I have just completed TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures as a combined course.
My instructor is an Adv Trimix diver, but currently his highest level of instructor certification is for teaching AN/DP. He told me that, were he certified to teach Trimix, he could have included Helitrox certification as part of the course I just finished.
I looked at the standards for DP and Helitrox and it appears that the in-water part of the standards is the same between the two. The Helitrox standards do not specify a requirement to actually use He as part of any gas mix on any of the required dives.
Thus, it seems like my AN and DP cards would be sufficient to document that I have already met the in-water requirements for Helitrox.
My question is: Now that I have AN and DP certification (well, as soon as my instructor enters them into your computer), can I find a Helitrox instructor and get the Helitrox cert by just taking a classroom-only course to cover the additional material for adding Helium?
I would like to be able to incorporate 20% He into my diving when appropriate, but it doesn't make sense if I have to pay a large fee for another whole course that is identical to the one I just completed, save for some additional classroom material. If that is the case, I will wait and pursue full Trimix certification sometime down the road.
A different way of asking my question would be: If I ask a Helitrox instructor to certify me for Helitrox without teaching a whole course, and without any dives, they may well respond that the standards for Helitrox require them to require me to do the dives as well as the full classroom curriculum. In that case, is there some statement from TDI that I can relay to them that would facilitate them being able to give me a classroom-only course to get my Helitrox cert? Are they allowed to accept my AN/DP cards as documentation of meeting the in-water standards? Can they call TDI to get a waiver for requiring me to do dives with them, so they can do classroom-only?
Thanks for any info/help!
My instructor is an Adv Trimix diver, but currently his highest level of instructor certification is for teaching AN/DP. He told me that, were he certified to teach Trimix, he could have included Helitrox certification as part of the course I just finished.
I looked at the standards for DP and Helitrox and it appears that the in-water part of the standards is the same between the two. The Helitrox standards do not specify a requirement to actually use He as part of any gas mix on any of the required dives.
Thus, it seems like my AN and DP cards would be sufficient to document that I have already met the in-water requirements for Helitrox.
My question is: Now that I have AN and DP certification (well, as soon as my instructor enters them into your computer), can I find a Helitrox instructor and get the Helitrox cert by just taking a classroom-only course to cover the additional material for adding Helium?
I would like to be able to incorporate 20% He into my diving when appropriate, but it doesn't make sense if I have to pay a large fee for another whole course that is identical to the one I just completed, save for some additional classroom material. If that is the case, I will wait and pursue full Trimix certification sometime down the road.
A different way of asking my question would be: If I ask a Helitrox instructor to certify me for Helitrox without teaching a whole course, and without any dives, they may well respond that the standards for Helitrox require them to require me to do the dives as well as the full classroom curriculum. In that case, is there some statement from TDI that I can relay to them that would facilitate them being able to give me a classroom-only course to get my Helitrox cert? Are they allowed to accept my AN/DP cards as documentation of meeting the in-water standards? Can they call TDI to get a waiver for requiring me to do dives with them, so they can do classroom-only?
Thanks for any info/help!