Next step / possible training to pursue

[Cdncoldwater]

So I've been talking with one of the tec instructors. Although they are a PADI LDS they don't offer PADI Tec but I have TDI or IANTD options. We are going to schedule an assessment dive for my skill level and current suitability for tec.

Currently waiting on cost estimates but the two courses we're currently discussing are IANTD Rec Trimix which will get me a formal deep cert, introduce a bit more gas theory than my recreational nitrox and solo courses plus give me some access to helium in the future if wanted. On the tec spectrum it would be tec side mount so if I decide to do AN/DP I will have an understanding of stage bottles and other tec basics in my tool box. If I don't go into tec beyond that I will have more skills in my tool box and a helium option up to 132ft/40m.

Nothing firm yet and no dates discussed, but locally this seems to be my better options and after the discussions here, reading up on prerequisites etc, this seems like a logical sequence, even if I don't have much plans for helium at this point. I might ask the instructor about AN/DP next time we talk.
EDIT: I would require at least ITT before AN/DP so tec side mount would be in the plan prior.

 

[TMHeimer]

A couple or three years ago I was chatting to a DM/Instructor at a resort type location. He was saying about the 350 DSD (discover scuba) dives he had done up to halfway through the season. Add to that Open Water, etc...

My point is that those dives do not count as experience except as a DSD / OW instructor. They're good evidence of extremely basic shallow solo abilities and leading complete novices, probably "kneeling". No relevance whatsoever to more advanced courses; even Rescue diver for that matter (that might be contentious).

When moving on to more advanced courses and diving, you must have much wider skills and of a far far higher standard.

TBH this is bordering on the standard PADI paradox. By far and away the largest agency which concentrates almost solely on diving strictly within recreational limits. The whole organisation's set up for this. Of course there's plenty of great PADI TecNN instructors who specialise in technical and other advanced courses (PPB). However, there will also be instructors who rarely teach those courses, spend their diving career with complete novices and rarely dive in an "advanced mode".

So you're saying that tech. is way more advanced than rec. diving. OK, I agree and think everyone in the know does.
Of course if you lead a DSD class that "counts" as experience doing only that. If you do a drift dive in Cozumel at a 50 foot depth it counts as experience doing that. Point being....?

 

[NothingClever]

I'm having a bit of a dilemma.

<snip>

What should I pursue without:
A) Going Pro;
B) Going "full" Tech; or
C) Just dive and work on skills?

Please note GUE, CMAS, RAID and some other agencies aren't available to me without extensive (expensive) travel.

I had somewhat of the same predicament as you a while back, the “What’s next?” fork in the road. I reached out, got lucky and got help from a great dive mentor, @RainPilot . He helped me break down my various interests and objectives into a guide that allows me to eat the elephant a bite at a time.

In each domain is a logical sequence of increasingly advanced skills to help me make progress towards the level of proficiency I defined for myself. Although the product below is, in fact, technical in nature, I’m not sharing it to persuade you to become a technical diver. Rather, I shared it here to provide you a template. Hopefully you can use it to organize your own thoughts, interests and objectives to build your own plan and then chip away at matters as opportunities and resources allow.

It sounds to me like you’re mostly on track and just need to dive with folks better than you and then learn from debriefs.

This weekend I’m taking a service course to learn how to inspect, service, troubleshoot and repair my own regs.

 

[Wibble]

So you're saying that tech. is way more advanced than rec. diving. OK, I agree and think everyone in the know does.
Of course if you lead a DSD class that "counts" as experience doing only that. If you do a drift dive in Cozumel at a 50 foot depth it counts as experience doing that. Point being....?

Number of dives is meaningless drivel mostly said to impress novices, but it grates with experienced divers.

 

[Wibble]

I had somewhat of the same predicament as you a while back, the “What’s next?” fork in the road. I reached out, got lucky and got help from a great dive mentor, @RainPilot . He helped me break down my various interests and objectives into a guide that allows me to eat the elephant a bite at a time.

