Tri-Mix Agencies?

[SCUBA Q]

Not sure if it was previously mentioned, but I would focus an equal amount of effort on finding someone to take the class with you and hopefully become a trusted dive buddy. All of the other issues aside, you’ll see the “pool” of potential dive buddies start shrinking once you begin technical diving. That and you’ll start to become way more critical of who you dive with (in a polite way though).

But just for grins, if you really want to feel some of the pain of diving mix, I recommend doing the following…

Step 1: buy a big glass jar and place it on top of your refrigerator. Every recreational dive with your buddies, throw $120 in the jar. That’s a good round figure for gas costs. Just before the jar is overflowing with cash, take it to the back porch and light it on fire (bring tissues to muffle your weeping as it burns). This part is pretty realistic as it doesn’t look any different down there anyways.

Step 2: get your tanks filled. Get your EAN32 or whatever for a nice recreational dive, but once your tanks are filled, wait around at the shop for an extra 2 hours to “simulate” the burden of having the blender fill them (bonus points if you drop the tanks off and pick them up the next day…as this could also be a likely scenario). For added measure, analyze the tanks once finished and “complain” that the mix is wrong and have them re-whip the cylinders to “correct” the problem.

Step 3: go diving. Dive with your buddies, but bring along an AL80 as a “stage/deco bottle” (this is to accompany doubles for your backgas). Don’t breath it, just kick it around the entire dive letting it constantly bang against you (bonus if it’s more than half empty). Get a little 6cf tank (the “argon bottle”) and strap that baby on so it can dig into your back. Also make sure you go through the added hassle of transfilling the argon bottle before your dive.

Step 4: do the deco. Stare into your buddy’s eyes as you contemplate the meaning of life for 15 minutes while executing a motionless hang at 20ft. Again, bonus points if you replicate a catheter malfunction and pee yourself sometime during the dive, making for a nice cold deco.


I know I’m joking around, but Tech diving is a little more involved than just strapping on tanks and splashing. I’m pretty new at it myself and find it rather enjoyable, I hope the same for you.

Personally, I wouldn’t worry about trimix just yet, but understand it’s not my call to make.

 

[TSandM]

ScubaQ, great post!

A dear friend of mine once wrote: Air -- ten minutes of looking at a lot of fun stuff. Nitrox -- 30 minutes of looking at a lot of fun stuff. Trimix -- 20 minutes of looking at not very much, followed by 30 minutes of looking at absolutely NOTHING. There is a ton of truth to that! (And the part about peeing on yourself is, unfortunately, utterly true.)

 

[Codyjp]

Quentin, great post, thanks for the laugh.

Now, I'm going to edit it for length sorta like Fox news would do with a Pelosi speech.

...and pee yourself sometime during the dive, making for a nice cold deco.

I’m pretty new at it myself and find it rather enjoyable...

 

[waterpirate]

The reality here is that helium is just a tool. Knowing when you need to buy the tool or use it is the real trick. Helium to me is the same as the voodoo gas arguments about nitrox. It is just a tool, period.
1. Helium reduces the nitrogen level in any given mix there by reducing the effects of narcosis.
2. Helium is used to reduce the amount of 02 in any given mix as an option for deep air
3. Helium is used to control the pp of 02 at extended range depths

I think the op definately fits into scenario 1. If you want sobriety without the conditioning being stupid over long exposures, use the tool. If you are succeptable to narcosis use the tool. I disagree with the rec trimix cert getting you to 150 in card speak without adv/deco. I feel there should be a fracturing of that program and the introductionn of helium within rec limits max depth 130 and max content being 20% helium for sobriety only.
OP if you feel you need to utelise the tool in scenario 1, a rec trimix cert is what you are shopping and the agency should be second to the instructor quality choice. Perfect world is you find someone local to train you and mentor you beyond number 1 as you proggress. Option two is wing on down to someplace sunny, do a checkout dive or two and get rec trimix from non local shop. Either way it is a tool and a choice and nothing more, just like nitrox.
Eric

 

[LiteHedded]

ScubaQ, great post!

A dear friend of mine once wrote: Air -- ten minutes of looking at a lot of fun stuff. Nitrox -- 30 minutes of looking at a lot of fun stuff. Trimix -- 20 minutes of looking at not very much, followed by 30 minutes of looking at absolutely NOTHING. There is a ton of truth to that! (And the part about peeing on yourself is, unfortunately, utterly true.)

your friend is lookin' in the wrong places!

