go tec or stay rec

[DevonDiver]

Zero-to-hero tech instructor rating is becoming increasingly more attainable. Gotta ask yourself, just because you could, does it mean you should?

You can teach most recreational scuba 'off-the-shelf' to a pre-scripted format. Not so with tech... regardless of what some agencies might have us believe.

 

[DCBC]

I dream of tec diving, I have completed all the KR's for tec deep and would love not only be diving this but moving towards instructing too. The location of the training is one of the best places in the world for tec diving and the job offer is a city dive center in a great city with tons of travel options and paying very well with a 1 year contract...

This is somewhat analogous of someone saying that they would like to try SCUBA Diving and are considering becoming an Instructor. Perhaps it would be prudent that they become a certified diver first before making that choice. If you dream of technical diving, you should do it. Diving technical and teaching technical are two different things.

If you've managed a dive shop, you know that success isn't having an Instructor to teach, but a good Instructor who has the experience that will increase the credibility of the training the shop offers. Technical diving is no different. Prospective technical Students tend to be much more discerning than the rank and file of those seeking SCUBA Instruction. Andy's comments are right on the mark.

 

[BVickery]

This is somewhat analogous of someone saying that they would like to try SCUBA Diving and are considering becoming an Instructor. Perhaps it would be prudent that they become a certified diver first before making that choice. If you dream of technical diving, you should do it. Diving technical and teaching technical are two different things.

If you've managed a dive shop, you know that success isn't having an Instructor to teach, but a good Instructor who has the experience that will increase the credibility of the training the shop offers. Technical diving is no different. Prospective technical Students tend to be much more discerning than the rank and file of those seeking SCUBA Instruction. Andy's comments are right on the mark.

I hope to be a future tech diver (mainly doing bit deeper dives than rec) Instructor ability has a HUGE influence on where and with who I will train with. I feel with tec diving your placing a lot more trust with an instructor to teach you right/keep you safe during training more so than rec (since your dealing with deco, different gas mixes etc).

 

[DCBC]

I hope to be a future tech diver (mainly doing bit deeper dives than rec) Instructor ability has a HUGE influence on where and with who I will train with. I feel with tec diving your placing a lot more trust with an instructor to teach you right/keep you safe during training more so than rec (since your dealing with deco, different gas mixes etc).

You make a good point, but it begs the question why the recreational student isn't more discerning. They think that one Instructor is as good as any another. It seems that people just don't do their homework and just go to the closest LDS. Questioning different Instructors and reviewing the training program before they buy isn't common-place. Perhaps it's just something they want to try, so training content just doesn't matter. Even afterwards, only the minority ever revisit things and begin to see the differences...

 

[pholife]

I'm actually shocked that you can get a Tec instructor rating without hundreds of Tec dives first... I know other agencies not only have pre-entry requirements around # of dives to the instruction level, but they even require their instructors to do a certain number of non-training tec dives each year to keep their status.

yes I agree and have been quite shocked at it... for PADI Tec Deep Instructor qualification, is simply being MSDT status and completing tec deep (or qualifying adency equivilant) , having certified 5 deep students, 5 EanX, 25 deco dives deeper than 40m and autiting 2 additional tec deep courses, a water skills and written exam then your PADI tec deep instructor

 

[BVickery]

You make a good point, but it begs the question why the recreational student isn't more discerning. They think that one Instructor is as good as any another. It seems that people just don't do their homework and just go to the closest LDS. Questioning different Instructors and reviewing the training program before they buy isn't common-place. Perhaps it's just something they want to try, so training content just doesn't matter. Even afterwards, only the minority ever revisit things and begin to see the differences...

I think you hit the nail on the head, that many do it to try things out, think of it similiar to Golf lessons or driving or such. The one thing about SB is you learn to look at training differently, and realize especially for the more advanced stuff you want an experienced instructor. Some people I'd kill to take instructions from would be DevonDiver for wreck diving, Doppler for a deco/trimix type class. I think if i was younger and looking to get into commercial/military type diving look at you to give me the heads up.

 

[Ste Wart]

So who is the internship with?

Is it purely a PADI Tec diver? Is it an Instructor from another Agency who has crossed over to teach DSAT?

DSAT struggles to find pedigree at the moment, is your mentor as good as he claims to be.

 

[pholife]

The internship is this:
4 months.
tec 40 -45 -50 student (PADI Tec Rec)
tec 40 - 45 - 50 Instructor
Tec Deep instructor internship
Sidemount tec Instructor Internship
Tec Rescue Diver level
Tec Rescue Instructor Internship

TDI Trimix - TDI Advanced Trimix Diver

I'd like to leave the trainers name out, but they are an extremely reputable group of trainers and CD.
I have been researching who to train with and the reason I have taken this offer more seriously is that the internship gives me unlimited tec diving (w/in safety limits) and I can use this time to gain experience.

This appeals to me in the sense, that while I am normally working (teaching recreational scuba) technical diving is out of the picture for me as I am so busy that this actually gives me an opportunity to get those dives to become more experienced.


as a previous dive shop manager and having been teaching for sometime I have frowned on the "zero to hero" scenerio. I also have seen some pretty good instructors come from that style training.

As for the tec instructors out there, obviously if you are teaching PADI tec you've been a teaching recreational scuba for some time, how did you go about making the instructor ratings?

 

[Ste Wart]

The internship is this:

Tec Rescue Diver level
Tec Rescue Instructor Internship

Is this a PADI or TDI rating?

I'd like to leave the trainers name out, but they are an extremely reputable group of trainers and CD.

Location? Dive Shop? weblink?

I have been researching who to train with and the reason I have taken this offer more seriously is that the internship gives me unlimited tec diving (w/in safety limits) and I can use this time to gain experience.

I'd take the internship if it was unlimited tec diving! But seriously what does that mean? Free Deco Gas? Boat dives? Is equipment included?

As for the tec instructors out there, obviously if you are teaching PADI tec you've been a teaching recreational scuba for some time, how did you go about making the instructor ratings?

Crossed over from IANTD because it was free. Personally I have more interest in teaching ART with IANTD than DSAT. But that may be due to location, divers here want helium for below 30m. In clear, warm waters deep air is just as valid IMO.

 

[pholife]

Is this a PADI or TDI rating?

PADI Tec Rescue

Location? Dive Shop? weblink?

Team Blue Immersion, Dahab, EgyptI'd take the internship if it was unlimited tec diving! But seriously what does that mean? Free Deco Gas? Boat dives? Is equipment included?
I gotta leave price out, as I was given a serious discount, but free gas (200 euros for unlimited helium) free transport to dive sites (mostly shore diving) and yes Equipment is included.

All is PADI except the Trimix ratings can be crossed over to TDI.