Courses on Liveaboards

[paschen]

Hi y'all.
So I have no finally decided when and where I am going. FINALLY!
Anyhoo - with all the EAN discussions on my last liveaboard thread - I have decided to do the course. Now, I figured it would just be easier to do it on board, while on the holiday rather than trying to squeeze it in back home - especially as only one place in my home town does it and I didn't really feel that great about the idea of diving with him after speaking to him on the phone (long other story).
So, when you do courses on the liveaboards, how many dives do you end up losing while studying? If I am going to miss 2-3 dives, then cost wise it is better to do it here.
Suggestions, advice and general sageness please.
Tar
Pas:05:

 

[Damselfish]

any courses I have seen on liveaboards, they arrange the non-diving parts to be done during surface intervals and not lose diving. Of course the only way to know for sure is ask whatever liveaboard you are going on.

 

[Doc]

Or....

Do all of the pre-study and quizzes in advance at home. Get the materials and do the bookwork. Some agencies require actual diving for EAN, some do not. I have no clue as to why diving would be required, but hands on testing for gas analyzation is important. On the other hand, there are many different types of analyzers, so even that module of training is merely a framework.

You will learn to work the tables which you will immediately ignore and switch to your new toy EAN computer or just dive with your old air computer "because it gives you that extra margin", etc.

As with any course you have desires to complete while on vacation- do all the pre-study and quizzes at home. Arrange the books/materials in advance with the Instructor who will teach the hands-on portion. This advice applies throughout the entire spectrum of dive education.

Why waste your time studying when you could be looking at pretty fish?

 

[slingshot]

PADI EAN course dive requirement was 2 dives on nitrox, with no real tasks other than to do the predive check, plan maximum depth, and stay alive. Just check on the price of nitrox on the trip you are planning, and the cost of the course. I'd recommend doing the bookwork before the trip if you can, it's a bit monotonous.

 

[scubarick314]

I was able to take the EAN course on the S/V Juliet and did not miss any dives. It took about two evenings/ surface intervals and did not miss any dives. We just waited until after the test to actually start diving nitrox. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Cacia]

Good advice, as RM was saying to get the book and study ON THE PLANE! Thats what I did, as I was a captive audience and could not get away from myself. Nitrox is 90% math if I remember correctly. I think EAN took me about 4-5 hours of reading and doing problems.