''Intro to Tech'' course

[Normoxic Diver]

Hi Brian,

Concerning TDI's ''Intro to Tech'' brand new training program.

Could you give us some info like: student pre-requisites, required equipment, qualifications of graduates, etc ?

Thanks in advance!
Normoxic...

 

[ppo2_diver]

From the instructor outline:

Pre-reqs:
1. Be a minimum age of eighteen (18) or fifteen (15) with parental consent.
2. Have a minimum certification of SDI Advanced Diver, Advanced Adventure Diver or equivalent;
3. Show proof of twenty-five (25) logged open water dives.

Qualifications of Graduates
Upon successful completion of the course, graduates may engage in diving activities in a technical gear configuration without direct supervision so long as:
1. The diving activities approximate those of training.
2. The areas of activities and environmental conditions approximate those of training.

Graduates may enroll in:
1. TDI Advanced Nitrox Course
2. TDI Decompression Procedures Course

Required Equipment
The following equipment is required for this course:
1. Primary cylinder(s) cylinder volume appropriate for diving conditions and diver gas consumption
2. Primary regulators
A. Primary and alternate second stage required on all primary cylinder(s)
B. Submersible pressure gauges are required on all primary cylinder(s)
3. Depth gauge and automatic bottom timer and/or dive computer
4. Buoyancy compensator appropriate for equipment configuration
5. Ascent reel with lift bag/surface marker buoy
A. Appropriate for maximum planned depth
B. Lift bag with at least 11 kg / 25 lbs of lift
6. Exposure protection appropriate for local diving condition
7. Slates/wetnotes.

 

[Normoxic Diver]

thanks ppO2_diver......

 

[Steve SDI/TDI HQ]

Great explanation Duane... thanks for that!

To add a little more meat to ppo2 diver's posting, here's a little blurb from the original press-release that went out to our members and that's posted on International Training :: Home ::

“Intro to Tech performs an important supplementary function within TDI current course offerings”, stated Steve Lewis, director of product development. Lewis continued to say “Firstly it provides recreational divers an opportunity to assess and improve their basic diving skills in a structured and controlled manner, but does not require them to “go technical.” Secondly, it provides those divers who do wish to pursue more advanced diver training with a skill-set that will help them make the transition more smoothly. It may indeed be considered a warm-up for enrolment in some TDI programs.”

Well that's how the press-release explains it. In fact, several of our instructors and instructor-trainers had been running an introductory course along these lines for several years prior to our "official" launch of this program. The idea behind these ad hoc programs was to give divers a leg-up on the skills and planning methods used to manage the additional risks associated with more complex dives. This increased their chances of success in Advanced Nitrox / Decompression Procedures courses.

With the passage of time and the growing interest in technical diving among sport divers, we wanted to provide a program that was more appealing to a broader audience and that helped build some of the basic skills that are useful to ALL divers... not just techies.

Hope this helps.

 

[Otter]

Is this curriculum and scope comparable to GUE-F?

 

[Steve R]

Is this curriculum and scope comparable to GUE-F?

The answer to that is, it could be.

Since there is not the Instructor/Instruction uniformity within TDI as there is with GUE, this typically leads to different exactings of the same TDI standards.

There are also more than enough silents areas within the Intro course where there is simply no written standard to live up to, so it is entirely within the individual instructors discretion. This is less so with the GUE criteria, which is really quite to the point and leaves little individual variations.

 

[Normoxic Diver]

Due to Required equipment standards 2A & 2B, a candidate in case he/ she dives on doubles, has to carry 4 second stages & 2 SPGs.....?

Maybe i misunderstood something.....

 

[Dirkadiver]

Due to Required equipment standards 2A & 2B, a candidate in case he/ she dives on doubles, has to carry 4 second stages & 2 SPGs.....?

Maybe i misunderstood something.....

That can't be right; I think what he's referring to is that you have to have a primary & a backup on all primary tanks (doubles being considered singular in his statement). I know some instructors want you to have a spg on each tank when using doubles so that in the event you have to shut one down you can still monitor your gas.

 

[elmo6s]

Is the course going to have materials (i.e. books, etc)?

 

[outlaws]

That can't be right; I think what he's referring to is that you have to have a primary & a backup on all primary tanks (doubles being considered singular in his statement). I know some instructors want you to have a spg on each tank when using doubles so that in the event you have to shut one down you can still monitor your gas.

I would assume you are right(doubles being considered singular) As far as an spg on each tank when using doubles. I personally use a transmitter on my primary for my computer and a spg on the secondary. If you have to shut down one side the dive is over! Monitoring the remaining gas is not a concern as what you have is what you have to get out. Hopefully your not depending on the entire volume of air in both the cylinders. Just my 2 psi.

Butch