Need Instructor: Advanced Nitrox And Decompression Class around Miami

[ermaclob]

In Pompano: Home - Go Dive Florida

I've spoken to Mark McAlpin as well, he seems like someone we can potentially do the class with. Anyone had any first hand experience with him, any good/bad things about him?

 

[boulderjohn]

I've spoken to Mark McAlpin as well, he seems like someone we can potentially do the class with. Anyone had any first hand experience with him, any good/bad things about him?

He taught my trimix, advanced trimix, and my TDI instructor courses. I liked him. You can expect his partner Didier to be part of your instruction.

I did the trimix classes before he owned that shop, and the instructor classes after. With the instructor classes, the "shop" was the teacher, meaning I had both Didier and Mark as instructors, usually at the same time. It was good to get two for the price of one. For the AN/DP classes, you probably would not get both at the same time. If I had a class to take now, I would not hesitate to return.

 

[lindenbruce]

Didier is a great guy too. B.

 

[ucfdiver]

Hit up John Chatterton. I did this class with him back in June and learned a lot. B.

I think the OP wanted a DIR background.

 

[boulderjohn]

I think the OP wanted a DIR background.

Here is what he said in the first post:

o this is whats happening, me and 2 other friends are very eager to get Adv. Nitrox and Deco done ....
We are currently looking for some one to tech the class in the South Florida area (Keys to Pompano) area that is experienced in deep diving (Trimix) Open circuit in the Ocean, and if they have a Cave or GUE back ground its a plus as well. Our last instructor did things kinda really Hogarthian, though doesn't have to strict about it we would like to keep the same diving style.

The names of the courses asked for are typical of TDI.

When I went crossed over to TDI in Pompano, I was leaving my strict DIR background--the UTD version. In the month I was in that area diving, I found exactly one person who knew what UTD was when I showed a card or mentioned my background. Most thought I meant UDT, a local tech dive agency. That one person who haqd heard of UTD was a worker at a shop where I signed up for some dives. He had taken GUE Fundamentals, and he talked about the fact that few people in the area even knew what that was. In explaining what the unknown agency (UTD) was whose name was on the card I was using to dive, I would usually give a very brief history saying how it had come from GUE. That didn't help--most did not know what GUE was. Most had never heard of DIR.

And yet, if you had looked at us gearing up on the boat and been told that one diver (me) was using a DIR configuration and the rest basically did not know what DIR was, you would have had a hard time picking out that one DIR diver. Hogarthian diving has been around for a long time, and it is done by just about all technical divers. As far a procedures go, there is not a lot of difference in those, either. In my TDI training through advanced trimix, there was almost nothing we did that was not DIR as well. Yes, there were some things, but they were pretty minor.

 

[ermaclob]

Im not looking for DIR. What im not looking for is an instructor that does strange stuff. like use unstandard reg configs, diving wet with big steels doubles. stacked wings or double bladder wings etc. i have met or talked people that teach the class with such practices. im not saying its the wrong way. but i prefer not to dive like that.

 

[Teller]

Im not looking for DIR. What im not looking for is an instructor that does strange stuff. like use unstandard reg configs, diving wet with big steels doubles. stacked wings or double bladder wings etc. i have met or talked people that teach the class with such practices. im not saying its the wrong way. but i prefer not to dive like that.

Have you spoke to Mark Fowler or Jim Wyatt?

www.markfowlerscuba.com
www.cavediveflorida.com

 

[boulderjohn]

Have you spoke to Mark Fowler or Jim Wyatt?

Mark Fowler Scuba | Certified Scuba Instructor
Cave Diving Training & Guide Service - High Springs, Florida

Both are excellent, but neither is at all close to the Miami area.

 

[ermaclob]

yea, im pretty sure there has to be some decent instructor around here in South Florida no need to fly one in from across the galaxy

 

[Superlyte27]

I'll come if the ocean looks good.