Best Intro to Cave + Intro to Tech combo?

[Jonnyspecial]

Hello,

I'm a CMAS 2Star Instructor with Nitrox [TDI], and did a cave in Palau.
That's about the extent of my tech/cave/DIR experience...

I'm planning to do an intro to cave + intro to tech, and perhaps advanced nitrox and intro to wreck.

Of course, I've been looking at CMAS, GUE, TDI, NAUI and so on.
[After 2 bad PADI experiences - including a shop closing up overnight and taking my RD money without submitting my application!] I'm not too interested in giving PADI any more money,:mooner: and the general rep of the DSAT PADI-tech doesn't appear very high...]

Without the accurate but unrequired "It is the instructor, not the agency" answer, I'd like your opinion as to which agency and which steps is best.
[Even PADI, if you can make your case!]

Let the battle begin!

Cheers,
Jonathan

 

[TSandM]

Well, GUE Fundamentals is a great place to start, even if you subsequently decide not to use GUE for the rest of your training. My husband and I found that having that background made our Cavern and Intro classes verge upon easy (and I think the instructor was really rather nonplussed). On the other hand, GUE Cave 1 is NOT easy . . .

Where I live, one could take Fundies, or UTD Intro to Tech, or NAUI Intro to Tech and get very similar classes, varying mostly by the personality of the instructor. But the pedigree of the instructors has a great deal of commonality.

 

[vshearer]

I happen to be planning the same thing essentially, doing canvern/intro, and am fortunate enough to live close to many great instructors which could accredit in multiple agencies. In your geographical case wouldn't TDI be the only realistic option outside of PADI?

I will probably get NACD/NSS-CDS.

 

[hudson]

Couple of things I can think of:

You will pickup a large portion of the wreck penetration skills through your cave diving course. So if you are planning to complete that, an intro to wreck style course will be pretty light for you, and I don't see much benefit in that. You can instead go through Full Cave first, and then take a comprehensive/advanced Wreck class to make the transition - I think it'd be a lot more worthwhile.

As a CMAS 2* instructor, you may find the same true of Intro to Tech. One option could be to find a Intro Cave/Basic Cave class or Adv. Nitrox+Deco class with an instructor willing to spend the extra time to fine tune your kicks/trim/self-sufficiency and thus impart much of the benefit of the Intro to Tech option. Or of course you can choose not to worry about it and take Intro to Tech...it's good training regardless. Just throwing it out there as an option.

I think the agency issue really boils down to whether you want to go with GUE/UTD or someone else. If you choose the latter you have to pay very close attention to the instructor.

 

[TSandM]

Doing a little research, japan-diver is a GUE-trained tech instructor who appears to be near you, and his shop is offering NAUI tech courses.

 

[Jonnyspecial]

Thank you for your responses so far.

I've already been in touch with Doug [AKA 'japan-diver'] at Reef Encounters - he does NAUITec - and Thomas, who does GUE in Japan and Korea.

Still seeking various opinions on the different agencies courses and best process.

Thanks again!
Jonathan

 

[Dive-aholic]

I teach through a few different agencies. There aren't enough differences between any of them that make a difference. I teach one cave course and one advanced nitrox course regardless of whether I'm issuing an IANTD, TDI, NSS-CDS, etc certification. My courses are tailored to meet the standards of every agency I teach for so I don't have to review standards every time. I will caution that I have heard some locations in Florida will not accept NAUI cave certs. I don't know why and I don't know who (although I have my suspicions). I know you said you didn't want to read this but it really is the instructor. Most cave/tech instructors in North Florida do the same as I do and teach for multiple agencies and none of them change their courses either.

 

[karstdvr]

Good comments thus far,but I would find out what cards are recognized in the area you want to dive. For example,locally,there are a few places that don't recognize GUE or NAUI;plus I know of an issue where a GUE instructor went abroad,but had to get IANTD certified to dive.

 

[Jonnyspecial]

Interesting...

I mainly dive in Japan [where I now reside], Asia, and Pacific Island Nations.
NAUI seems to be fairly represented here, but NAUITec seems to be not as common, as I understand it to be in the process of being rolled out/promoted/what-have-you.

Tech, hell, even nitrox, is hard to find here in Japan outside of Okinawa and a couple of areas on Honshu where US forces are posted and you understandably find more demand for it.

I only recently started looking into tech, but I never noticed GUE before when travelling around Asia - but lately I've spend more time at Disneylands and such with my boys rather than on buddy trips on liveaboards, so that's a factor!:uptosome:

As always, any comments appreciated!

Cheers,
Jonathan

 

[Atomic_Diver]

the TDI Intro to Cave, and Advanced Nitrox + Decompression Procedures would be a good combo (which would certify you to 150' and up to Nitrox 100), or IANTD's version of Intro to Cave, and the Advanced Recreational Trimix course would be a neat combo (which would certify you to 160' with a END of no more than 80' with limited decompression, and up to Nitrox 50 for deco gas, this combo would keep you more clear headed, and more able to enjoy a deeper cave dive more clear headded, and safely) but thats my opinion...