My AN/DP/Helitrox course

[Chris H]

I get a massive case of what I refer to as “mush brain” at 130ft.

After using helium, you'll likely find you had brain mush before 130ft.

 

[Marie13]

After using helium, you'll likely find you had brain mush before 130ft.

The brain mush starts about 115ft.

 

[wedivebc]

If you don't do any pool work in those courses I seriously question your judgement as an instructor.....

I always get a laugh out of instructors that basically say "if you don't do things the way I do you're not much of an instructor"

 

[kafkaland]

I’m OK with an END of 100ft. My shop doesn’t bank standard mixes. It’s all custom fills. So getting fills for a shallower END is a waste of money, IMO. My shop is currently charging $3/cft. My instructor calculated that a fill with 20% helium in my HP80 doubles would run $90 just for the helium.

I get a massive case of what I refer to as “mush brain” at 130ft.

That stuff is getting expensive. Looks like for a dive to 150’, we should aim for something like 25/25 then. END of 102’ and PPO2 of 1.4 at max depth. Still a lot of $$$, but worthwhile to avoid a “mush brain” or having no memories of the dive afterwards.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Practice with the gear you dive with always no matter what , because when it goes wrong you want to be able to make it right ASAP.

I'd go further. Understand the gear you diver with.

Wheterh you're BM single, BM Double or SM. A BCD is a BCD (whether SM/Wing or even Jacket) a 1st and Second stage all function the same. I don't mean that people need to know how to service a reg, just be able to recognise a fault.

I've had a couple of "dramas" caused by inexperience, complacency and shear bad luck. What kept them as drama's and not serious incidents was that I understood the gear, could recognise the problem and react instinctively.

Learning skills by rote without a deeper understanding isn't' learning, because when the brown stuff hits the fan, it won't be like training.

People also get complacent because they practice skills in a safe environment - while practicing is good, being able to function under stress and having the bandwidth to solve issues in just as important (hence why buoyancy and breathing and other basic skills, should be accomplished without thought)

 

[Scuba Cobra]

I'd love to be able to swap my DP for helitrox. Wish I had known better when originally certified. Mist of my dives are 130-160', with no intentions of going past that.

Any reason helitrox can't be a theory and planning course like nitrox for already existing deco procedures divers?

 

[KenGordon]

I'd love to be able to swap my DP for helitrox. Wish I had known better when originally certified. Mist of my dives are 130-160', with no intentions of going past that.

Any reason helitrox can't be a theory and planning course like nitrox for already existing deco procedures divers?

It is available as a standalone two day course eg TDI basic and advanced nitrox, decompression procedures, entry level and advanced trimix courses with instructor Mark Powell

I see that is not exactly what you are asking for...

 

[Marie13]

I'd love to be able to swap my DP for helitrox. Wish I had known better when originally certified. Mist of my dives are 130-160', with no intentions of going past that.

Any reason helitrox can't be a theory and planning course like nitrox for already existing deco procedures divers?

I have a message into a diver I know that did Helitrox last year. He was already AN/DP certified. We’ll see what he says his Helitrox class consisted off.

 

[Marie13]

OK, just heard back. I was told for an already AN/DP certified diver, Helitrox requires completion of Trimix manual, a test, and 4 dives. That would dovetail with the 2 day course that KenGordon just posted about.

The course description/standards on the TDI website don’t address the requirements for a diver who is already AN/DP certified. Think I will message Mark Powell and suggest that addition, as a result of the questions here.

 

[Scuba Cobra]

It would be cool to be able to cross over to helitrox without going through the whole helitrox course. But, I'm obviously not an instructor or trimix diver so I dont know if a student would need to be watched on a dive using helitrox since they are already certified for deco, like a nitrox course for an AOW diver.