End of recreational path.... technical path ahead

[taimen]

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.

For GUE courses, you usually contact instructors first, and try to arrange dates and location with them. Most of the GUE courses are arranged this way. If you want to arrange a GUE course to match your vacation, contact instructors who are active in a suitable location. Many of them travel worldwide, as do their students. GUE courses are offered only by GUE instructors. You won't have luck browsing the web and trying to find a GUE course at your preferred date, but you can have it organized for you.

Intro to tech and GUE Fundamentals are overlapping. GUE Fundies is a great course and required for further GUE courses but it really doesn't make sense to take both. If you decide to dive only sidemount, whole plan will change. That is one option. But if you really plan getting tech training in Hogarthian BM doubles, I would postpone sidemount until you are first really comfortable in BM. Or learn sidemount and go tech in that configuration, but that is something I didn't choose. In that case GUE doesn't really make sense.

 

[jlcnuke]

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.

Please go to the "for professionals", then note that it says that entire page is for "professional liability", then scroll down and note what is covered, I'll go ahead and quote it for you just in case you don't want to take the time:

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY COVERAGE

For dive professionals of all levels and trainig agencies, DAN Professional Liability Insurance offers up to US$1,000,000 per claim / US$2,000,000 aggregate. Plans can be customized by adding technical diving endorsement, equipment liability and excess liability coverage.

DAN Professional Liability Coverage Offers:

• Competitive Pricing - DAN Members Save More
• Individual Plans available in the US
• Claims-made policy; no deductible
• Refusal to Train
• Unlimited Defense Costs
• Technical, Rebreather and Firs-Aid Endorsements
• Backed by Lloyds of London and Gen Re

OPTIONAL COVERAGE:

• Technical Diving Endorsement - No extra charge
• Rebreather Endorsement - No extra charge
• Equipment Liability
• Excess Liability

Note that it's all professional liability, and doesn't mention any of the coverages from DAV dive insurance for your protection. You can read the full details here and you'll note that your medical bills for your DCS treatment, etc etc are NOT covered through the professional insurance offered. You need a personal Dive accident policy to cover yourself as the professional liability policy does not (which is probably why the link for "Dive Insurance" doesn't specify either professional or recreational as it's applicable to both).

While I full agree that it's very important to "read carefully" and that everyone "should have better understanding about insurance", I'm pretty sure in this case you are the one who is not understanding what is covered by which policy. For the record, I'm not a professional at this time however.

 

[Efka76]

Please go to the "for professionals", then note that it says that entire page is for "professional liability", then scroll down and note what is covered, I'll go ahead and quote it for you just in case you don't want to take the time:

Note that it's all professional liability, and doesn't mention any of the coverages from DAV dive insurance for your protection. You can read the full details here and you'll note that your medical bills for your DCS treatment, etc etc are NOT covered through the professional insurance offered. You need a personal Dive accident policy to cover yourself as the professional liability policy does not (which is probably why the link for "Dive Insurance" doesn't specify either professional or recreational as it's applicable to both).

While I full agree that it's very important to "read carefully" and that everyone "should have better understanding about insurance", I'm pretty sure in this case you are the one who is not understanding what is covered by which policy. For the record, I'm not a professional at this time however.

Yes, you are right. My mistake that i did not read all rules what is actually covered. So, it seems that Divemasters and above have to buy Dive insurance AND Professional liability insurance. Plus annual membership fees to PADI or similar organisations. However, when i look at DAN Europe, dive insurance for professionals is already combined with professional liability insurance.

 

[EireDiver606]

You should really take GUE Fundamentals as soon as possible.

I think when you take it, your plan for technical diving will change significantly. You will realize your current skills and realize the skills of others in that area and there will be a massive gap and that’s not saying “you’re a bad diver” but just that you need to have sound diving competency, communication, discipline etc. no drinking maybe etc.

I was in the same situation as you. I took OW and thought I knew a bit about diving after 20 dives. I was wrong obviously. I was thinking about taking an intro to tech course also. I took a GUE course and realized that there’s a lot more to diving than I thought. I got a rec pass.

For the more extreme stuff, IMO you need to have three things:
1) physical fitness at least 1 hour of cardio a week
2) a good mindset towards diving
3) solid foundation of skills

When I saw my instructor in the water and how streamlined he was and how he effortlessly glided in perfect trim, I now really want to look like that no matter if I’m diving shallow kelp forests or deep wrecks but if you want to do technical diving it’s critical to have those skills, as if you make a small mistake Murphy is on your shoulder.

Dive and let dive.