PADI Tec Instructor

[toddthecat]

Have been interested in expanding not only my operation but my possibilities when it comes to opening up the new world of technical diving. According to PADI, to be Tec Instructor requires:
* Be a renewed PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (or a PADI Instructor with a higher rating)
* Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
* Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, or have successfully completed a PADI Enriched Air Instructor Training course.
* Be a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor or have successfully completed a PADI Deep Diver Speicalty Instructor Training course.
* Have a minimum of 100 logged dives where at least 20 dives were made with enriched air nitrox, 25 dives were deeper than 18 metres/ 60 feet and at least 15 dives were deeper than 30 metres/ 100 feet.

Beyond that, what more is there in terms of dives and classroom work that must be done. Has anyone gone through the course that can clarify a little more about what it is all about and how long it takes?

 

[Rhone Man]

Never been through it, but there was a thread a while back (sorry, I'm too lazy to search) where someone who was a long term PADI instructor tried to go the DSAT route and eventually gave up and became a TDI instructor. I think the gist of it was that PADI was very inflexible and unaccommodating when it came to cross-overs, and in the end he just gave up and went with another organisation.

I think also, sotto voce, PADI's tec diving arm is not treated as being quite as serious as the more established tec diver organisations.

 

[rjack321]

Have been interested in expanding not only my operation but my possibilities when it comes to opening up the new world of technical diving. According to PADI, to be Tec Instructor requires:
* Be a renewed PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (or a PADI Instructor with a higher rating)
* Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
* Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, or have successfully completed a PADI Enriched Air Instructor Training course.
* Be a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor or have successfully completed a PADI Deep Diver Speicalty Instructor Training course.
* Have a minimum of 100 logged dives where at least 20 dives were made with enriched air nitrox, 25 dives were deeper than 18 metres/ 60 feet and at least 15 dives were deeper than 30 metres/ 100 feet.

Beyond that, what more is there in terms of dives and classroom work that must be done. Has anyone gone through the course that can clarify a little more about what it is all about and how long it takes?

15 dives below 100ft to become a technical INSTRUCTOR is downright laughable. I suggest you find an technical diving instructor for yourself (I recommend NAUI, UTD, and GUE as agencies over DSAT but that's another story, the reality is you need an instructor).

Once you have a wealth of technical diving knowledge that is worth passing on, then look into becoming an instructor yourself.

 

[radagalf]

15 dives below 100ft to become a technical INSTRUCTOR is downright laughable. I suggest you find an technical diving instructor for yourself (I recommend NAUI, UTD, and GUE as agencies over DSAT but that's another story, the reality is you need an instructor).

Once you have a wealth of technical diving knowledge that is worth passing on, then look into becoming an instructor yourself.

As a matter of interest why do you not recommend TDI?

And to comment on the DSAT Tec... I was reviewing the course standards and PADI Tec Deep and Tec Trimix manuals from 2000 (and the printed off course requirements from around 2002) and compared them to what is available today. They really have dummed down this course significantly and their minimum dive requirements (I think it is only 8 dives now compared to 12 for the Tec Deep program) is laughable. I was thinking of doing Tec Deep and Tec Trimix years ago (didn't materialize due to life) but now that I am considering it again I don't even give this program a second thought.

 

[boomx5]

Have been interested in expanding not only my operation but my possibilities when it comes to opening up the new world of technical diving. According to PADI, to be Tec Instructor requires:
* Be a renewed PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (or a PADI Instructor with a higher rating)
* Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
* Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, or have successfully completed a PADI Enriched Air Instructor Training course.
* Be a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor or have successfully completed a PADI Deep Diver Speicalty Instructor Training course.
* Have a minimum of 100 logged dives where at least 20 dives were made with enriched air nitrox, 25 dives were deeper than 18 metres/ 60 feet and at least 15 dives were deeper than 30 metres/ 100 feet.

Beyond that, what more is there in terms of dives and classroom work that must be done. Has anyone gone through the course that can clarify a little more about what it is all about and how long it takes?

While endeavoring to become a Tech Instructor is something that can be commendable, it is certainly an area where doing your homework will definately benefit you in the longrun. You've taken an important first step in seeking advise but please take your time and look at the big picture. Most of these classes require way to little in regards to experience and competancy. I see that you are a Police Officer so I'll use this analogy. In my opinion, it's similar to someone going through half the Police Academy and being turned loose on the street without an FTO program...would you want to rely on that person for backup? I know I wouldn't! Or, what if your RTO's never actually worked in law enforcement...how much could you really have learned that would've prepared you to do your job on the streets?

In my opinion, and it's only my opinion as I'm not and instructor, Tech Instruction is very similar with regard to experience requirments. If the agency uses arbitrary and very limited standards, not only is the instructor not going to be prepared...but the students will leave the class not prepared to dive at those depths. Also, teaching Tech Diving is a very tough job to doing it right as there is a lot of task loading and potential issues that could go wrong. I know excellent Tech divers that will never teach a Tech class because of that. Please do your homework, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me and I'll see if I can help.

Thanks,

 

[Rhone Man]

15 dives below 100ft to become a technical INSTRUCTOR is downright laughable.

To be entirely fair to DSAT, I think you also need to be a certified tec diver. What is worrying is that they let you take the courses together.

Whether any individual instructor trainer would be happy with that arrangement...

 

[mark99]

Normaly I don't jump on the"get more experience first" bandwagon, because I think divers who want to "aim high," especially in pursuit of more advanced diving skills, ought to be encouraged rather than shot-down like is common here on SB. However, when you're talking about being an instructor, and particularly a tech instructor, I have to comment. As I read your post, it sounds like you don't have to even take or pass the course you are going to teach. (All of your requirements sound like recreational dives to me). I have 400 dives, 60 staged mixed gas decompression dives, and I consider myself a beginning tech diver. I wouldn't want me teaching me! I have been fortunate in having very experienced technical instructors, divers who have experience I will never have. I agree with the post above- get yourself a good tech instructor (so you see what one looks like), take some tech classes, and then see what you think.

 

[RJP]

To be entirely fair to DSAT, I think you also need to be a certified tec diver. What is worrying is that they let you take the courses together.

Reminds me of what my graduate school advisor told me when asking me to teach some grad level courses:

"Doesn't matter if you haven't taken the class yourself, as long as you're at least a page ahead of the students you'll be OK."

:shocked2:

Personally, having recently completed DSAT Tec 1 and Tec Deep, I would not have wanted to take it with an instructor who had less actual deep/tech diving experience than I did when I STARTED the course.

 

[RJP]

CONTENT DELETED - AndyNZ has clarified below...

 

[AndyNZ]

I'd like to see a requirement than an instructor be a certified Tec Deep diver and have X number of staged deco dives, and at an actual DEEP depth (60'? 100'? - please!) before becoming an instructor.

I don't have my new DSAT manual to hand, but there has always been a requirement to have a technical diver qualification.

The DSAT Tec Instructor rating is a strange one. As I recall from memory (I might be wrong), Tec Instructors can only teach the new Tec40 course. They have to be qualified as a Tec45 diver or equivalent, where equivalent is defined as qualified to conduct staged decompression dives to 45m using twin tanks and oxygen for accelerated decompression.

There is also a requirement for, I think, 20 staged decompression dives.

There may be some confusion of pre-requisites and exit conditions. A person may be allowed to enter the Tec Instructor course without being a technical diver, in which case the Tec Instructor course *must* include additional dives that lead to the Tec45 diver certification for the instructor candidate.

The candidate won't actually become a Tec Instructor until they have gone off and completed their 20 staged decompression dives *and* interned on the delivery of at least one Tec40 course.