I'm a rec instructor. I want to be a tec instructor. No tec experience. I'm gonna need your help.

[Dogbowl]

@stuartv , I understand your arguments but feel you are playing devil’s advocate because based on what I know of you from your previous posts, I cannot believe you actually believe what you are arguing. OP has “decades” of dive experience. He’s been an instructor for a long time. He’s spoken with several tech divers. Come on, I can’t believe someone of his background can be so clueless unless it is an ingrained attitude or world view.

FYI, I am only a beginner diver and I would not have asked that question like that.

 

[rsingler]

It's tough to know, isn't it? But I'm in @stuartv 's camp. I think (hope?) that this is just a case of a newbie to ScubaBoard asking his question artlessly.

I reread his OP. The trigger phrase was clearly "tec zero to hero". Maybe he doesn't know about proper behavior in forums. And yeah, maybe he's a troll.
But he also said,

I'm the type that likes to get the texts months ahead of a class and read the hell out of them before I show up.

and

What else can I do to be an excellent student and an excellent instructor?

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Yeah, he made the mistake of asking us for a complete guide to tec training before spending some time on the Board. But @northernone and @stuartv and others have helped him out. I hope he takes @Doppler up on his offer.

And he is now baptised into the ways of advanced Internet forums. Personally, I hope he comes back and explains his motivation. You gotta give him credit for honesty. If he's not doing this to be efficient, but to be cheap, at least you can't say he hasn't been warned, lol!

 

[The Chairman]

Heaven forbid someone would elect to conduct research regarding scuba diving by simply coming to ScubaBoard and asking their question?

I fully agree. I really don't understand the shame in asking a question. I was even taught that the only stupid questions were questioning the intelligence and/or integrity of anyone asking a question.

It's like this. Restaurants are quick to tell you how great they are. People who have eaten there are far, far more realistic. In the same vein, dive agencies are quick to sell you on how to "live the dream". Real Tech instructors give a far more balanced and realistic view as to what's required and how to get there.

I wouldn’t send people I dislike to take even rec courses from this person.

Why? Because he wants the real inside scoop and isn't drinking the agency Koolaid? Kudos to him for seeking advice and direction before he takes the plunge. Dive and let dive. Teach and let teach. Learn and let learn. Post and let post.

 

[Dogbowl]

Did you guys read his subsequent posts?

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv , I understand your arguments but feel you are playing devil’s advocate because based on what I know of you from your previous posts, I cannot believe you actually believe what you are arguing. OP has “decades” of dive experience. He’s been an instructor for a long time. He’s spoken with several tech divers. Come on, I can’t believe someone of his background can be so clueless unless it is an ingrained attitude or world view.

FYI, I am only a beginner diver and I would not have asked that question like that.

You are a regular on here. I think you are fully cognizant of the way some people around here would take the statement "zero to hero". I fully believe you would not have asked that question like that.

But, I am very aware that there is a much larger world of scuba than this little fishbowl. Because of that, I am completely willing to believe that someone could be a Rec instructor for 10 years and still have no real clue about the path to the heights of Tech. My favorite local dive shop is owned by a truly great guy whom I suspect is a truly excellent instructor. I have never taken nor audited one of his classes, so I can't say for sure. But, I've had many long talks with him and his excellence is my expectation. However, if you ask him why he doesn't do tech diving, he will tell you immediately that he has the attention span of a goldfish and doesn't want to die. I think he exaggerates for effect. But, I suspect that he probably does not know or care about the details of the path to being a tech instructor - because he has never had any interest. And note, I didn't say that he has no clue at all. I said "the details" - which is just what the OP asked about. From the OP, I gathered that he has some idea. He came here and asked about details.

Anyway, the horse is dead. Good luck to the OP!

 

[laikabear]

But can we talk about @Doppler's offer some more? I hope the OP has emailed him. That sounds like the chance of a lifetime!!!

If not can I get the spot?

OK, I AM FASCINATED. Haven't read anything like this for years... well, a year at least... I've been busy.
Anyhow, OP, I'm gonna call your bluff/********/innocent request. If you can get your arse to Mexico in March (contact me for dates) I'll put you through a cavern class and access your readiness to become a technical diver... charge will be $1 but you'll pay your expenses.

Training@techdivertraining.org will get to me.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I've been driving cars for ... a looong time. Do I know the process to become a race car driver? The classes I would need to take? The hierarchy of licenses? No. Do I know the further process to be an instructor to teach people to be race car drivers? Definitely not.

Apparently, my awareness and acumen for driving are very low.

Not a perfect analogy, but I hope my point conveys. At some point, you develop an interest in something. Prior to that, you weren't interested. Why would you be expected to know the details of something you were never interested in? When you develop your first interest, what is wrong with coming to an online forum for a community of people, some of whom do what you are interested in doing, and asking about it as your first step in indulging your interest?

Not a good analogy. Better would be that you are a driving instructor for an organization that teaches courses for driving on public roads and racing.

In addition, this organization sends you a magazine quarterly with updates on teaching and occasional articles on its racing.

If you don't bother to read this magazine, I cannot expect you to be much of a professional. My statements stands.

Why? Because he wants the real inside scoop and isn't drinking the agency Koolaid? Kudos to him for seeking advice and direction before he takes the plunge. Dive and let dive. Teach and let teach. Learn and let learn. Post and let post.

See my comments above. Agency Kool Aid? I think I've made it clear in the past that I'm not a PADI apologist. I have a 7 point diatribe for the reasons I left that agency. But PADI does a good job of keeping its instructors informed. Whether you like PADI or not, for whatever reason, you cannot argue that they do not keep their instructors informed.

Then there's google: LMGTFY

Honestly I believe that this is trolling.

 

[BoltSnap]

If not can I get the spot?

I asked first, wait for your turn!!!

 

[The Chairman]

Whether you like PADI or not,

I didn't mention PADI. What I wrote applies equally to all agencies. They sell you a dream, but you get to live the nightmare alone.

 

[saxman242]

I've been driving cars for ... a looong time. Do I know the process to become a race car driver? The classes I would need to take? The hierarchy of licenses? No. Do I know the further process to be an instructor to teach people to be race car drivers? Definitely not.

Apparently, my awareness and acumen for driving are very low.

Not a perfect analogy, but I hope my point conveys. At some point, you develop an interest in something. Prior to that, you weren't interested. Why would you be expected to know the details of something you were never interested in? When you develop your first interest, what is wrong with coming to an online forum for a community of people, some of whom do what you are interested in doing, and asking about it as your first step in indulging your interest?

I appreciate your pragmatic view, and you may very well be completely correct. At bare minimum, you're certainly answering the question for the next person that comes in and reads the forum by searching.

To play devil's advocate to your devil's advocate and to play with your metaphor a bit, my reading of his posts leaves the impression that he isn't saying "Hey, what's it take to be a race car driver?" but instead "Hey, what's it take to teach race car drivers? I want to do it as quickly as possible while minimizing spending time on that pesky race track."

That could be nothing but a communication error, but that's the impression I believe many of us have been left with based on his posts.