End of recreational path.... technical path ahead

[Diver0001]

I started to dive in November 2017 and wanted to share with you my training path. Maybe it will be interesting to other recreational divers.

I got PADI OW certificate in Boracay, Philippines. Me and my wife are very grateful to our instructor who paid a lot of attention during our courses, run many drills in order to teach us basic diving skills. Our OW course took us 5 days, we had sufficient time to read the book, watch all videos, to go through theory section with instructor, do confined water dives and mandatory dives. I can not imagine how some dive shops run OW course during 2 days in a big group. After OW certification me and wife were really hooked on diving and went to Koh Tao, Thailand, for additional courses.

In Thailand me and wife got PADI AOW and 5 certifications each: wreck, deep, nitrox, night, underwater naturalist. From practical terms "Advanced" certification name is a marketing gimmick as after 5 additional dives with instructor you do not be really advanced diver. You just get a grasp of different dives. Similar things are with specialties....after getting specialty you do not become a real specialist in that area... you just get the basic idea of the main principles. Experience is the most important. Anyway, time in Koh Tao was really bussy, we learned quite a bit, had a lot of fun.

In June me and my wife went to liveaboard in Red Sea. There were no courses, just diving. However, I felt that I gained a very valuable experience in Red Sea as sea was rough, it was much deeper than in Koh Tao (when you dive and know that depth is 150 m instead of 20-30 m you have a completely different feeling). Also, in Red Sea I learned negative entry, experienced strong currents, saw hammerhead and oceanic white tip sharks. Also, had some small accident like loosening of my tank underwater, had opportunity to deploy DSMB. In liveaboard I started really to learn, every dive was adding additional experience and it was a very different from super safe dives with instructor in shallow, calm waters.

Just recently I had a business trip to Manila and decided to use that trip as opportunity to dive more and get more experience. So, I went to Puerto Gallera, Philippines and took PADI Drift, Search and Recovery, EFR and Rescue diver courses. I read in many threads that Rescue diver course is very challenging, however, personally I did not feel that. Maybe towing tired diver for long distance was a bit harder. Also, I think it really depends on the rescue and person to be rescued. I am pretty sure that it was not easy for my instructor (weight around 60 kg) to demonstrate "bringing to the shore unresponsive diver" skill on me as my weight is 115 kg However, for me it was really easy to bring him to the shore Rescue diver and EFR courses were really interesting and now I have a felling that these skills are really very valuable. I do not agree with people that you have to do Rescue diver course when you have few hundred dives under your belt. In my opinion you have to do it as soon as possible as rescue skills are very important to every diver.

Search and recovery specialty was the most interesting from all specialties that I was engaged. Also, I had a feeling that I actually had to "earn" it. I learned completely new skills which I was unfamiliar such as tying knots, doing different search patterns, using compass. It was really fun to search for various objects underwater, to lift them by using lift bag. Definitely recommend this specialty to everyone.

Drift diving - here experience is the most important thing. We did a lot of drift dives, which were really interesting. I was very happy that I had opportunity to try myself in different currents. From practical point of view getting Drift specialty is a waste of money. You just need to learn by diving, diving and diving in order to sharpen your skills.

So, after my vacation in Puerto Gallera I have 60 dives under my belt, PADI OW, AOW, EFR, Rescue certifications and 7 specialties. I also applied for Master Scuba Diver certification, which will symbolize my end of recreational training. Maybe I will get Dry Suit and Ice diver specialties in the future because both of them seem to be quite interesting. Do I feel as MASTER diver...... of course no, this title is absolutely misleading. I still have a feeling that I am beginner diver and need to improve on many things. Mastery in my opinion, comes maybe after 500 dives in different environments where you can try yourself in many zero visibility, cold water, rough sea, strong currents environments.

What is next.... I have to admit that I like to learn and collect cards as well Divemaster's path is not for me as I do not have intention of becoming instructor in the future. Also, DM increases your costs (there is annual membership fee, diving insurance is more expensive). By looking at various organisations I decided that I am goping to take TDI technical path. My first courses will be TDI Sidemount and Intro to tech as I am very interested in diving with sidemount and double tanks. Also, want to improve my diving skills. Then obviously will take Advanced nitrox, Deco procedures courses. When I have 100 dives under belt will try Extended range and Trimix courses and maybe TDI Cavern as well. After these courses also intend to take Gue Fundies in order to polish my basic diving skills.

I hope that my story will be interesting to beginner recreational divers who might take similar path like me.

I was hoping to see a question here. I did not.

I can't speak for every technical diver but I had well over 1000 dives before I "went technical" and probably another 400-500 or so technical dives before I really started pushing boundaries.

It seems to me that you have already decided on your path. You don't seem to be looking for advice as much as affirmation that your decision is ok.

You won't get it from me. Go diving. Push boundaries slowly and with measured logic. Take risks but manage them rationally. Find mentors .... and then in 10 years come back and ask a *question*.

