Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures

[dantfarley]

I live in Charleston, SC and I'm looking for advice for a instructor to teach me Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures that has plently of experience under their belt.
I will need expert advise as to what gear I should purchase and how much the class should cost
I appreciate everyones help

 

[boulderjohn]

Although this is clearly an advanced scuba discussion, I think you might have better luck going to the regional forum for your area.

One way to start start is to go to the TDI web site. They have a feature that allows you to search for instructors in any area. I just did it for South Carolina and got a list. When I did my advanced trimix in Florida, I did the same thing. I got such a list to start with and then started calling them and interviewing them. I eventually found the one I went with, and it all worked out just fine.

 

[Dive-aholic]

John has given you great advice. Start by narrowing down your search to the area you want to train in.

As for gear, it really depends on what your future diving aspirations are. There are some choices facing you. It's no longer just a matter of which back plate and wing. You also should research and consider sidemount as a gear option. If you choose sidemount, that will narrow down you instructor options to instructors who have experience in sidemount as well.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Agreed, make contact with an instructor and find out from him what his equipment requirements are. Once you get a list of what's needed, take it one item at a time. Get your instructors recommendations and bounce it against any other information you can find.
Otherwise we'd all just end up telling you what gear we dive.

Debate points:

Backplate: Stainless, aluminum, kydex. What size? How flat or how much bend?
Wing: Which company? Donut? Horseshoe? Inner bladder material? outer material? Cordura, ballistic, cut proof magic material? hose in the middle or hose to the side? Zippers? no zippers? shape? how much lift? I don't like yellow logos? Yeah, but I do? How about orange? can I order it with no logo? I cut all of my logos, because I'm cool like that. I really like the Halcyon D.I.R. on mine, but I don't want to hurt people's feelings? what should I do? can I use the same wing for everything? and don't forget your bungies. They're awesome.....6 out of 10,000 divers agree.
Exposure protection: wet? (then double aluminum 80's) drysuit? --> what size tanks to get? also....balanced vs. unbalance p-valve? DIY? what size condom cath? how small is small? can I mail order them? which is easier to remove? Dry gloves? which ones? compressed neoprene? trilam? Mine leaks! Mine doesn't. (haha! in your face!) cave cut? made to measure? What about a fusion? Grrr pockets! I want the top to be red, but it looks like Star Trek. And I want to live!!!!
How about Blue? Dude, nobody wears blue. They just don't, OK? Alright! I get it.......How about Black?
Tanks: What tanks to get? What style manifold? burst disk? or a bolt?
computer or bottom timer? backup choices?
What goes in my pockets? which side do I put it on?
reel? spool? how much line? who makes the best spool (stainless?)? How about reels? should I get a sidewinder?
backup lights? twist on head? magnetic switch? delrin body? aluminum? why did that guy go to jail? Oxycheq ripped me off!
Primary light: LED or HID or WTF? how many watts? can I buy used? how much burn time on the battery?
Regulators: Scubapro is the best. No they're not. Poseidon is. No! they look like shower heads and will kill you. How about servicing? Piston or diaphram? Who is HOG?
They're Apex copies, so just get Apex. No way Dude.....Atomic is what you want.
Hose length: 7 feet! That seems so long, can I just use a 5 foot one? what will my friends think? What's Miflex? You'll die if you use a HP Miflex! No you won't I have one and I'm still alive. Yeah, but you'll be dead soon.
deco tank: 40? 30? Don't call it a Pony bottle or you'll get a beat down! what reg to use on it? button gauge? gauge and a 6" hose? brushed finish or yellow paint? luxfer or Catalina? Damn! I'm so confused. Can my friends paint it pink? 80% or 100%? Both? just 70%?
What deco software? is it iPhone compatable?
what is ratio deco?
What fin has a foot pocket that will fit this shoe, but is slightly bigger that a jet fin XL pocket? Turtles, OMS, F1?
Turbo soles, rock boots, converse all stars?
when I'm done, I'll still suck at diving. Maybe I'll take Fundamentals............I'll suck less.

