Does this sounds right? [Nitrox course]

[Colliam7]

I'm taking the ANDI Nitrox course. We're done with the quizzes and classroom portion and have to do the remaining 2 checkout dives. The dive shop is having us do the dives by ourselves. No instructor. ... The woman at the dive shop explained that specialty courses are "different" than OW and AOW. Obviously. But we're still here to learn something. If no one is going to be there to make sure that we're planning correctly, then why even bother with the check-out dive requirement?

While the comments made are correct - with PADI, the dives are optional, for example - it does seem a little odd that two dives would be required, but no instructor would be involved. If they are not required, OK. That is consistent with the approach in PADI and other agencies. But if they are required 'checkout' dives, then there should be someone present to certify that you did them, properly and safely. The explanantion offered by the LDS does not make sense at first reading. Hopefully someone with ANDI insights will enlighten us all.

 

[The_DivePirate]

Not sure if the course covered this, but, you are the only one in charge of your safety, or should be. Just remember, ALWAYS analyze your own gas, NEVER take anyones word of the mix/mod, and by doing this, the life you may save is YOUR OWN!!! Diving EAN is an added risk, (not that I'm apposed too the risk, I also dive TRI) but, by analyzing the mix yourself, you cut the risk factor. Also, buy an analyzer of your own. Of coarse the LDS's analyzer reads the same, they may have mixed the gas with the same analyzer. Most have seperate analyzers, but why risk it??
Joe