R..

 

[Efka76]

DAN US does have professional liability insurance, but that is separate from the personal insurance which doesn't seem to anywhere ask or care whether you are a professional or not.

It seems that we reading the same thing but have a very different understanding. When you open DAN US website, you can see various columns: "Dive insurance" for recreational divers, "For professionals" - DMs and up. If you open "for professionals you see that this is specifically designed for active and not active DMs and instructors (there is even category inside "retired (inactive) DMs & instructors.) Please read carefully as professional you should have better understanding about insurance.

 

[Efka76]

This was in reference ONLY to the compass part of your AOW Nav course, and the compass part of your S&R course. What you wrote sounded like you liked S&R because you learned to use a compass, and i commented that you should have learned how to do that in your AOW course. Did you?

No, read my post again. As new skills I specifically mentioned tying knots, doing search patterns which are not part of Navigation dive but part of S&R. Only compass skills are common for Nav & S and R dives.

Perhaps we are seeing different DAN sites because of our IP addresses. The US DAN site (DAN.org) accessed from the US has no Sport or Pro categories...it is the same insurance for all. Before I commented I looked at both sites and was surprised to see that DANEurope.org has the Sport and Pro categories, but I see nothing that tells me you must use the Pro category if you are a non-functiioning DM. Where did you get that information?

Look more carefully at US site: it has "Dive insurance" and "for professionals" sections. this structure is slightly different for DAN Europe but substance is the same: recreational and professional diver (even not active) insurance is different.


What you said was: "From practical terms "Advanced" certification name is a marketing gimmick as after 5 additional dives with instructor you do not be really advanced diver." The implication is that you felt mislead by the same, and were complaining about its use.

No, I never felt mislead about "Advanced" or "Master" categories. Any person who has brains understands that if you have AOW with 9 dives (4 OW + 5 AOW) is definitely not "advanced" diver.


Yesterday, in fact.

 

[Efka76]

I was hoping to see a question here. I did not.

I can't speak for every technical diver but I had well over 1000 dives before I "went technical" and probably another 400-500 or so technical dives before I really started pushing boundaries.

It seems to me that you have already decided on your path. You don't seem to be looking for advice as much as affirmation that your decision is ok.

You won't get it from me. Go diving. Push boundaries slowly and with measured logic. Take risks but manage them rationally. Find mentors .... and then in 10 years come back and ask a *question*.

R..

Ok, I have a question. From your post I get a feeling that you think that I want to enroll to technical training to early. Yes, I understand that your path was different and you were already very experienced diver with 1000 dives when you enrolled into technical diver (I would reach this level maybe during 15 years if I would be actively diving). However, when I look at technical diving courses requisites they are pretty easy (e.g. in order to enroll to Trimix or Extended range courses you need only 100 dives). To enroll in other courses practical diving requirements are even less. So, now I am bit confused. Many people might think that I am getting into tech diving too early but I would not be breaching any TDI standards. Maybe you can explain your position.

Also, I read in forum that Rescue diver course is very challenging and it is better to take this course when you are already experienced diver with few hundred dives. However, I took this course when I had 50 dives under my belt and did not feel that this course was challenging or some skills hard to learn. Maybe it is challenging for small girl to "rescue" 115 kg guy but vice versa situation is a bit different. I am actively training in a gym and for me it is not a big deal to bring 100 kg guy to the shore or take it to the boat.

Of course, I am not pushing boundaries, I am always calculating the risks that I am taken. I do not want to overpush the limits. If I would see that after "Intro to tech" course my skills are still not up to the standard, I will definitely not go further but will try to polish them. Also, I think that normal instructor would never allow to take further training if he / she sees that you are not performing according to lower courses' standards.

I like to learn, to find out new information, try new things. Also, I do not think that I will be very actively involved in real technical diving in the future due to high tech dive costs and the fact that I usually dive with my wife (she is my buddy). She will never take any tech courses as she is not interested in that. However, I am curious to try new things and get training from real professionals, which are much more stricter than ordinary recreational instructors. I think that my choice of tech instructors will be ex-military guys who are very actively involved in tech diving. When I discussed with some people who took such courses I heard that these ex-military guys incorporate much harder drills which definitely exceed minimum tech diving standards.

 

[kafkaland]

Ok, I have a question. From your post I get a feeling that you think that I want to enroll to technical training to early. Yes, I understand that your path was different and you were already very experienced diver with 1000 dives when you enrolled into technical diver (I would reach this level maybe during 15 years if I would be actively diving). However, when I look at technical diving courses requisites they are pretty easy (e.g. in order to enroll to Trimix or Extended range courses you need only 100 dives). To enroll in other courses practical diving requirements are even less. So, now I am bit confused. Many people might think that I am getting into tech diving too early but I would not be breaching any TDI standards. Maybe you can explain your position.

