I'm a rec instructor. I want to be a tec instructor. No tec experience. I'm gonna need your help.

[Hoyden]

While I have no interest in shaming the OP, I do not understand quite how a veteran OW instructor can ask this question like this. He certainly has access (as a PADI instructor) to all of the info on how to become a PADI TecRec instructor on the PADI.com website (even has adds for training centers). Mostly this question feels like all of the people who used to call my dog training business wanting to become dog trainers. I asked them to what level had they trained their personal dog and almost uniformly, they said that they didn't have a dog. My suggestion to them was to get a dog and train it. My suggestion to the OP is to go take an intro to tech class. After you have actually done a few tech dives, you will be in a better position to decide if becoming a tech instructor is even a possibility for you. Also, a quick google of zero to hero tech diving came up with way too many results.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

@Maybe
Do this! It will be the best $1 you have ever spent. This is apparently a serious offer from a VERY good technical instructor. You won't do better than this to find out if you have a technical future....

Agreed. Steve was/is my tech instructor trainer, mentor, and friend. We were just discussing the trip we'll be doing in July in Brockville, Ontario. You will be assessed honestly and thoroughly.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

While I have no interest in shaming the OP, I do not understand quite how a veteran OW instructor can ask this question like this. He certainly has access (as a PADI instructor) to all of the info on how to become a PADI TecRec instructor on the PADI.com website (even has adds for training centers). Mostly this question feels like all of the people who used to call my dog training business wanting to become dog trainers. I asked them to what level had they trained their personal dog and almost uniformly, they said that they didn't have a dog. My suggestion to them was to get a dog and train it. My suggestion to the OP is to go take an intro to tech class. After you have actually done a few tech dives, you will be in a better position to decide if becoming a tech instructor is even a possibility for you. Also, a quick google of zero to hero tech diving came up with way too many results.

To be fair, my OW instructor had little to no idea about the progression of tech training. That was after 10 + years of teaching. Nor did he have any understanding of the gear requirements for tech. Not because he was dumb, but because he had zero interest in tech diving and actively tried to discourage his students from tech. In every way he could. Talking down BPW's, long hoses, slung pony bottles. etc. The primary reason for this was because he didn't teach it, sell tech gear, or do tech dives. Therefore there was no money in it for him. It was also the reason a number of us stopped doing business with him.
His attitude nearly drove me out of diving altogether even though I was a DM for the shop at the time. It was only because I happened to run into a tech instructor literally on the day I was ready to say screw it at a local training site, that I didn't give it up.
The OW instructor has trained more than a few divers that went on to become instructors but his influence on them as far as being negative to tech diving is crystal clear in them. Not to the degree they are hostile towards it, they just don't have any real interest in it, the gear, the progression, and they pass that on to their students. Thereby missing out on opportunities to offer more training in recreational courses. I have students ask me what courses or workshops I did on my way to becoming a tech diver and instructor. When I tell them which ones and why, it seems to turn on a light bulb in their head that leads to questions like "Can I do that?" or "What would I need to do to get one of those cards?"
That is the seed of the discussion that at some point I could no longer have with my OW instructor and went elsewhere.

 

[Dave Bevan]

Probably best to try to become a proficent tech diver first. Then worry about instructor afterwards. If you do some decent tech courses you will not be bored.

 

[Capt Tom McCarthy]

You've clearly struck a nerve with experienced instructors and divers with this line of questioning. This is because we've all seen this mentality permeate technical diving, and many of us have lost friends over the years to it. Simply answering it, without correcting the mentality behind it, is an implicit approval of said mentality. That's why you're getting beat down here. I've taken the liberty to re-write your post in a way that wouldn't have ended up with 11 pages of sadness, should anyone search for this information in the future (whether you're trolling with this post or not). My additions are in italics:

1. Feel dumb because I used "search" thinking this would have been covered. Didn't find much. If I missed some good threads, please point me to them.

2. Padi OWSI for ten years. Bored. I need a new challenge. I want to go from tec zero to tec hero in the shortest time. Meaning one course after another as much as possible so I don't have to take unnecessary time off and I keep travel cost low. I want to avoid the take one course, come back next month for next course schedule. but I don't have tech experience beyond chatting with a few tec divers on boats. I'm wondering what the best way to achieve this goal is. I understand that tech diving requires a significantly higher skill set and time commitment and i'm willing to put in the effort to achieve these goals in a safe way. I'd like to master these skills, and have enough real world tech diving experience, that I can be of value to people whose live's may depend on me passing this knowledge on correctly.

3. Pros and cons of various agencies. Which is in the most demand for employment? Who is generally well regarded throughout the industry for their quality of instructors and students, training material, and is at the forefront of new methodology to make diving safer?

4. If I wanted to go with PADI, List of courses from start to finish. PADI is Enriched Air, Enriched Air Instructor, Deep Instructor, MSDT, Tec 40, Tec 45, Tec 50, Tec Deep Instructor, then TriMix, Sidemount, Gas Blender, and CCR... Do I have that right? Besides minimum standards, what kind of technical diving experience is appropriate between levels of training and before considering moving to instructor ratings?

5. Gear upgrades? More regs? BP/W? What else? Any specific recommendations?

6. My long term goal is to teach (technical wreck diving in the North East/ Great Lakes/ South Florida/ Northern England/ or teach cave diving in Florida/Mexico/etc). Does anyone have Suggested locations or specific dive centers? I can go worldwide. suggestions for instructor/s who could potentially train me from the ground up to eventually be a great instructor in the environment i'd like to teach in someday?

