Planning my Tech Learning adventure

[Trace Malinowski]

PADI's hiring standards for most web/marketing/publishing jobs at PADI HQ ask for an open water diver certification. I'm sure the employee dives, but maybe at a lower level.

My GUE instructors held me to a higher standard of trim than the divers shown in the cave pic by Matej Simonic on GUE's home page. Judging by that, "It's the instructor, not the agency," would apply to GUE as well."

I've always disliked that pic. This thread gave me a forum to call it out.

 

[Preach]

Hi everyone! hope you're all doing well

I'm planning to get into tech diving in the near future. So far, I've have been PADI trained - almost MSD certified - however since I'm planning to switch from recreational diving to technical diving, I was thinking to also switch agency... I know "it's the instructor not the agency" (which I completely agree with btw) but surely there must be differences in material taught and skills focused on? Especially with technical diving as I'm guessing its a lot more well, technical, than recreational diving??? -please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm here to learn

Any advice, tips, points in the right direction is appreciated.
I'm based in the Netherlands, but travel whenever I can, with scuba gear in tow of course

Many thanks in advance for your help

Cheers, AllyCat

Hey, i see your from the Netherlands. I would go for gue fundamentals. Why? Cause The Netherlands is in de top 5 biggest gue country's in the world. If you go down the gue road you will find easy ow/tech/cave buddy's. The gue community is really big here and there tons of people that want to train with you. If you ever would like to go dive, send me a PM.

On top of that we have some top notch gue instructors in country as well.
I did my gue fundamentals after AOW with 35 dives logged, it was a major challenge but totally worth it.
Even if you switch to other agency's after you did your fundamentals, a lot of instructors are still happy to take you in after you did fundamentals.

 

[LiteHedded]

I have no idea where that is from, but, of course, all PADI instructors do everything alike, right?

So when were you watching me that made you decide I looked like this?

is that stroke nonsense allowed under the current standards?

 

[boulderjohn]

They probably don’t do anything alike because there are barely any standards.

“Swim down, swing around, and swim back up” seems to be where the bar is set.

What I assume is happening in that picture is one part of Trimix dive #1. The student has to

• carry 4 stage/deco bottles.
• stage all four
• pick them up again.
• repeat the above without a mask

Some would argue that it is more than “Swim down, swing around, and swim back up." The full tech program requires multiple bag shoots, multiple decompression stops held within a couple feet of depth, multiple valve shutdown drills (including while holding decompression stops at the assigned depth), safety drills, "surprises" provided by the instructor, etc. Rather than “Swim down, swing around, and swim back up," on all the latter dives the students must plan and execute suitable missions for the dives.

 

[PfcAJ]

What I assume is happening in that picture is one part of Trimix dive #1. The student has to

• carry 4 stage/deco bottles.
• stage all four
• pick them up again.
• repeat the above without a mask

Some would argue that it is more than “Swim down, swing around, and swim back up." The full tech program requires multiple bag shoots, multiple decompression stops held within a couple feet of depth, multiple valve shutdown drills (including while holding decompression stops at the assigned depth), safety drills, "surprises" provided by the instructor, etc. Rather than “Swim down, swing around, and swim back up," on all the latter dives the students must plan and execute suitable missions for the dives.

Id like to read the equipment, gas, and dive standards, as well as the QC procedures to ensure instructors are up to par. Can you share them? Anywhere that I can see a listing of instructors and review their resumes?

 

[boulderjohn]

Id like to read the equipment, gas, and dive standards, as well as the QC procedures to ensure instructors are up to par. Can you share them? Anywhere that I can see a listing of instructors and review their resumes?

The Tec 40-50 documents are in PDF format, but the Trimix requirements are in print version only. It would take me many hours to write them all out. There is no list of instructors and their résumés. I could supply you with the requirements to become a trimix instructor if you wish--they involve going through a training program in which you demonstrate skills, taking an exam, and having a requisite number of logged decompression dives at minimum depths.

You are asking for a book's worth of information.

 

[PfcAJ]

post whatcha got.

Odd that the standards arent just freely available?

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

There are good instructors in different agencies but how do you know good from bad when you are getting into tech? You do not have the skills or the knowledge by which you will evaluate the skills and the knowledge of the instructor. This is what agencies are for. Their brand name means they have separated / filtered out the ones that were unworthy of carrying their name. Which agencies are doing that and which ones are leaving their instructor cadre to create a personalized market reputation themselves?

 

[boulderjohn]

The Trimix equipment list for each student has 15 items required, and another 6 depending upon the situation. For example, the use of a drysuit inflation system is only needed if the student is using a drysuit.

• Double cylinders with isolation manifold (or sidemount)
• Standard doubles regulators, including one with 7 foot/2 meter hose; spg
• At least 2 decompression cylinders with regulator, spg, mounting gear.
• Appropriate BCD and harness with redundant buoyancy (drysuit works)
• Depth gauge or computer and backups
• Timing device and backup
• Trimix decompression information (tables or computer) and backup
• Appropriate exposure suit
• Inflatable signal tube
• Reel
• Lift bag (or large signal tube)
• 2 cutting devices
• slate/wet notes
• Compass

Additional requirements depend upon situation--lights, etc.

The Trimix course builds on the Tec 40-50 course sequence. Students crossing over from another agency at that level must complete the Tec 50 requirements. That adds more requirements. At that level, they must plan the deco dives by hand, with the help of planning software). They therefore need a special slate that takes them through the entire process of planning the dive, including calculating gas needs (using RMV), OTUs, and CNS% for each step of the dives. Once they reach the Trimix level, they are past that and can use dive planning software (like Multi-deco) to plan dives and contingencies.

 

[taimen]

What about SSI technical and cave programs? I see some previously TDI instructors crossing over to SSI.