Current opinions on Padi Tec-rec?

[lv2dive]

Been there, done that... and got the t-shirt (re your description of instructor #2)

At this point I’ve had over a dozen instructors in my diving career. The best were the ones who were happy to explain “why” and who knew how to help teach a diver overcome their weaknesses - and more importantly, really enjoyed helping them.

Some of my more advanced classes were almost like diving with a friend rather than a class. There wasn’t a lot of corrections needed, the classes were more about refining skills / knowledge and repetition to engrain habits.

Without question, my top 20% of instructors were low-normal egos, who were primarily focused on ensuring (vis teaching or reinforcing) that I had the skills I needed to be at that level. The classes I took with the big egos, I learned significantly less.

you keep saying big names , isn't that the ones that do the loudest talking to promote themselves , I know 2 instructors 1 is very low key but a top notch instructor and number 2 is a "big name his MO is to get you in the course then keep saying your no good enough and go away and do more practice sometimes demanding you meet with a days notice for diving and eventually you tire of the bs and you you go away . he was suspended from his agency for no doing an idc in standards ......I personally know 5 people this has happen to .. so it isn't all about a name believe me ......they have their fan boys so people keep coming to them ............NO I wont out them here

 

[Remy B.]

Been there, done that... and got the t-shirt (re your description of instructor #2)

At this point I’ve had over a dozen instructors in my diving career. The best were the ones who were happy to explain “why” and who knew how to help teach a diver overcome their weaknesses - and more importantly, really enjoyed helping them.

Some of my more advanced classes were almost like diving with a friend rather than a class. There wasn’t a lot of corrections needed, the classes were more about refining skills / knowledge and repetition to engrain habits.

Without question, my top 20% of instructors were low-normal egos, who were primarily focused on ensuring (vis teaching or reinforcing) that I had the skills I needed to be at that level. The classes I took with the big egos, I learned significantly less.

Yes, the "why" of something is very important and further more that they take the time to show you comparisons the big ego ones tend to just tell you this is the way with very little explanation, it is as well that they lack to so speak the patience of a teacher or do so with a little arrogance, but is kind of normal I guess or to be expected, apart of transmiting the knowledge there is a lack of mastery on how to transmit it according to each student, which I understand is difficult and time consuming and time&money is a deterrent factor for patience

 

[Remy B.]

Lv2dive, I had a great experience at TekCamp ton of knowledge I went for all the days of the Camp that now are 4 instead of 6.

I admire the patience women have, I had a female instructor for a trydive on a rebreather she was very very very patience and soft spoken no ego or arrogance.

I can say that I had no big egos ones but some were on low patience or one is to bad for their patience, in TekCamp there is not really not a lot of time to know a person well most of the time you are underwater for all the day.

 

[abnfrog]

any instructor that gives the "because I say so " isn't an instructor at all as an instructor you should be able to field all question with a detailed this is why and a rational of why its done this way

 

[jlcnuke]

any instructor that gives the "because I say so " isn't an instructor at all as an instructor you should be able to field all question with a detailed this is why and a rational of why its done this way

“If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”

― Albert Einstein

 

[kensuf]

I was referring to entry level technical training, like an/dp, ART or tec40. That is pretty much needed before you can start practicing. It is not unrealistic.
What i am trying to say is that yes, it is important to find a good instructor, but even more important is to keep diving instead of waiting for your dream course with the best possible instructor and agency.

The TDI AN/DP and IANTD ART courses aren't really "entry level technical training".

Intro to Tech (TDI) and Essentials Diver (IANTD) is your entry level technical training through those agencies.

I have no idea what the PADI equivalent is.

 

[JBlackman]

A few comments vis-a-vis the above:

If you're trying to reach out to a potential Tec Instructor you are thinking of hiring and they are unresponsive, that should be a red flag.

Agree with whomever said, 'just because you have a Helium card, doesn't mean you have to dive Trimix.' More education is never a bad thing. Taking a Trimix class will advance your skills (if your Instructor is worth their ratings!) even if you don't plan to dive Trimix regularly because of cost/availability.

We can argue this-agency over that-agency all day long. Only the Instructor will be in the water and in the classroom with you.

For what it's worth, I hold/held Tec Instructor ratings with PADI, IANTD and TDI. Currently, I choose to only teach TDI and stopped paying PADI and IANTD memberships. My reason is because TDI have decent (not fantastic, but decent) student materials, common sense course outlines based on realistic dive parameters and best of all, this thing called 'Customer Service' which other agencies seem to have forgotten.

 

[stuartv]

TDI have, ... best of all, this thing called 'Customer Service' which other agencies seem to have forgotten.

Yes! They are always very responsive to my emails, which I really appreciate! Quick responses with legit answers from someone who actually understands the questions.

 

[divezonescuba]

any instructor that gives the "because I say so " isn't an instructor at all as an instructor you should be able to field all question with a detailed this is why and a rational of why its done this way

I was speaking to an instructor once about the skill requirement standards for a high level tech course. His response was “the course includes whatever I say it does”. He then laughed at what he just said. I decided not to enroll in the course with him.

I did not know at the time, but he was actually involved in a convoluted lawsuit involving standards violations among other things. I wonder why.

One of the difficulties in picking an agency and/or instructor is a frame of reference. I inherited a tec 45 student who had completed tec 40 and had started tec 45 with another instructor. On practical application one which involves gear setup, I noticed that he did not have a bolt snap on his long hose regulator and some of his hoses were routed from the wrong first stages. Certainly non-standard and in my opinion unsafe practices. Since he did not have a frame of reference he thought his instructor was ok.

 

[taimen]

I inherited a tec 45 student who had completed tec 40 and had started tec 45 with another instructor. On practical application one which involves gear setup, I noticed that he did not have a bolt snap on his long hose regulator and some of his hoses were routed from the wrong first stages. Certainly non-standard and in my opinion unsafe practices.

There stories seem unbelievable. Didn't this instructor have any frame of reference?