The answers to these are all here buried in this forum.

Your instructor will also have these answers. Get in touch with an instructor.

I would only be able to tell you what I use.
Have fun in your training.

Take care.
-Mitch

 

[USVet96]

:shocked2:

LOL

Good Post; And ALL very true and very good points AND questions.

Also very funny

But, u forgot to tell me ..........

WHO was the trigger man from the grassy knoll on the Kennedy hit ?



Or who got Hoffa ?

Also .....



Should be interesting NOW

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I think there are some PUB members here that might have the answer to the grassy knoll question.

 

[FWADIVER]

only advice I have is get comfy in whatever new gear you get first. I recently did AN/DP, and it is a royal PITA to share air, while managing a spool, loosing your mask, maintaining your 20ft stop, AND having to fight your equipment because your trim is out of whack because of something new...

 

[turnerjd]

I'm doing the AN at the moment (the Frogs don't do AN/DP since deco is done since OW, or N1 as they call it).

FWADIVER and Pullmyfingers posts were nicely summed up by my instructor.

His take on things is "if you've done 3 or 400 dives then use your brain, if not get yourself there and then use your brain. Don't let anybody tell you what equipment you MUST use, use what you are comfortable with and what is correct for your dive". We will do the AN dives not using a "tec" rig (bp/wings is almost completely unheard of here for anything less than trimix), but with a simple 15L tank, and a second 5 or 7L tank for deco gas, rigged in the old fashioned "pony tank" style. The might give GI3 and his accolytes a heart attack, but properly trained, with proper gas management skills there is no problem with this.

It is entirely normal for divers here to do deco on a (single) 15L tank with a normal BCD, it's how they learned during OW, with a single 15L they aren't going to get themselves into much deco, but they can and do get into deco. This helps a lot for the AN course, simply because the deco part is already well established. It does help that all cylinders here are with a Y or H valve, and almost everybody has two independent regs, and in OW they are taught basic valve drills.

Jon T

 

[DuboisP]

I'm doing the AN at the moment (the Frogs don't do AN/DP since deco is done since OW, or N1 as they call it).

FWADIVER and Pullmyfingers posts were nicely summed up by my instructor.

His take on things is "if you've done 3 or 400 dives then use your brain, if not get yourself there and then use your brain. Don't let anybody tell you what equipment you MUST use, use what you are comfortable with and what is correct for your dive". We will do the AN dives not using a "tec" rig (bp/wings is almost completely unheard of here for anything less than trimix), but with a simple 15L tank, and a second 5 or 7L tank for deco gas, rigged in the old fashioned "pony tank" style. The might give GI3 and his accolytes a heart attack, but properly trained, with proper gas management skills there is no problem with this.

It is entirely normal for divers here to do deco on a (single) 15L tank with a normal BCD, it's how they learned during OW, with a single 15L they aren't going to get themselves into much deco, but they can and do get into deco. This helps a lot for the AN course, simply because the deco part is already well established. It does help that all cylinders here are with a Y or H valve, and almost everybody has two independent regs, and in OW they are taught basic valve drills.

Jon T

not all is accurate
at the N1 level, the deco procedure is lightly teached, since N1 don't do deco and are always supervised.
it's teached at the N2 level (autonomous at 20m, supervised at 40m) because decos can occur.
Basic Nitrox is possible for N1, Advanced Nitrox is possible for N2

i used a bp/wing before being trimix. i agree it's not current

 

[turnerjd]

The club here *really* stresses the Deco at N1. Yes, it is officially done at N2 as this is where deco really starts, but for the N1 dives they have to show properly performed deco stops, and properly calculate their deco. In actual club diving many N1 go into deco (supervised) on dives upto 40m.

Deco is a normal part of French diving, as I see it, from N1.

Jon T

As always, what we are supposed to do, and what actually happens are quite different.........

Edited to add: part of the reason for this is that with computers it is far too easy for people to get into accidental deco, and the club stress deco in N1 so that there is an understanding of what is happening, and how to deal with it.