7. How long will should this take? How much will it cost?

8. I'm the type that likes to get the texts months ahead of a class and read the hell out of them before I show up. What could I start reading now that will help me excel at this? Also, are there any in water skills that I could begin to familiarize myself with, without exceeding my current training level, before class?

9. What else can I do to be an excellent student and an excellent instructor?

10. What questions have I not thought of yet.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

You've clearly struck a nerve with experienced instructors and divers with this line of questioning. This is because we've all seen this mentality permeate technical diving, and many of us have lost friends over the years to it. Simply answering it, without correcting the mentality behind it, is an implicit approval of said mentality. That's why you're getting beat down here. I've taken the liberty to re-write your post in a way that wouldn't have ended up with 11 pages of sadness, should anyone search for this information in the future (whether you're trolling with this post or not). My additions are in italics:

1. Feel dumb because I used "search" thinking this would have been covered. Didn't find much. If I missed some good threads, please point me to them.

2. Padi OWSI for ten years. Bored. I need a new challenge. I want to go from tec zero to tec hero in the shortest time. Meaning one course after another as much as possible so I don't have to take unnecessary time off and I keep travel cost low. I want to avoid the take one course, come back next month for next course schedule. but I don't have tech experience beyond chatting with a few tec divers on boats. I'm wondering what the best way to achieve this goal is. I understand that tech diving requires a significantly higher skill set and time commitment and i'm willing to put in the effort to achieve these goals in a safe way. I'd like to master these skills, and have enough real world tech diving experience, that I can be of value to people, whose lives may depend on me passing this knowledge on correctly, in the future.

3. Pros and cons of various agencies. Which is in the most demand for employment? Who is generally well regarded throughout the industry for their quality of instructors and students, training material, and is at the forefront of new methodology to make diving safer?

4. If I wanted to go with PADI, List of courses from start to finish. PADI is Enriched Air, Enriched Air Instructor, Deep Instructor, MSDT, Tec 40, Tec 45, Tec 50, Tec Deep Instructor, then TriMix, Sidemount, Gas Blender, and CCR... Do I have that right? Besides minimum standards, what kind of technical diving experience is appropriate between levels of training and before considering moving to instructor ratings?

5. Gear upgrades? More regs? BP/W? What else? Any specific recommendations?

6. My long term goal is to teach (technical wreck diving in the North East/ Great Lakes/ South Florida/ Northern England/ or teach cave diving in Florida/Mexico/etc). Does anyone have Suggested locations or specific dive centers? I can go worldwide. suggestions for instructor/s who could potentially train me up from the ground up to eventually be a great instructor in the environment i'd like to teach in someday?

7. How long will should this take? How much will it cost?

8. I'm the type that likes to get the texts months ahead of a class and read the hell out of them before I show up. What could I start reading now that will help me excel at this? Also, are there any in water skills that I could begin to familiarize myself with, without exceeding my current training level, before class?

9. What else can I do to be an excellent student and an excellent instructor?

10. What questions have I not thought of yet.

Here here

 

[Maybe]

I am not familiar with that area so I really can't help. I know there are some caves in some of the countries. I would recommend a cavern class in Mexico and I think you will find out you have a long way to go and that becoming an instructor will take time.

What I meant was, I don't think I need cave training because cave diving is not popular in my area.

 

[Maybe]

>I would not recommend one of the 4-days-and-you're-done type of classes for the first tech training.

I'm surprised that that exists. I've never heard of it. I have studied up on PADI, TDI, and IANTD. Who offers a four day scheme?

I have tons of spare 1st and 2nd stage regs (and SPGs). Do I just have them oxygen cleaned and use them, or, aside from number of ports, are there other specific specs for tec?

Deco for Divers, by Mark Powell, and The Six Skills, by Steve Lewis (aka @Doppler from earlier in this thread).

Thanks for that.

 

[Maybe]

Last: Mark Powell (author of Deco for Divers) also has a new book out. Technical Diving: An Introduction...

https://www.amazon.com/Technical-Diving-Introduction-Mark-Powell/dp/1905492316

I have not read it. But, there is another thread in this subforum where several people have given it positive reviews.

Thank you.

 

[1atm]

I have tons of spare 1st and 2nd stage regs (and SPGs). Do I just have them oxygen cleaned and use them, or, aside from number of ports, are there other specific specs for tec?.

Sort of yes. Only regs used with deco gas will need to be O2 clean, ie stage regs you use with 50% or 100% oxygen. Backgas regs dont need to be, doesnt matter if you dive Nitrox32 or Trimix 21/35 or air for that matter (also 21%...)

What does matter are hoses and hose routing. So you will need different hose lenghts, and you may find that some first stages lend themselves to better routing than others.

Beyond that, technically the rec and tech regulators are the same. At least initially. Additional considerations regarding (over)balanced designs, tuning etc may come into play once you go very deep, but for the start it wont matter.

The exception would be upstream designs should as poseidon, but thats probably for a different thread. Regarding manufacturers in general you’ll find most tech folks use either Scubapro or Apeks, depending on their home geography and piston vs diaphragm religion. Imho primarily to do with two things: reputation for reliability and ease of service (incl dealer network/access to parts).