Current opinions on Padi Tec-rec?

[Remy B.]

Don't get me wrong, I have done solo tec, comfortably but looking back to it, if something go wrong you are alone in it, it can escalate too much worse, is it really worth it ?

I look back to it and I find it was not, and is not about the dives, they were fantastic wrecks in very nice clear water.

But think about it, have you thought of your family ?

It is difficult to find a buddy and one doesn't want to miss those dives.

Solo diving course is probably very good, rec solo no problem specially if you are doing photography.

The solo certification is for rec purposes, it doesn't qualify you for tec diving solo.

Even that the tec courses teach you how to solve your problems alone and get out of water safely it is a buddy type diving.

As tec diver you have everything redundant, for a good reason, and I mean everything, but sometimes that doesn't mean you will not make a mistake, if you have a good buddy team now you have a 3rd option to make it out and keep diving another day, even better go for a drink after the dive and look at the great pictures and videos you both took.

There is not such thing as little deco, same as there is not a woman that is a little pregnant.

It was as well very important for me to be able to do everything by my self and alone, and don't worry you will learn so in a tec course with a good instructor, but that same good instructor will tell you, your buddy is as well another ticket to the surface, use it, it is for free, it is better having it and not needing it, that needing it and not having it.

 

[Mike1967]

There is not such thing as little deco

I suppose there's no such thing as light deco either?

 

[Remy B.]

Even if called little deco it is deco, it is a obligation, and it can or will **** you up if you blow it, up too you, risk-reward, every one have his own perspective.

 

[Mike1967]

@Remy B.
No one has said anything about ignoring it.

 

[Efka76]

Taimen I see you are doing exactly the same mistakes I made.

AN/DP are the most important courses of tec diving and are not a entry level, trimix ( normoxic ) is less demanding and if you have not nailed all exercises, theories and practices from An/Dp you are not good for trimix more so for advance trimix.

If you run with the bad luck of getting a instructor that was lousy, and you will think you are prepared, you can have a disappointing experience.

It does not matter whether people call TDI AN/DP courses as "entry level tech" or not. It is 100% clear that these are foundational TDI courses. If you do not master appropriate skills, techniques, do not understand gas planning, dive planning, etc. you just simply can not progress to the next level (e.g. trimix, advanced trimix).

I was lucky that I had really great tech instructors. Training was done 1:1 instructor to student ratio. Also, there was a dive buddy who is a very experienced tech diver (with more than 1000 tech dives). My instructors were not "big names" in forums as they spend their time in diving and teaching and not discussing some BS in many forums. Also, one of them was a guy who participated in Thai boys rescue operation (yes, he is very known in tech circles for his skills).

TDI Sidemount, AN/DP, helitrox courses were really demanding. I had to repeat many many times S-drills, V-drills, had numerous situations of free flowing regulator (with lost mask), DSMB depmpyment from depth, playing with tanks (leaving deco tank, changing tanks with instructor), etc. These skills had to be performed in quality way without losing buoyancy. I spent 9 days (from early morning to late evening) in doing skills and studying. Yes, I got certified, however, I know very well what things I need to improve and what things need to be mastered in order to go to the next level. I think I will do 100-200 tech dives in order to get absolutely comfortable that my skills are on the right level before I will take TDI Extended range / Trimix courses. Tech path is very different from recreational and needs time and correct mindset. E.g. I was very comfortable doing deco dives in 40 m depth or deco diving in 45 m depth with helitrox, however, I am still not sure how my mind would react in pitch dark and cold cave.

 

[leadduck]

There is not such thing as little deco, same as there is not a woman that is a little pregnant.

Sounds funny but doesn't make sense in my opinion. Since there are so many different deco models, tables, computers, conservatism settings, ... one diver's NDL dive is another diver's deco dive. There's a big gray area here going from NDL diving, light deco, lots of deco, ... Very different from pregnancy.

 

[JBlackman]

Bringing this thread back around to what the OP was about...

Another good way to select your Tec Instructor is to ask for prior-student referrals. I ask my students if they are OK with me passing along their email to future students who are considering taking me on as their TDI Instructor, and letting them tell their side of the course without my interference. Many agree and it's good for my business and good for my students.

 

[Dan_P]

On student referrals, it's unfortunately quite difficult (relatively speaking) to find students who've had multiple instructors/courses for the same level of training, to establish a reference framework.
That is to say, student referals are quite frankly a difficult measure of instructional quality, in my opinion.

My personal tech experience was initially with TecRec - I was personally not impressed, at all.

 

[100days-a-year]

I saw a brochure in a dive shop for a Tec-rec class
PADI Tec-rec " It's like a master diver master diver course "

 

[Kevrumbo]

There is a fundamental and dangerous flaw not taken into account in the whole PADI Tec 40/45/50 course progression & certification to begin with: The Density of Bottom Gas Nitrox 24% to 21% for a max working ppO2 of 1.2 bar is 6 g/L and higher, with Tec 50 on Air a whopping 7.2 g/L. (Refer to article: Advanced Knowledge Series: The Gas Density Conundrum | Dive Magazine )

The point is there's no safety margin left at all for the milieu of CO2 retention problems that arise with unforeseen heavy physical activity and increased work-of-breathing at these certification depths of 40/45/50 meters on primarily non-Helium, high gas density Oxygen-Nitrogen Blends (essentially Extended Range Deep Air). And to recover at depth from CO2 retention, you need plenty of bottom gas and some minutes time to relax & regain a normal non-exertion respiratory rate -if possible- before safely aborting the dive and nominally ascending to any required deco stops.