Dive Talk Go Rebreather

[Olsen_No]

That was my understanding as well. The nitrox course that they have is completely online.

As is most Nitrox courses these days? PADI was “all” online except having to show up at a center and measure O2 levels of one tank.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

So is the training truly 100% online or did that end up being BS

The enrollment paperwork (liability form, dive medical, etc) are all online, followed by all academics, quizzes, and final exam online. The student then meets with an instructor to review the academics and do the confined water and open water dives. The Dive Talk Academy course requirements follow the RESA guidelines and are very similar to TDI and IANTD (I am an instructor trainer for all three agencies). Upon completion of the course, the instructor must complete an online sign off of all the skills performed and the dive time completed. He or she then must grade the student’s performance. Once this is done, the student must then evaluate the instructor before the certification is complete.

 

[lowwall]

As is most Nitrox courses these days? PADI was “all” online except having to show up at a center and measure O2 levels of one tank.

IMO, practicing with an analyzer is kind of important. They apparently use an online simulator instead of live practice. I don't believe this meets the spirit of the WRSTC standard for a nitrox course although they could argue that a simulation exercise is good enough. The other thing that is definitely beyond the standard is that their certification is to EAN50. Anything over 40% is left for advanced training due to the stringent cleaning, maintenance, and handling requirements for rich O2 mixes.

Here's the relevant sections of the standard:

1. Scope and Purpose
...

Enriched air nitrox certification qualifies a certified diver to procure gas mixes from 21 to 40% oxygen, enriched air equipment, and other services to engage in recreational enriched air nitrox diving without supervision.

and

4. Minimum Course Content
...
4.6 Obtaining Enriched Air Nitrox. Information on the local and general procedures of obtaining enriched
air nitrox for diving. Student diver will be able to:
(1) Demonstrate how to use an oxygen analyzer to determine the oxygen content in an enriched air blend
for two tanks.

But this is a tangent that doesn't really belong in this thread. We can certainly continue it elsewhere.

 

[Olsen_No]

IMO, practicing with an analyzer is kind of important. They apparently use an online simulator instead of live practice. I don't believe this meets the spirit of the WRSTC standard for a nitrox course although they could argue that a simulation exercise is good enough. The other thing that is definitely beyond the standard is that their certification is to EAN50. Anything over 40% is left for advanced training due to the stringent cleaning, maintenance, and handling requirements for rich O2 mixes.

Here's the relevant sections of the standard:

1. Scope and Purpose
...

Enriched air nitrox certification qualifies a certified diver to procure gas mixes from 21 to 40% oxygen, enriched air equipment, and other services to engage in recreational enriched air nitrox diving without supervision.

and

4. Minimum Course Content
...
4.6 Obtaining Enriched Air Nitrox. Information on the local and general procedures of obtaining enriched
air nitrox for diving. Student diver will be able to:
(1) Demonstrate how to use an oxygen analyzer to determine the oxygen content in an enriched air blend
for two tanks.

But this is a tangent that doesn't really belong in this thread. We can certainly continue it elsewhere.

Not making an argument, and this is totally anecdotal, but I have done both the PADI and the Dive Talk Academy Nitrox course and for me the difference was that I had to drive and test one tank prior to getting the PADI cert.

Anyway, sorry for derailing the thread

 

[rddvet]

The enrollment paperwork (liability form, dive medical, etc) are all online, followed by all academics, quizzes, and final exam online. The student then meets with an instructor to review the academics and do the confined water and open water dives. The Dive Talk Academy course requirements follow the RESA guidelines and are very similar to TDI and IANTD (I am an instructor trainer for all three agencies). Upon completion of the course, the instructor must complete an online sign off of all the skills performed and the dive time completed. He or she then must grade the student’s performance. Once this is done, the student must then evaluate the instructor before the certification is complete.

Thanks. There were some that suggested it was all 100% online with no actual dives which I thought was bs info. Clearly it was.
Edit: I heard this places other than these threads. So while I am not a fan of divetalk clearly people are skewing the truth about their training.

 

[InWay2Deep]

The other thing that is definitely beyond the standard is that their certification is to EAN50. Anything over 40% is left for advanced training due to the stringent cleaning, maintenance, and handling requirements for rich O2 mixes.

That 40% things is just something someone started doing one day and everyone else followed. Good for them leading the way and challenging these "that's how it's always been done" mentality w/o any real evidence to back up the reasoning. There is nothing in published literature that says 40% compressed O2 is "safe" under these circumstances. The only published regulations is related to HASMAT and their limit is stupid low like 23%.

 

[mr_v]

The enrollment paperwork (liability form, dive medical, etc) are all online, followed by all academics, quizzes, and final exam online. The student then meets with an instructor to review the academics and do the confined water and open water dives. The Dive Talk Academy course requirements follow the RESA guidelines and are very similar to TDI and IANTD (I am an instructor trainer for all three agencies). Upon completion of the course, the instructor must complete an online sign off of all the skills performed and the dive time completed. He or she then must grade the student’s performance. Once this is done, the student must then evaluate the instructor before the certification is complete.

So, all jokes aside Dive Talk Academy accomplished something that many agencies can't do right - an online program that allows self-paced learning as opposed to sitting through PowerPoint classes for hours.

There may be many nuances in the actual implementation, the but spirit is right.

 

[rjack321]

That 40% things is just something someone started doing one day and everyone else followed. Good for them leading the way and challenging these "that's how it's always been done" mentality w/o any real evidence to back up the reasoning. There is nothing in published literature that says 40% compressed O2 is "safe" under these circumstances. The only published regulations is related to HASMAT and their limit is stupid low like 23%.

You should go back and re-read the Oxyhackers handbook. There is ample (dated but legit) information from NASA and/or the Navy about the increase in combustion events around 50% concentrations.