Rickk
Contributor
I recently completed TDI AN and DP courses.
I came to Moalboal Philippines just before the pandemic and decided to just stay here until it is over. I had been rec diving a few times a week but after a while wanted something a little different. I signed on for the two TDI courses Prior highest certification was PADI rescue and SSI Science of Diving. I have ice certification, nitrox and deep and have dry suit experience. Started the course at about the 300+ dive level.
I felt like a minnow, an absolute new diver first few dives with twinset. I thought I had good skills, and without too much bragging I was better than most rec divers. With the twinset I had floaty fins so put the RK3s back in the dive bag and bought a pair of ScubaPro Jets. That sorted the main buoyancy issues, To make a long story short, I spent several months and 75 to 80 dives before I was fully comfortable with the Twinset, frog finning, back finning, deploying DSMB, precise trim, etc. Most of those dives was just me and a dive master on a recreational dive, often with other rec divers, where I could practice the skills but Phill Jennings of Cebu Dive Centre here in Moalboal took me through the necessary practice sessions, It was several months to get to the point where he was comfortable starting the dedicated course, by that time I had done most of the skills piecemeal but the final 7 or 8 dives put it all together. Even now, I still practice the basic tech skills on recreational dives, no matter if I am diving single or twinset.
Tech diving takes commitment. You will discover that you have developed a LOT of bad habits in rec diving, ones that still put you in the top level of rec diver skills but must be unlearned prior to getting to the meat of tech diving. You will need additional equipment. I had a BPW for single tank rec diving and all the other gear but ended up buying a second Perdix (first is AI), second PBW, dedicated fins, two new regs, different DSMB, manifold valve and tank bands. (Borrowing tanks from the dive shop or there would be another 20k peso, $US500.) Even with some used equipment, and some I already had, it was over $US3,000 in additional equipment.
It was well worth it. I consider myself a much better diver, more informed and knowledgeable on the science of diving, much better more precise skills than before. But for me, the payoff is that I have started to master a new skill set, one that not many people have done. I will go on to Trimix and Advanced Trimix. If I ever get somewhere with a good TDI Wreck instructor and some wrecks, I will take that path as well.
Anyone reading this and trying to decide between Dive Master and going Tech as a next step beyond Rescue should really consider what their goals are. If you want to get a job in diving then Dive Master, if you want to become a better diver then go Tech.
There are other threads here that discuss the various differences among the agencies. Just as with basic OW, it is the instructor that matters not the agency, the skills are the same, the science of the dives is the same, about all that changes is a little of the way the instructor has to teach the courses, TDI appears to give the instructor more freedom in the sequence of the skills, PADI mandates a set order more than TDI. Also TDI can be a little cheaper than PADI because you can use a library text book and PADI insists that you buy their book. (I have never opened any dive course book after getting the card.) I cannot really comment in the other agencies as I have not been exposed to them in the tech world.
Find an instructor that will work with you throughout the process.
Unless you have the necessary fundamental skills to start the course, do not think you can take a tech course on a short vacation. If you are rescue then find a tech instructor to get you started on twinset or side mount first, then master that, then think about the actual courses. Talk to some tech divers, watch the YouTube videos and see what tech diving looks like, master trim and buoyancy skills, learn frog kicking, back finning etc.
But most of all have fun and be safe.
I came to Moalboal Philippines just before the pandemic and decided to just stay here until it is over. I had been rec diving a few times a week but after a while wanted something a little different. I signed on for the two TDI courses Prior highest certification was PADI rescue and SSI Science of Diving. I have ice certification, nitrox and deep and have dry suit experience. Started the course at about the 300+ dive level.
I felt like a minnow, an absolute new diver first few dives with twinset. I thought I had good skills, and without too much bragging I was better than most rec divers. With the twinset I had floaty fins so put the RK3s back in the dive bag and bought a pair of ScubaPro Jets. That sorted the main buoyancy issues, To make a long story short, I spent several months and 75 to 80 dives before I was fully comfortable with the Twinset, frog finning, back finning, deploying DSMB, precise trim, etc. Most of those dives was just me and a dive master on a recreational dive, often with other rec divers, where I could practice the skills but Phill Jennings of Cebu Dive Centre here in Moalboal took me through the necessary practice sessions, It was several months to get to the point where he was comfortable starting the dedicated course, by that time I had done most of the skills piecemeal but the final 7 or 8 dives put it all together. Even now, I still practice the basic tech skills on recreational dives, no matter if I am diving single or twinset.
Tech diving takes commitment. You will discover that you have developed a LOT of bad habits in rec diving, ones that still put you in the top level of rec diver skills but must be unlearned prior to getting to the meat of tech diving. You will need additional equipment. I had a BPW for single tank rec diving and all the other gear but ended up buying a second Perdix (first is AI), second PBW, dedicated fins, two new regs, different DSMB, manifold valve and tank bands. (Borrowing tanks from the dive shop or there would be another 20k peso, $US500.) Even with some used equipment, and some I already had, it was over $US3,000 in additional equipment.
It was well worth it. I consider myself a much better diver, more informed and knowledgeable on the science of diving, much better more precise skills than before. But for me, the payoff is that I have started to master a new skill set, one that not many people have done. I will go on to Trimix and Advanced Trimix. If I ever get somewhere with a good TDI Wreck instructor and some wrecks, I will take that path as well.
Anyone reading this and trying to decide between Dive Master and going Tech as a next step beyond Rescue should really consider what their goals are. If you want to get a job in diving then Dive Master, if you want to become a better diver then go Tech.
There are other threads here that discuss the various differences among the agencies. Just as with basic OW, it is the instructor that matters not the agency, the skills are the same, the science of the dives is the same, about all that changes is a little of the way the instructor has to teach the courses, TDI appears to give the instructor more freedom in the sequence of the skills, PADI mandates a set order more than TDI. Also TDI can be a little cheaper than PADI because you can use a library text book and PADI insists that you buy their book. (I have never opened any dive course book after getting the card.) I cannot really comment in the other agencies as I have not been exposed to them in the tech world.
Find an instructor that will work with you throughout the process.
Unless you have the necessary fundamental skills to start the course, do not think you can take a tech course on a short vacation. If you are rescue then find a tech instructor to get you started on twinset or side mount first, then master that, then think about the actual courses. Talk to some tech divers, watch the YouTube videos and see what tech diving looks like, master trim and buoyancy skills, learn frog kicking, back finning etc.
But most of all have fun and be safe.