Do look into it.

Your future diving equipment will include doubles or sidemount because redundant gas is mandatory where you’re heading. Fundies will teach you how to use doubles, alternatively there’s Intro To Tech or similar courses.

Then, once you’re stable and competent at shutdowns, ANDP (Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures) will move you beyond no-deco limits. 60 minutes at 30m/100ft plus 30ish mins at deco on a rich nitrox gas.

Thereafter who knows. Probably a rebreather as helium is so expensive.

The above takes time to skill up. A couple or three years isn’t uncommon. Longer if you need the time; it’s not a sprint, it’s more like a marathon. And it’s a lot of fun.

 

[BoltSnap]

All this talk about doing Tech diving or getting ready for it is the worst BS I see and read all of the time on SB in my almost 40 years of being an instructor. It is too early and ridiculous at this point of the OP's diving journey. This is typical nonsense I have been seeing since it became fashionable to be a "techie" diver since the mid 90's. The OP has no experience or training to speak of at this point of his diving career yet he is being pushed, and shamed, into getting into technical diving. The folks who are technical divers here feel compelled to talk others into technical diving even when aren't even remotely qualified or know what it is all about just because these techies need to push others into tech. diving. Not only that but also attacking recreational instructors and taking away from their credibility and qualification as instructors. Pure BS.

My advice to the OP, go diving get more experience, take training one step at the time, enjoy diving and move slowly and NEVER succumb to peer pressure here on SB. You seem to have a very good instructor, talk with him and set a training plan for your immediate goals. Be comfortable diving and enjoy recreational diving and be good at it. Enjoy the trip every step of the way to the destination.

 

[Wibble]

In your opinion.

All this talk about doing Tech diving or getting ready for it is the worst BS I see and read all of the time in my almost 40 years of being an instructor. It is too early and ridiculous at this point of the OP's journey. This is typical nonsense I have been seeing since it became fashionable to be a "techie" diver since the mid 90's. The OP has no experience or training to speak of at this point of his diving career yet he is being pushed, and shamed, into getting into technical diving. The folks who are technical divers here feel compelled to talk others into technical diving even when aren't even remotely qualified or know what it is all about just because these techies need to push others into tech. diving. Not only that but also attacking recreational instructors and taking away from their credibility and qualification as instructors. Pure BS.

My advice to the OP, go diving get more experience, take training one step at the time, enjoy diving and move slowly and NEVER succumb to peer pressure here on SB. You seem to have a very good instructor, talk with him and set a training plan for your immediate plans. Be comfortable diving and enjoy recreational diving and be good at it. Enjoy the trip to the destination.

Not everyone sees their future restricted to recreational diving.

There is nothing wrong in discussing one possible future over another. Diving is full of possibilities setting one’s targets high isn’t a sin. Having great core skills makes you a much better diver regardless of the style of diving. Similarly moving to a backplate+wing+longhose early makes no difference to a decent instructor.

Being exposed to great skills from the outset would be better for everyone. Especially those who dive in poorer or more challenging conditions (cold, poor visibility, high current, waves, poor weather, around wrecks, etc.)

 

[formernuke]

@BoltSnap

The OP stated that tech is his goal. No one pushes him at all into it.

 

[BoltSnap]

In your opinion.

Not everyone sees their future restricted to recreational diving.

There is nothing wrong in discussing one possible future over another. Diving is full of possibilities setting one’s targets high isn’t a sin. Having great core skills makes you a much better diver regardless of the style of diving. Similarly moving to a backplate+wing+longhose early makes no difference to a decent instructor.

Being exposed to great skills from the outset would be better for everyone. Especially those who dive in poorer or more challenging conditions (cold, poor visibility, high current, waves, poor weather, around wrecks, etc.)

Yeah, right, discussing climbing mount Everest before learning to ride a bicycle.

Similarly moving to a backplate+wing+longhose early makes no difference to a decent instructor.

What move to a wing long hose etc. is a good thing? Says who? For what purpose for recreational diving?

The techie fervor present here on SB is just too much.

 

[BoltSnap]

@BoltSnap

The OP stated that tech is his goal. No one pushes him at all into it.

It doesn't mean that it is the right thing for him. He is coming here for advice which include advice to make the goals more realistic and reasonable.

 

[CT-Rich]

This again…

going tech is a huge financial cost and made worse when done in a hurry. With a couple of dozen dives the cost of helium should not be his worry, or doubles, or rebreathers.

He wants to know what he should take with his AOW. Really, what is the most valuable for a diver at this stage? A regular buddy or group of buddies that want to go diving on a regular basis. Learning to dive in iffy conditions, navigate and handle the line on a flag.

I gave my opinion on which class, but I hope he chooses the one he is most excited to do. If he doesn’t feel comfortable ocean diving at night, it’s a little early for wreck penetration.

I have bought some excellent gear from zero to hero divers, that find out it wasn’t right for them. Get a few years of diving in and the right path will find you. It may be tech or cave, it might be bottle collecting or fossil teeth or videography or macro photography. SB is very tech heavy. If you go to the tropics and pull out a long hose, people will look at you like your head was attached backwards.

A couple of good dive buddies are more valuable than the best instructor. You can learn a lot just by working with friends and diving on a regular basis.