Tek Virgin

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Scubadreams82

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Messages
7
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Location
Oklahoma
# of dives
200 - 499
my husband and I are wanting to take some technical diving courses. Have advanced open water certification/Nitrox certified. Live in the middle of the USA.
No one locally offers technical training. My question is....
If we want to dive wrecks 180+ feet. Where do we start. Don’t want to dive 300’. Just would like to see the deeper wreck dives.
TIA
 
my husband and I are wanting to take some technical diving courses. Have advanced open water certification/Nitrox certified. Live in the middle of the USA.
No one locally offers technical training. My question is....
If we want to dive wrecks 180+ feet. Where do we start. Don’t want to dive 300’. Just would like to see the deeper wreck dives.
TIA

Take GUE fundamentals then travel for tech 1.

I did my tech 2 course (200ft+) in Italy and it was awesome.
 
I second the fundies recommendation. It's not the only path but it's a great one. If you're not familiar with it, check it out online and find a GUE instructor to talk with; fantastic way to position yourself for future technical classes.
 
I believe GUE Fundamentals to be a good course, though I have not taken it yet.

Another option is to find a TDI instructor and take the combined Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures course. That is the route I went and it was the best scuba course I have taken. A qualified TDI instructor can actually combine AN, DP, and Helitrox all into one course. The Helitrox component should only increase the cost of the course be a very minimal amount, if any.

TDI AN/DP will qualify you to do decompression dives with no time limit on deco, use of up to 100% O2 for deco gas, and a maximum depth of 150'. With Helitrox certification, you can also use up to 20% Helium in your gas.

For 180' wrecks, the next step would be TDI Trimix. That will qualify you for use of multiple deco gases, up to 80% Helium (or thereabouts), and dives to a maximum depth of 200'.

Become a Certified Technical Diver - SDI | TDI | ERDI

If you get there and want to go deeper, TDI Advanced Trimix will teach you how to use hypoxic mixes and qualify you for depths to 330'.

I have not done any training with him yet, but I have gotten some good recommendations for John Baker and plan to do my TDI Trimix course with him this summer. If you don't mind traveling to Lake Jocassee, in SC, his prices are extremely reasonable. Way less expensive than GUE Fundamentals plus Tech 1. Price is certainly not the main priority in tech training. But, if you can get the training you want, from a good instructor, why would you not consider price? Anyway, it's just an option to consider.

Technical Courses
 
For 180' wrecks, the next step would be TDI Trimix. That will qualify you for use of multiple deco gases, up to 80% Helium (or thereabouts), and dives to a maximum depth of 200'.

Stu, you would be hard pressed to find anyone sucking down 80% helium...at all...much less on a normoxic trimix dive.

The trimix courses for most agencies are broken into normoxic and hypoxic. Or trimix and advanced trimix....whatever they want to call it. Every agency does things different, but as a rule, the amount of helium in the mix is irrelevant...the certification directly relates to the percentage of oxygen in the mix. 17% O2 minimum for normoxic(some agencies are higher), unlimited mix for hypoxic.

Helitrox is much the same....it’s an enriched oxygen mix with helium in it to reduce narcosis. Generally around 26% O2 and 17% He....but differs. The only reason 26/17 is common is the ease of mixing. 500psi of helium, then top off with EAN32....obviously the O2 side of that mix would shift if the banked nitrox were to be say 30% or 28%.
 
Near Oklahoma City

You can go to pretty much any agencies website and search for instructors.
 
There is some stuff at Table Rock lake in Arkansas. Have a friend who took some classes there. That's the closest place I can think of to OK city. The closest place to KC as well, where I am originally from.

Where I am at now (in the southwest) I find most of the instructors are TDI. I really don't care which agency it is, so long as the instructor is good. With the TDI route your next steps will be Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures, 2 separate classes often combined. That will get you to 150' and into (and out of) deco. One more class, extended range will stretch that to 180'. All that can be done on air, adding helium is the next step. For reference I have only done the Advanced Nitrox and Deco procedures so far. Still getting dives in on that and enjoying it before pressing on. I aim to take a class every year or two just to broaden my horizons. Realistic goals in a realistic time line.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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