Tec instructor recommendations in the Southeast

I am fairly new to diving, having about 50 dives and recently completed a rescue course. My goal for next year is to further my training with deco and advanced nitrox as well as focusing on wreck diving. Short term, I want to explore the Oriskany and open up the wrecks of the Great Lakes where I travel for business often.

With that said, I am looking for recommendations for an instructor to take me to the next level. I have been happy with my LDS to this point, but do not have confidence in their TDI instructor based on input from others in the area. (might be a great instructor, but he has a serious attitude issue toward recreational divers. This will not mesh with my mindset)

I live in the Atlanta area, but would be willing to do a weeks vacation or weekends somewhere in the southeast for the right instructor. Agency does not matter to much, so long as the training plan is not based breaking the training into numerous courses just to sell more books.

Since you are interested in the "O", you may want to consider Rob Neto. Rob has Chipola Divers and is located just outside Marianna, Fl - on your way to the "O".

Good luck and have fun.

Silent world is a great shop in the florida keys. (My favorite shop down there) Plus they are next door to the Spigel. Just PM Chris at Silent World. I think they can certify for TDI and IANTD. It is also a GUE partner center.

I just signed up with scuba express in Pomano, my two dive buddies were trained there and highly recommended them, ask for Mark, one of the owners. Denis

Slmason.72:

I am fairly new to diving, having about 50 dives and recently completed a rescue course. My goal for next year is to further my training with deco and advanced nitrox as well as focusing on wreck diving. Short term, I want to explore the Oriskany and open up the wrecks of the Great Lakes where I travel for business often.

With that said, I am looking for recommendations for an instructor to take me to the next level. I have been happy with my LDS to this point, but do not have confidence in their TDI instructor based on input from others in the area. (might be a great instructor, but he has a serious attitude issue toward recreational divers. This will not mesh with my mindset)

I live in the Atlanta area, but would be willing to do a weeks vacation or weekends somewhere in the southeast for the right instructor. Agency does not matter to much, so long as the training plan is not based breaking the training into numerous courses just to sell more books.

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I will suggest instructor John Ozog with Pura Vida Divers....John is very thorough, I have done tech dives with several of the tech divers he turned out, and they were very sharp on the tech dives...

A few plusses about training out of Pura Vida on Singer Island, Palm Beach Florida....Aside from getting great Dive Package deals at the Hilton right on Singer Island, as little as $80 per night last month....there is lots to do here, and the diving is among the most impressive an advanced or tech level diver can find anywhere in the world.
.The tech wrecks are awesome here, and we have big marine life all over the wrecks. 190 foot deep wrecks like the Ande are only about 8 minutes out from the Palm Beach inlet, and there are a dozen hot spots that would be tough to match anywhere else..... The "Hole in the Wall", the Skycliffe, the HydroAtlantic, are just a few of the other very hot tech dives you would be blown away by....I will offer a few videos here....

and for Pura Vida, and John, see this upcoming day they have planned.. TEC NIGHT at Pura Vida Divers


Then...the Wreck of the Ande..( max depth 195).. [video=youtube;yeOcga72oLs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeOcga72oLs&feature=share&list=UUsM5Za9Kc3 DbP7Qo3-Zmz9w[/video]

The Hole in the Wall ( max depth 155) [video=youtube;nWdG1c-Amwg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWdG1c-Amwg&feature=share&list=UUsM5Za9Kc3DbP7Qo3-Zmz9w[/video] ( this unique site can be full of pelagic life mixing with reef life....you just need the right day

The wreck of the Hydro ( max depth maybe 175 but can be as shallow as 13o on top) [video=youtube_share;z79BxIDQN-M]http://youtu.be/z79BxIDQN-M?hd=1[/video]

Just plain cool wreck dives minutes from the inlet, to train and practice in less than 100 feet deep..... [video=youtube;a7deOCsAb3Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7deOCsAb3Y&feature=share&list=UUsM5Za9Kc3 DbP7Qo3-Zmz9w[/video]

Reubin Watkins, look him up on FB, he is in Chattanooga. He is quite skilled. HTH

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Steve Lewis is the quintesential traveling trainer and is available for comment here "Doppler" and blogs and writes articles.
Eric

I recommend Scott Simmons at Chattahoochee Scuba in Columbus, GA. He is a seasoned tec instructor, full cave instructor and doesnt mind doing rec classes either. He is extremely thorough and a great instructor in my opinion!! That same shop also has a CD that is a few dives away from TEC - Trimix Instructor Trainer. I also live in the Atlanta area and drive down when I have classes. Myself and one other guy have recently enrolled into TEC-40 (gotta start somewhere lol) and I have just been working on the book and almost completed it. We start the classroom work the weekend of December 8th 2012 and will probably finish up with the dives in January 2013. Phone 706-507-2573. Good luck!!