 

[ScubaFeenD]

Ok, so if diving deep and using trimix is so annoying and painful, then you should probably just make your lives easier and move on back to the 90-120ft range, huh? Perhaps, instead, we could just move this to the whine and cheese forum so you can all vent about how terribly burdensome it is to have so many qualifications.

 

[Blackwood]

bonus points if you replicate a catheter malfunction and pee yourself sometime during the dive, making for a nice cold deco.

Foul. Too soon.

 

[LiteHedded]

Ok, so if diving deep and using trimix is so annoying and painful, then you should probably just make your lives easier and move on back to the 90-120ft range, huh? Perhaps, instead, we could just move this to the whine and cheese forum so you can all vent about how terribly burdensome it is to have so many qualifications.

worth it. most times...

 

[DevonDiver]

I would always say, progress to tech and then trimix when you need to. That means, when you have done all there is to do in your area in recreational depths. Chances are, there's a bunch of great dives in your area, where you won't need the expense of helium, tech kit and training to reach them.

50-100 dives doesn't even meet the bare minimum requirement for trimix training. It'd be a shame to pay for a course that you might fail because of lack of experience and skill in the water. Unlike the recreational courses you have taken, there is a real possibility of not getting certified trimix if you aren't up to job yet. The task loading is immense...and if your core diving skills and awareness are not instinctive, then you won't hack it.

I have not heard of SSI teaching trimix.

Yes, they have a tech programme that includes Trimix.

I asked the shop I go through about the PADI Tec-Rec classes and he said they're pretty much a joke

That sounds like a lame excuse to me. I don't know anyone who would call it "a joke". There are pros and cons to each of the programmes offered by different agencies, but they are not that disimular in content.

The value of any tech course is generally dictated by the strength of the individual instructor concerned.

Most of the tech instructors I know can teach for multiple agencies, having qualified in various cross-overs etc. Same instructor. Same skills. Regardless of whether you get a TDI, IANTD or DSAT Tec qualification at the end of it.

...and recommended I get TriMix and full Cave through IANTD, even though he knows I have 0 desire for Cave. He says the skills I would learn in Cave are invaluable though.

I disagree with this. If you don't want to dive caves, then it is ludicrous that you would take a cave course. The skills contained in cave training are of a high level, but unless you will be diving caves, you can obtain those 'core skills' elsewhere (i.e. Fundies). Same is true if you want to tech dive wrecks....do an advanced/technical wreck course... don't try and squeeze some transferable skills from cave training.

As many others have stated.... you may be best advised to stick to recreational diving for a little while longer. Get those core skills to an instinctive level. Do some doubles diving if you want to.... get comfortable with that. Practise DSMB deployment of a few dozen dives...and get slick with that. Establish excellent buddy drills. Expand your awareness...learn to keep total awareness of your depth, time, NDL, location and dive team/partner throughout the dive. Learn to multi-task underwater.

There is so much you could do, before you seek to advance into technical diving.

 

[TSandM]

your friend is lookin' in the wrong places!

Well, he doesn't cave dive . . .

I disagree with the rec trimix cert getting you to 150 in card speak without adv/deco.

Does ANY agency give you a card that gets you to 150 without training in decompression?

Ok, so if diving deep and using trimix is so annoying and painful, then you should probably just make your lives easier and move on back to the 90-120ft range, huh? Perhaps, instead, we could just move this to the whine and cheese forum so you can all vent about how terribly burdensome it is to have so many qualifications.

I don't know what's got you so wound up. Those of us who do this kind of diving have had a chance to experience both its up side and its downsides (which are real, and not insignificant). Yes, it's fun to go someplace not many people can go, and see some things not many see. BUT it IS expensive, it DOES require expensive training, it DOES require hauling a sometimes frightening amount of gear around, it DOES require significant logistics in terms of fills and mixes . . . A lot of the time, faced with the choice of doing a technical dive on a site, or jumping in with a single tank or a set of small doubles and paddling around, I'll opt for the latter. There has to be something quite specific to make putting a tech dive together worthwhile.

I think folks posting here are actually being rather honest about it.