In each domain is a logical sequence of increasingly advanced skills to help me make progress towards the level of proficiency I defined for myself. Although the product below is, in fact, technical in nature, I’m not sharing it to persuade you to become a technical diver. Rather, I shared it here to provide you a template. Hopefully you can use it to organize your own thoughts, interests and objectives to build your own plan and then chip away at matters as opportunities and resources allow.

It sounds to me like you’re mostly on track and just need to dive with folks better than you and then learn from debriefs.

View attachment 669581

This weekend I’m taking a service course to learn how to inspect, service, troubleshoot and repair my own regs.

Where’s the mention of self-sufficiency and solo skills?

 

[Cdncoldwater]

I had somewhat of the same predicament as you a while back, the “What’s next?” fork in the road. I reached out, got lucky and got help from a great dive mentor, @RainPilot . He helped me break down my various interests and objectives into a guide that allows me to eat the elephant a bite at a time.

In each domain is a logical sequence of increasingly advanced skills to help me make progress towards the level of proficiency I defined for myself. Although the product below is, in fact, technical in nature, I’m not sharing it to persuade you to become a technical diver. Rather, I shared it here to provide you a template. Hopefully you can use it to organize your own thoughts, interests and objectives to build your own plan and then chip away at matters as opportunities and resources allow.

It sounds to me like you’re mostly on track and just need to dive with folks better than you and then learn from debriefs.

View attachment 669581

This weekend I’m taking a service course to learn how to inspect, service, troubleshoot and repair my own regs.

Thanks, that chart is a great idea, combined with some conversations with @Wibble and my potential instructor, it will definitely help prioritize training. I’m hoping to get more dives with folks who have excellent skills, but that’s harder than it sounds. I’m lucky as I have been trained on some brands and servicing regulators, inspecting tanks, BCDs for about 3 years now so my knowledge in those aspects are getting pretty good.

 

[NothingClever]

Where’s the mention of self-sufficiency and solo skills?

For me, self-sufficiency is implied under “always prepared” but I can see where one may want to be more specific.

Solo skills is, in fact, missing. I had already done a bunch of solo dives when I built the chart (to include what I call “Hollywood” technical dives) so I guess I didn’t see a need to itemize it as a focus any longer. Same as above, it may make the list for another person seeking to organize his/her training outlook.

 

[Wibble]

For me, self-sufficiency is implied under “always prepared” but I can see where one may want to be more specific.

Solo skills is, in fact, missing. I had already done a bunch of solo dives when I built the chart (to include what I call “Hollywood” technical dives) so I guess I didn’t see a need to itemize it as a focus any longer. Same as above, it may make the list for another person seeking to organize his/her training outlook.

Absolutely agree.

Do think that this diagram's a bit too team focussed than self-reliance.

Maybe it's a personal issue with team diving. I've always suspected that it makes you more reliant on your team than can be good for you if you're making your own decisions; your own planning; your own kit preparation; your own pre-dive checks. And especially if diving in poor visibility where you have to make a lot of effort to stay with buddies/team whilst diving. You shouldn't rely on them and they shouldn't rely on you.

Will concede this point for 'extreme' diving where you must use team members to carry enough bailout / stage cylinders to complete the dive safely.

 

[mc42]

I do think a strong team is much better than a single member. But a team is also only as strong as its weakest member, to Wibble’s point.

To be a good team member, especially a tech team member, each member needs to be self-reliant, solo, or whatever you want to call it. It’s being able to conduct a dive entirely on their own if separated from the team and not becoming an additional liability for the team when it is engaged in solving a problem with another team member.

I guess many of the skills mentioned in the diagram are prerequisites for self-reliance, and maybe even fall under the “high performance skills” but it may be worth pulling out as a separate bullet point especially if team diving is already one of the domains.

It’s a well-considered diagram, and thank you for sharing!

 

[MichaelMc]

they don't offer PADI Tec but I have TDI or IANTD options

IANTD offers deep deco with 10 minutes of back gas to 130', which might be a good option. It has rec essentials and AOW as pre reqs. Though it and the rec essentials might be less common than deep.