Which agency is better?

I know that the quality usualy depends on the instructor that you have...but I wanted to know if any specific agency really stands out from the rest when it comes to getting wreck cert?

Paul

I have to plug the agency I teach for NASE Worldwide.

We are small but there are are some real advantages. If I have a problem, need a C-Card processed quickly or just have a question, management is just a phone call away. It's like family.

Since I'm an independent, I can easily taylor my classes to the students needs.

The Open Water & Advanced Open water texts are the most well written I have seen (I've taught for PADI, NASDS & MDEA).

Recently at a seminar, our Director of only 2 years, stated he was going to make this the most quality oriented agency of all the agencies.

Another interesting comment he made was quite interesting..."Look, you people are instructors, not salesmen...teaching a quality class comes first"

I really don't think a PADI or SSI rep would say thay

I teach the PADI wreck diver course & am teaching 3 students this week.

The course, as I see it is a minimum standards type course. The divers who complete this course will be safe diving wrecks ... The class teaches limited penetrations using a reel.

The dives are done with single tanks, 2 lights and a reel. They are all within the no-decompression limits.

During training we are required to be within 130 feet of the surface....ie if the wreck is 100 feet deep we can only penetrate 30 feet.

PaulB once bubbled...
I know that the quality usualy depends on the instructor that you have...but I wanted to know if any specific agency really stands out from the rest when it comes to getting wreck cert?

Paul

Click to expand...

Paul: ask yourself what do you want from the program... penetration techniques, wreck identification, survey skills... because frankly, there isn't an agency out there that has a good all-round outline for wreck! Most of them will allow your instructor to simply take you on a wreck dive and at the end of it, you have not learned much at all. They will tell you: "You are now qualified to dive safely on wrecks." but how come... what did the agency's course outline specify that you should learn?

Forget the agency, ask instructors what you are going to get for your money. Not sure where you dive, but ask the instructors what wrecks they have dove on and what they enjoy doing. Ask them to tell you the difference between something simple like a schooner and a barque or have them tell you how to tie into a wreck so that you can be reasonably sure the ascent line is going to be there when you get back. Ask them if you are going to practice skills to cover your *** if when you do get back to the line, it's gone.

You already said it all, matey: it's not the agency it's the instructor.

DD

PADI Wreck Course

That URL very briefly outlines the PADI wreck course that I teach.

IMHO, for overhead training (wreck penetration) take a DIR-F and then a cave class.

Diving Incident Report Form?

Capt Jim Wyatt once bubbled...
Diving Incident Report Form?

Click to expand...

I hope you are kidding..

I think a cavern or cave class will make any diver a 100% better at wreck diving than a wreck class (sorry Capt. Jim). I've done a cave class and seen many wreck classes taught and the wreck classes seemed to be guided dives on wrecks. very limited on reel use and wreck navigation.

ERic

ericfine50 once bubbled...
I think a cavern or cave class will make any diver a 100% better at wreck diving than a wreck class (sorry Capt. Jim). I've done a cave class and seen many wreck classes taught and the wreck classes seemed to be guided dives on wrecks. very limited on reel use and wreck navigation.

ERic

Click to expand...

I know it depends on the instructor, but this was the same experience I had when I did PADI wreck. It was ok, but not quite the preparatory training for wreck diving that I was looking for..