Does this course breakdown make sense to wreck divers?

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I have always been a fan of GUE and UTD course layout. They minimize the number of specialties and that causes lots of information to fall under one umbrella. No boat diver, drift diver shore diver etc. I have been looking at the new UTD overhead course layout and lately, things have not been making sense to me. I was hoping if they will make sense to those who know about overhead diving more than I do.

UTD has broken its wreck and cave diving into four parts each.

Overhead Protocols 875.USD

Wreck 1 875 USD
Wreck 2 1500 USD
Wreck 3 2000 USD
Wreck Gold 875 USD

Total Cost of becoming a Technical Wreck Diver through UTD = 6125

Does this training progression with the associated costs per jump make sense to serious overhead divers? Or is it just an attempt to milk money for what can easily be conveyed in one solid course?Thoughts?

 

[PfcAJ]

UTD is a money making scheme. Hold on to your wallet and walk away.

 

[Lorenzoid]

So that's the difference between UTD and GUE. Now I see.

 

[rongoodman]

Does that even include trimix?

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Does that even include trimix?

No. From this website I am understanding that you are required to be UTD Tec to or equal for Wreck 2. This means that you would have paid 875 for Essentials of Tec, 1500 for Tec 1 and 1500 for Tec 2. By the time you are ready for Wreck 2 you would have spent close to 4000 USD outside of their wreck course costs.

Wreck Diver Training - Maryland scuba diving classes and dive shop serving MD, VA, DC at Submerged

 

[Diver0001]

I've been diving wrecks for more than 30 years. There are, indeed, a number of critical skills that must be mastered in order to interact safely with a wreck but nothing that I can imagine requiring 4 separate courses.

 

[CptTightPants21]

Those prices sound crazy. As I was reading the description for Wreck 2/3 I thought they were so much because they added a trimix certification on top, but then I see they Trimix is a prereq. I can not fathom what skills are being covered in 4 Wreck classes that can't be covered in 1 3-5 day class. If Trimix is already a prereq than you are already procient in handling the extra bottles and dealing with failures

I would actually like to hear from a UTD diver who is familiar with the courses. What wreck skills could possibly require 20+ days of instruction (I **** you not, add up the days and include overhead protocols).

 

[DevonDiver]

It takes time to develop solid wreck penetration skills. But there no reason why it should take longer than cave diving at comparable levels.

Maybe 5 days training at recreational level and 8 days at technical level, max... assuming student progression on track.

I've never been convinced that wreck diving needs separate levels into trimix depths. Penetration is about penetration skills. The Deco phase is open water, so any appropriate deco/gas training has got you covered for that.

Additional training, beyond technical wreck, could encompass stage diving and dealing with significant restrictions.

Basically 1-2 courses at recreational level and 1-2 courses at tech level. Assuming the student has appropriate fundamental and equipment skills as prerequisites.

 

[elgoog]

The UTD website does not have so many wreck courses listed. All I could find under their overhead courses that was wreck specific were the following -
- overhead protocols (line techniques but not actually in an overhead environment)
- wreck diver (no stages, no deco, max penetration of 400' on primary reel only)
- wreck gold (stages, no deco, navigation using spools and line markers- not entirely sure why we need to add these instead of using a larger reel but seems like it's trying to make it closer to a cave course)
- tech wreck (stages, deco, advanced navigation including traverses, circuits and siphons - I'm fairly certain the navigation stuff is cave related and not applicable in wrecks)

What I put in parentheses with the courses is my very limited understanding of what each course entails based only on reading the descriptions. I am also curious to hear from someone more familiar with UTD.

 

[lermontov]

Im not sure what the legal or SOP's are for dive companies in your country but I dont believe you can learn all there is to know in a course or 3 courses unless you are doing regular penetrations that require consolidation of existing and /or newly learnt skills. Wreck penetration skill demands is progressive obviously depending on the complexity of the wreck. Pycholigical training is also important - If I'm not doing a good wreck penetration dive at least once a month I'm not going to do something that requires large demands in regards to stage bottles, long deco, laying line etc ill build up to it.
personally I think too many have fixations about qualifications thinking that somehow having a cert card makes them capable and skillful divers. I have a few but its only to appease the bureaucrats when I go on trips.

so in summary id say find an experienced diver and learn with them then when feel your ready get there cheapest card than allows you to do the dive you want