Will the NAUI instructors video tape the training sessions?
I would hope so, it isn't a standard with NAUI however. How strictly do they stick to the DIR philosophy?
DIR as per who?
seriously some stuff that comes out of the "traditional" DIR camp is just not DIR IMHO.D For example, do they teach students alternatives to using computers?
I personally don't teach using dive computers, however a NAUI Tech instructor is free to use computers Do they shun computer use in their own diving?
I do not technical dive using a dive computer, I have been known to run tables on my Personal Computer however I know some GUE instructors teach that flying after diving is okay. Do NAUI intro to tech instructors also teach this?
No, because that is irresponsible of any instructor to "teach". Even with the best possible deco there is no means for ANY instructor to KNOW how our students physiological makeup will affect deco (even in apparently fit non smokers). IF GUE instructors are teaching that then they are being idiots, both from a real world "stuff happens" and from a legal aspect "well your honor, I teach it's OK for my students to fly immediately after diving if they follow the deco schedule I gave them, yes I am aware that virtually every professional and accredited institute that is involved in diving other than my very own GUE recommends not flying after diving, they are all wrong you see... George Irvine, he owns a shipyard in Florida and has done some awesome dives, he says that when you deco THE RIGHT WAY, you can fly right away, so that's what I tell my students. Because of this I can't believe that my student got bent on the flight home following 5 days of diving to over 200 feet on the tech 2 course I taught, the paralysis had to be something else, the time they wasted putting him in the chamber for treatments was sure could have been put to better use than that and getting the nasty lawyer that keeps asking me questions...."I'm not trying to argue about whether computers, or flying after diving, or anything else is good or bad, but I do wonder how DIR NAUI's intro to tech will be, or how similar it'll be to DIRF.
Different focus, there will be overlap but thats it.DIR F is more of a get good skills, DIR gear config and think when diving, no matter where you go from here, Intro to Tech is just that, getting people ready to start the journey into technical diving. The instructors needs to evaluate each student prior and during the course and adjust accordingly so it could be that you need to teach everything (like a Fundies) or you can get on with the config (doubles/stages) and mental work (judgement, deco, enviornment etc)
As to your follow-up concerns, I fully agree with those and have similar experiences myself. After 6 months I'm still waiting for my DIRF cert, and GUE has so far not replied to my two inquiries about it (albeit the second one was made only 3 days ago so I'm still waiting to see if they bother to reply this time). Granted this isn't a big problem with a DIRF cert, but it gives me pause about taking GUE's higher level courses for which receiving official certs in a timely manner does matter (unless you have dual certs from another agency). Also, my DIRF instructor invited me to sit in on his course while I was in the area recently, yet when I showed up it had been canceled without any notice to me. I've taken classes from SSI, PADI, NAUI, ANDI and GUE and in terms of follow-up/organization GUE is by far the worst in my experience.
