Recommended Courses for Introductory Tech

[mike.chuanshi]

First of all, thank you to everyone here who is so willing to share their wisdom and knowledge gained from years of experience and studying hard. I am very happy to have found this resource and very much appreciate all of the valuable information being so selflessly shared.

I am a novice diver with less than 30 dives. I have obtained AOW cert through PADI and am paired with an awesome instructor (who is also a tech instructor associated with both PADI and TDI). I have also completed Enriched Air, Deep Diver, Search and Recovery, and about a dozen other specialty courses. I am very into safety, rescue, and dive medicine (although I have not done the rescue diver course yet), have done the EFR and Emergency O2 courses, and am planning on doing DAN's DEMP and Dive Medicine courses in the very near future. In addition, my instructor has recommended that I complete a DSMB course, PADI's "self-reliant diver" course, TDI's "Advanced Nitrox," and look into narcosis management courses.

I am hoping that experienced technical divers might be able to make other course recommendations as well as provide advice about what order to take the classes in. I do, of course, have my instructor to speak with and get recommendations from (and I certainly do respect and trust him completely), although I always try to get as much information from as many different sources as possible (too many years of university indoctrination, I suppose). If I decide to go the tech route (and the chances of that are pretty good right now), I want to do it right and have a very strong foundation in the basics as well as safety.

That being said, what kind of "curriculum" do you recommended for someone interested in exploring the possibility of becoming a tech diver (PADI, TDI, DAN, etc.).

 

[Doppler]

What is a DSMB course (Delayed Surface Marker Buoy course!?)

 

[wedivebc]

Personally I think with only 30 dives given the number of classes you have taken it might be a good idea just to gain some real world diving experience.

The only true narcosis management course is one involving the use of helium such as TDI's Helitrox course but please, please go do some diving first.

 

[rivers]

Your instructor sees a cash cow in you. Find a buddy and go and do some diving. With 30 dives and a mile long list of courses, how many have you actually done outside of a course?

 

[mike.chuanshi]

Yes, DSMB = Delayed Surface Marker Buoy

 

[nimoh]

First of all, thank you to everyone here who is so willing to share their wisdom and knowledge gained from years of experience and studying hard. I am very happy to have found this resource and very much appreciate all of the valuable information being so selflessly shared.

I am a novice diver with less than 30 dives. I have obtained AOW cert through PADI and am paired with an awesome instructor (who is also a tech instructor associated with both PADI and TDI). I have also completed Enriched Air, Deep Diver, Search and Recovery, and about a dozen other specialty courses. I am very into safety, rescue, and dive medicine (although I have not done the rescue diver course yet), have done the EFR and Emergency O2 courses, and am planning on doing DAN's DEMP and Dive Medicine courses in the very near future. In addition, my instructor has recommended that I complete a DSMB course, PADI's "self-reliant diver" course, TDI's "Advanced Nitrox," and look into narcosis management courses.

I am hoping that experienced technical divers might be able to make other course recommendations as well as provide advice about what order to take the classes in. I do, of course, have my instructor to speak with and get recommendations from (and I certainly do respect and trust him completely), although I always try to get as much information from as many different sources as possible (too many years of university indoctrination, I suppose). If I decide to go the tech route (and the chances of that are pretty good right now), I want to do it right and have a very strong foundation in the basics as well as safety.

That being said, what kind of "curriculum" do you recommended for someone interested in exploring the possibility of becoming a tech diver (PADI, TDI, DAN, etc.).

I recommend GUE Fundamentals based on my experience, it was the most rewarding class I had ever taken...until I took GUE Cave 1. There are classes coming up in Honolulu March 26 and April 2, if interested. This is most certainly based on my experience, and yours may be different.

You do seem very impressed with your current instructor, and I think the instructor is more important than the agency. Based on this, you might want to look at TDI Intro to Tech Diving with your current instructor. It should give you a solid foundation for things like buoyancy, trim, situational awareness and in making smart gear configuration choices. I would, however get in some diving before progressing. I started tech classes at about 100 dives, and I think that was pretty early.

 

[mike.chuanshi]

Personally I think with only 30 dives given the number of classes you have taken it might be a good idea just to gain some real world diving experience.

The only true narcosis management course is one involving the use of helium such as TDI's Helitrox course but please, please go do some diving first.

Yes, I most certainly agree that the experience is an absolute must - I certainly do not want to be that clown who tries to go too fast only to get himself (or someone else) into trouble/killed. In general, what do you feel is a minimum number of dives (and in what conditions) that someone should have before looking at tech courses?

 

[KD8NPB]

Do you carry a slung AL40 already?

If not, add one, get used to carrying it.

 

[mike.chuanshi]

Your instructor sees a cash cow in you. Find a buddy and go and do some diving. With 30 dives and a mile long list of courses, how many have you actually done outside of a course?

Very few. The majority of my dives have been as a part of classes. I'm getting the very strong impression that course dives are considered "controlled environment" dives and don't count much toward true experience. Is this accurate?

Again, I am not trying to rush anything. I am still completely in the "pre-technical" realm and do not plan on doing full tech courses for quite some time. When/if I do, I want to be confident that I am adequately prepared for the coursework and diving skill requirements.

 

[rhwestfall]

What is a DSMB course (Delayed Surface Marker Buoy course!?)

an acronym for "liberating you from your assets"......

as said earlier, do some diving.......