PADI TecRec standards

[Wibble]

The only thing that matters is that the 'tec' instructor is fully dived up and experienced at diving 'tec' dives, i.e. diving the dives all the time. They should have exemplary skills and use the correct kit.

Too often one overhears "tec instructors" promoting the tec courses whilst rarely if ever diving to tec levels and not in tec kit. This is the challenge of a shop where the vast majority of customers are doing entry-level recreational diving. They may have "thousands" of dives, but what's a dive?

Thus when choosing a technical instructor you should interview them about their diving experience. You want a breadth of experience and *lots* of technical experience, especially with twinsets, sidemount and CCR (few people dive deep on open circuit - it's way too expensive). Quiz them about how one should practice the new skills, especially the core skills at entry-level -- we all know it takes some time to perfect buoyancy, trim and finning. Doing a coaching day for basic skills (paid for) could be part of the 'interview' process.


My personal opinion is that you don't just go to your local dive shop and choose the technical course. You should firstly choose the technical instructor based upon their extensive technical diving experience. They're more likely to be well known in the diving community and be very active in technical training -- google is your friend. Most dive shops do not have instructors with extensive technical experience regardless of the courses they sell. That story of the inexperienced and poorly equipped 'instructor' above seems all to familiar.

 

[Tracy]

Padi's Tec standards are the highest in the industry as written. GUE standards are much lower than Padi.
That said, Padi doesn't have many instructors that can themselves perform to the standards as written let alone teach to them. There is also no oversight that standards are being met. With Padi, there are no consequences to not meeting standards.
Basically, it is the same as with all tec diving. Don't start with big dives and unfamiliar team. Meet the people, start small, work up from there.

 

[ginti]

Padi's Tec standards are the highest in the industry as written.

This is interesting. I have to admit that doing a valve drill in 45s impressed me, and I am not aware of other agencies requiring a diver to be that fast (true, I am not an instructor and I do not know well the other agencies). So now I am curious

It seems to me that the tec-rec path should educate a diver in the following aspects:
- decompression theory
- proper dives planning
- basic skills (buoyancy and trim, primary reg donation, valce drill, deco bottle switch, etc.)
- rescue in case of emergency

Out of curiosity, what makes the standards of PADI regarding these points the highest in the industry? Could you give me some examples?

Also, am I missing some other points?

Thanks!

 

[PfcAJ]

Padi's Tec standards are the highest in the industry as written. GUE standards are much lower than Padi.
That said, Padi doesn't have many instructors that can themselves perform to the standards as written let alone teach to them. There is also no oversight that standards are being met. With Padi, there are no consequences to not meeting standards.
Basically, it is the same as with all tec diving. Don't start with big dives and unfamiliar team. Meet the people, start small, work up from there.

How are the PADI standards the highest? Pls explain.

How can you have the highest standards and not have consequence for not meeting those “standards”?

 

[Tracy]

How are the PADI standards the highest? Pls explain.

How can you have the highest standards and not have consequence for not meeting those “standards”?

My first line stipulates "As written."
Padi standards require all skills to be done completely neutral with no depth deviation, no finning, and in perfect horizontal trim with no deviation. No other agency requires that.
GUE allows for 20 degrees deviation from horizontal and up to 1 meter depth variance for a tech pass.
I'm sure they exist, but I have never seen a PADI tec instructor capable of performing the skills to the written standard. The courses are generally not taught to the standards, and there is no repercussions for **** instruction which is why I consider the entire agency a joke. I have personally filed a complaint against a tec instructor who ran out of air while teaching a course I was in. They never responded and he became a course director a few years later.
I left PADI not because of costs, I feel they don't care about quality training and are only interested in their bottom dollar.

 

[_Ralph]

This is interesting. I have to admit that doing a valve drill in 45s impressed me, and I am not aware of other agencies requiring a diver to be that fast (true, I am not an instructor and I do not know well the other agencies). So now I am curious

Reminds me of a post a number of years ago of an instructor claiming they produce the best students...(different organization I believe... couldn’t find the video)

There was a video, of a smaller framed diver, with a set of doubles in a chair, leaning back, super loose harness and no thermal protection. The video was to show at how fast their students could do a ‘valve drill’

All I saw was a mad flailing of arms resembling the dust cloud around Pig Pen (Charlie Brown cartoon character). Along with a body bending in ways relative to the tanks that wouldn’t necessarily happen with gravity (the tanks were supported on this chair) and any resemblance of a stable platform...

Would that actually work underwater? I highly doubt it....

So, where does the 45s valve drill have to be performed?


_R

 

[sea_ledford]

I'm pretty sure I had to do a timed valve drill for my full cave, and I think it was under 45 seconds. Cert was through NSS-CDS. Certainly possible it was an instructor requirement rather than an agency one though.

Very doable once you abandon breathing down the regs. I think all three of us students were in the 15-30 second range.

 

[Wibble]

Padi's Tec standards are the highest in the industry as written. GUE standards are much lower than Padi.

That said, Padi doesn't have many instructors that can themselves perform to the standards as written let alone teach to them. There is also no oversight that standards are being met. With Padi, there are no consequences to not meeting standards.

GUE are renowned for making a virtue out of practising and demonstrating their skills to their standards by spending hours on 6m platforms.

Do a lot of PADI people fail? If an instructor can't attain the standards, how could a student?

The point about technical diving is constantly diving to technical standards (kit, techniques, depths, etc.) to develop and maintain excellence. That literally conflicts with recreational standards.

 

[ginti]

Guys, since the thread may take a direction different from its original purpose, I kindly ask you a favor: not another thread to decide which agency is the best... we all know that the instructor always matters and that GUE/UTD have a good quality control

My purpose is only to understand standards, nothing more, nothing less.

Please

 

[ginti]

I'm sure they exist, but I have never seen a PADI tec instructor capable of performing the skills to the written standard.

I know 2 PADI tec instructors capable of doing that, and one PADI rec instructor. All of them technical divers with experience across several agencies.

Anyway, I get your point. I will check a bit deeper the point in PADI standards you mentioned, about being horizontal with no trim/buoyancy deviations. Thanks