Nitrox: Which agency to use?

[KoiWatcher]

The question I am asking on these boards is which agency should I use for a Nitrox course?

Background:

I have an HSA B level open water scuba diver certification (missing parts of a leg) that I achieved through a local HSA/Wounded Warrior Program. I only do recreational dives. It seems as if more locations are asking for an advanced open water certification. So I figure I'd get Nitrox and advanced open water. I know I can go back to HSA/WWP for the advanced course. I just need to know which agency to turn to for the Nitrox.

Someone suggested PADI to me. This has two issues: 1) PADI did away with tables and dives for their course, pushing the dive computer (yes, I still use dive tables and prefer not to trust a machine); 2) PADI doesn't recognize my HSA certification for their continuing education classes (at least according to one location in PA which has been good to me and which I respect).

Is there an agency that will recognize my cert card and allow me to take a Nitrox class?

 

[supergaijin]

'Pro NRC' courses do not do OW training, so that is a possibility. I don't know how much of a presence they are in your part of the world but...

 

[beaverdivers]

Is there an agency that will recognize my cert card and allow me to take a Nitrox class?

TDI offers table based nitrox training. I would be very surprised if your cert. is not recognized.

 

[tplyons]

While my PADI Nitrox course was officially taught using a dive computer, I stayed after to learn the older version utilizing tables.

To this day, I still use tables to track pressure groups and oxygen exposure.

I'm not sure about PADI and your disability, however.

Best of luck!

 

[JohnN]

TDI offers table based nitrox training. I would be very surprised if your cert. is not recognized.

I find myself in total agreement with Beaver . Give TDI a call. I did mine on-line with little muss and fuss.

 

[uncfnp]

According to their website, HSA certification was developed with the assistance of PADI and NAUI so before you rule out PADI for nitrox, I would check with them directly. As for tables, if you already understand tables well with air, it should be easy for you to pick up the nitrox versions on your own or with fellow diver/internet/SB assistance.

i too took nitrox with TDI (live version) and highly recommend.

Good Luck

 

[genxweb]

I am a PADI Instructor and we have the option to teach either the table version or the computer version. This decision is usually left to the person taking the course. I prefer to push the table version as it gives you more understanding of what you doing and why you are doing it. It is also slightly more conservative in dive preparation which is good for some one with a injury. I know our shop shop does a lot of work with the wounded warrior programs and HSA and we have several instructors trained in this to make sure the soldiers experience is a excellent one.

"Handicapped Scuba Association International (HSA) was founded by Jim Gatacre in 1981 and is considered the world's leading authority on recreational diving for people with disabilities. Headquartered in California, HSA is a non-profit organization that has extended its underwater educational programs worldwide.

Operating as an independent diver training and certifying agency, HSA is internationally recognized and was developed in conjunction with two major certifying agencies PADI and NAUI."

If you have questions about it being accepted I suggest calling PADI directly.

HSA Non-member Page

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Another vote for the TDI Nitrox or SEI Nitrox that is also tables based, and includes actual dives, course and as an SEI/SDI/TDI instructor I would recognize your HSA cert for any con ed class I offer. That anyone else would not is just ignorant.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Jon_R]

I took a PADI nitrox class in June 2013 Melbourne, Florida and we did tables. I don't know if the change to drop tables happened after that or my instructor just didn't care and taught us tables anyways.

 

[KoiWatcher]

Thank you all for the responses.

When PADI was contacted, they stated they do not recognize HSA as eligible for their continuing education classes; unless someone has a better point of contact for them? Maybe I was speaking to the "wrong person"?

Oddly enough when I took my HSA/WWP class the materials where donated by either PADI or a PADI dive center (I still have the PADI book and PADI video), and the dives were strongly influenced by NAUI from what I could see. We had 5 dives and completed tasks not normally covered in a PADI course - I know this because my wife was stunned when she came to the fifth open water dive to see me graduate and saw that for my final exercise they had me search under water for my instructor who was some 20+ yards away in 15 feet of water simulating being an unconscious diver. I had to use his BC as a lift bag and slowly raise him to the surface then town him in. She had nothing like that in her PADI basic OW course and wished she had been there for my other sessions.

As for my preference for tables, I was a math major so I do calculations in my head to relax. Yes I know that's weird.

I will contact TDI and see what they say.

I don't want to break any rules, just find someone who will accept my HSA level B cert and allow me to take a Nitrox course.