Minimum requirements for tech courses

[Bennno]

These standards obviously are ridiculous and have been set to increase revenue for the agency, shops and instructors. Most customers of random dive shops in a touristy area around the world have a low number of dives. Tons and tons of people do their OWD, less do their AOWD and so on. So, the lower the standards the more courses can you sell, simply because you have more potential customers. Why do you think there have been so many new courses popping up in the last 5 to 10 years... they don't make much sense either other than increase the potential for instructors to sell more courses. I assume most divers will agree and a lot of 'tec' instructors will disagree... I wonder why.

What's the difference? Number of dives don't mean ****

Right, the average diver with 20 dives is just as good as the average diver with 200 dives? Give me a break.

 

[Seya]

These standards obviously are ridiculous and have been set to increase revenue for the agency, shops and instructors. Most customers of random dive shops in a touristy area around the world have a low number of dives. Tons and tons of people do their OWD, less do their AOWD and so on. So, the lower the standards the more courses can you sell, simply because you have more potential customers. Why do you think there have been so many new courses popping up in the last 5 to 10 years... they don't make much sense either other than increase the potential for instructors to sell more courses. I assume most divers will agree and a lot of 'tec' instructors will disagree... I wonder why.Right, the average diver with 20 dives is just as good as the average diver with 200 dives? Give me a break.

Number of dive doesn't mean ****. I have seen great divers complete tech courses right after AOW and some people will never after 1000 dives. Some people will pass some will fail. But it's great to start early that way you will not learn a ton of stupid bad habits. What magical number of dives would you need to be a tech diver?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I have seen recreational instructors that have no business in a tech course. I've also seen ow divers that, if they applied themselves, would be ready to start a tech class after 25 dives or so. I'd accept an intro to tech student with that many dives. But he better be dialed in on buoyancy, trim, and buddy skills. Is that possible, yes.

 

[Bennno]

Number of dive doesn't mean ****. I have seen great divers complete tech courses right after AOW and some people will never after 1000 dives.

Great diver with no experience (25 dives). Lol, right. Apperently the word 'great' has different meaning to you. What makes you think you can judge what's great or not? You are not a great '30 dives tec diver' are you?

 

[Seya]

Great diver with no experience (25 dives). Lol, right. Apperently the word 'great' has different meaning to you. What makes you think you can judge what's great or not? You are not a great '30 dives tec diver' are you?

Yeah a great diver is someone with the rights frame of mind and ability to learn fast. So answer me what's the magical number of doing horrible vertical recreational dives with split fins and air 2 that make you a super tech diver? All that a course gives you is some skills to practice with a new set of parameters ever new tech diver needs to practice after the course

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

[Bennno]

I'd accept an intro to tech student with that many dives.

What a surprise, someone is accepting a customers business.

@Seya, IMHO beginners have no business in doing deco dives... what's the point not to get some experience? To be a great diver you need experience AND training. I can't believe you guys even arguing that. Unless of course you are rookie divers that think they are great 'tec' divers or instructors that want to have more potential customers... otherwise there are only downsides to do deco dive with hardly any experience.
What's your experience Seya? IMHO you need some experience to judge who's a 'great' diver.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I said accept them to start intro to tech. Didn't say I'd pass them. They have to earn that. I don't sell cards. I've turned down aow students because I didn't like their attitude.

 

[CptTightPants21]

I have seen recreational instructors that have no business in a tech course. I've also seen ow divers that, if they applied themselves, would be ready to start a tech class after 25 dives or so. I'd accept an intro to tech student with that many dives. But he better be dialed in on buoyancy, trim, and buddy skills. Is that possible, yes.

I completely agree. It is not the number of dives, but what you do during those dives that determines whether you are ready for tech training. A person with the right support network and a small degree of natural talent could definitely start intro with 25 dives.

 

[Seya]

What a surprise, someone is accepting a customers business.

@Seya, IMHO beginners have no business in doing deco dives... what's the point not to get some experience? To be a great diver you need experience AND training. I can't believe you guys even arguing that. Unless of course you are rookie divers that think they are great 'tec' divers or instructors that want to have more potential customers... otherwise there are only downsides to do deco dive with hardly any experience.
What's your experience Seya? IMHO you need some experience to judge who's a 'great' diver.

The faster someone learns anti silting technics and to do skills trim and with proper buoyancy the better. Why would you want people not to learn that soon? You still haven't answered me what is your magical number of dives to start. Every single dive is a deco dive. A recreational dive can turn into a deco with a single problem to happen during the dive. So why would you want to prevent people from learning how to deal with that?
I'm an OC and CCR tech diver with many dives in a variety of environments

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

[tomfcrist]

I like a tech student to be tried and tested. Nobody is tried and tested at 25 dives.

Anyone can pass any tech course in perfect conditions. It is completely possible for someone to be full trimix certified and have never dived in conditions more challenging than a deep pool.. What happens when that diver loses his ****e when presented with Real challenges that take the dive well beyond the comfort zone? I've seen it...it's not pretty.
It is the same reason I won't teach AOW in a quarry.... If I sign your card, you should be competent to complete any recreational dive in a variety of conditions. Going to 60' in the quarry is not a deep dive, and a diver with 100 quarry dives and nothing else is in no way ready to do even 10 minutes of deco in the mid atlantic. A diver with the same number of dives in the mid Atlantic has probably been tried and tested by the dynamics of the ocean...I'd be much less concerned with the ocean diver freaking out when a real failure happens than the quarry diver.

Long story short, what quality of dive experience does the prospective student have and what is his/her skill and comfort level? Rest assured my "assessment dive" for a prospective tech student will be in a dynamic environment....because you can doctor a logbook but you can't lie to me in the water.