Also, I read in forum that Rescue diver course is very challenging and it is better to take this course when you are already experienced diver with few hundred dives. However, I took this course when I had 50 dives under my belt and did not feel that this course was challenging or some skills hard to learn. Maybe it is challenging for small girl to "rescue" 115 kg guy but vice versa situation is a bit different. I am actively training in a gym and for me it is not a big deal to bring 100 kg guy to the shore or take it to the boat.

Of course, I am not pushing boundaries, I am always calculating the risks that I am taken. I do not want to overpush the limits. If I would see that after "Intro to tech" course my skills are still not up to the standard, I will definitely not go further but will try to polish them. Also, I think that normal instructor would never allow to take further training if he / she sees that you are not performing according to lower courses' standards.

I like to learn, to find out new information, try new things. Also, I do not think that I will be very actively involved in real technical diving in the future due to high tech dive costs and the fact that I usually dive with my wife (she is my buddy). She will never take any tech courses as she is not interested in that. However, I am curious to try new things and get training from real professionals, which are much more stricter than ordinary recreational instructors. I think that my choice of tech instructors will be ex-military guys who are very actively involved in tech diving. When I discussed with some people who took such courses I heard that these ex-military guys incorporate much harder drills which definitely exceed minimum tech diving standards.

The formal requirements for the number of dives to enroll in a course are indeed very low, and I'm not sure why that's the case. Perhaps the agencies want to leave it up to the instructor beyond that, and many instructors have indeed higher requirements before they take on a student for tech training.
In any case, the advice that you seem to be getting is to slow down a bit, and I think that's sound. For two reasons: First, before you add new skills, you want to have the old ones so solid that you don't have to think about them any more. Like, you want to have buoyancy and trim really dialed in before you start laying line in a cavern. Otherwise, you'll be quickly overwhelmed with too many tasks that require your attention, and eventually you will be dropping the ball on something. And no matter how good your training was, you simply have to put in the hours to build muscle memory to make things automatic. Second, training can only simulate things going wrong. When it happens for real, it is different. So you want to experience a few "oh ****" moments in begnin environments before you venture into the unforgiving world of tech. Silting out your local mud puddle and losing orientations and your buddy is a nuisance. You simply go up and regroup. Doing the same in a cave is a very different animal. From dealing calmly and effectively with the minor incidents in open water by effectively employing simple solutions you have laid the groundwork for effectively addressing much more consequential problems in the technical environment. And again, you will only develop this capacity if you dive a lot. On your own, without an instructor present, and making the occasional non-critical mistake and recovering and learning from it.

 

[MichaelMc]

Sidemount and then a cavern class from a cave instructor could be a good path, as it would emphasize dive skills. I'll likely defer AN/DP until after that.

When I initially looked at advanced classes, the AN/DP trimix caught my eye, as far into a cave seemed more expedition than I needed. But cavern looks like a solid grounding in skills, even if you have no plans for caves. Descriptions of course paths suggest that AN/DP is ideal after cavern and cave 1, as it is not needed prior to that, so getting the solid skills from cavern makes sense before AN/DP, to me. And lots of diving.

 

[BazzaB]

Also, want to improve my diving skills....................

............After these courses also intend to take Gue Fundies in order to polish my basic diving skills.

Maybe it would be a good idea to start with the basic diving skills

 

[taimen]

When I have 100 dives under belt will try Extended range and Trimix courses and maybe TDI Cavern as well. After these courses also intend to take Gue Fundies in order to polish my basic diving skills.

I'd strongly recommend you to take GUE Fundamentals (or intro to tech with a good tech instructor) as soon as possible and preferably before any other course.
I won't say you have to do hundreds of recreational reef dives before you can venture into tech. Fundies will tell you weather you are ready for the advanced training or not. The order of your future course plans will probably change.
Cave 1 or intro to cave are also very efficient skill developing courses, even if you do not have immediate plans to cave dive.

 

[Efka76]

I'd strongly recommend you to take GUE Fundamentals (or intro to tech with a good tech instructor) as soon as possible and preferably before any other course.
I won't say you have to do hundreds of recreational reef dives before you can venture into tech. Fundies will tell you weather you are ready for the advanced training or not. The order of your future course plans will probably change.
Cave 1 or intro to cave are also very efficient skill developing courses, even if you do not have immediate plans to cave dive.

Yes, that's my idea. I wanted to start with Sidemount and Intro to tech and then to see how I am doing. Of course, if I see that my skills are not up to standard I will not be overpushing limits and will defer other courses. Issu with GUE courses is that not many agencies offer them and it is not easy to match that courses with my vacation.

 

[Chilly_Diver]

To the original poster, insurance for inactive professionals is in case past students decide to pursue Legal action against you after you are retired for actions taken during your active time as a professional. If you never had worked as an actual Professional, and just certified as one for some odd reason, you would not need this insurance, as you would never have had any past students. Card collectors should stay away from the professional training....