NITROX Training
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welcome to the board!!! Most would like to think that some courses are better than others, but as with most SCUBA courses, the instructor makes the biggest difference. Choose your instructor wisely and you will do well.
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Scubaroo
Contributor
Hey there,
I'm in the middle of getting Nitrox certified. I chose TDI, because I had a disappointing PADI AOW experience, and I couldn't afford the IANTD training which I really wanted (double the cost). Those were the three courses I looked at. Fortunately for me, my instructor is both a PADI and TDI instructor, and he put me through *both* courses' training materials. Apparently both TDI and PADI material has recently been revised according to my instructor.
TDI - very detailed explanation of what Nitrox is all about, and the laws behind it. Course manual is very "photocopy room" in terms of quality - I think they print and bind them on demand. No tables except those printed in the manual. No dives are required in order to get certified.
PADI - the video is excellent - and they spend a lot of time going over how to use different types of Nitrox tables. But not a lot of background information like TDI provides. Very professional manual, several plastic tables like the basic RDP, and two dives are required to get certified. I do these tomorrow.
When I'm at that stage, I would like to do an advanced Nitrox course with an agency other than PADI, but for the basic course to get an understanding of the stuff, PADI is a good option IMO.
Ben
I'm in the middle of getting Nitrox certified. I chose TDI, because I had a disappointing PADI AOW experience, and I couldn't afford the IANTD training which I really wanted (double the cost). Those were the three courses I looked at. Fortunately for me, my instructor is both a PADI and TDI instructor, and he put me through *both* courses' training materials. Apparently both TDI and PADI material has recently been revised according to my instructor.
TDI - very detailed explanation of what Nitrox is all about, and the laws behind it. Course manual is very "photocopy room" in terms of quality - I think they print and bind them on demand. No tables except those printed in the manual. No dives are required in order to get certified.
PADI - the video is excellent - and they spend a lot of time going over how to use different types of Nitrox tables. But not a lot of background information like TDI provides. Very professional manual, several plastic tables like the basic RDP, and two dives are required to get certified. I do these tomorrow.
When I'm at that stage, I would like to do an advanced Nitrox course with an agency other than PADI, but for the basic course to get an understanding of the stuff, PADI is a good option IMO.
Ben
Dryglove
Contributor
I just finished the nitrox course through my local SSI dealer.One big advantage i have is that he is a great instructor.I thought it was a great class.Like pug said what are your plans and decide if it is for you.Goodluck!!
Spectre
Contributor
I've been looking into Nitrox certification lately, and I there really isn't much difference from what I understand between the two courses. In fact, when I checked with one local shop that does both TDI and PADI, he told me I could sit in on the PADI lectures, and then take the TDI test.
moxie
Contributor
Howdy! I did the SSI course. I couldn't see the necessity of doing dives. Pay attention to MODs and adhere to them. Search this board and the whole net. There is a lot of info on nitrox which can help broaden your understanding of its benefits and risks. Like a lot of things in the scuba world, there are myths associated with nitrox. Don't listen to armchair experts. I love nitrox and use it whenever its available. Moxie
Whatever you do, don't take one of those computer nitrox courses. I think sdi offers it. No tables, just teach you how to use your computer.
brandon
brandon
Spectre
Contributor
Ok. I finished my Nitrox course tonight. Here was the deal. I was supposed to sit in on the PADI lecture, and then take the TDI test. But things got a little funny. I had already committed to a boat dive last night, so I couldn't make the lecture last night. The owner of the shop said that would be fine, and just make sure I understand all my homework.
I end up early most of the times when I leave work to get somewhere, as the traffic is occasionally really bad. So I left work at 5:00, got to the shop by 6:15, and sat down to flip through my TDI Nitrox book [which I picked up on Wednesday]. Tom [the owner] was working on a regulator in the shop, and I didn't notice he noticed I was there, until he asked "Any problems getting through the material in such short time?" [He didn't have any books on-hand last saturday, so he had to order one, and I only had a couple very busy days to study]. "Nope".
He came in after about 10 minutes and ran through the basic formulas to make sure I knew 'em all. We then went and played with blending, filling things out, he showed me all the equipment, how to work the mixes with whatever he had banked at the time. Talked to me about hyper-air, and even touched into trimix blending. We went through the analysis, he had me analyse, tag, and sign out a tank. Then he had me analyse a partially filled tank, analyse the bank fO2 [it was a fresh bank and he needed to do that anyway], and calculate out how much from the 41.8% bank to add to the 33% tank to end up with 28% after topping off with air. I ended up with 28.5% which I didn't think was too shabby for my first time.
So by now the PADI folks had showed up, and their instructor was lecturing in the classroom so Tom grabbed a chair and moved me out into the store floor to take my test. It was a bit distracting to hear the lecture while I was trying to take the test, but I managed through it.
I did pick up on some of the PADI lecture, and there was a lot of "Set your computer to such and such, and you see such and such", as I'm plugging away at my calculator to get the ATA to come up with the EAN, to run a 3 dive profile with the navy tables to come up with the final nitrogen group letter.
I must say, I loved the TDI course. Unlike PADI, the TDI exam had maybe one or two questions that were almost word for word with the homework. The rest really drew together the little parts in the homework into the big picture. Where the homework had a lot of givens (what's the depth limit for EAN32 at 1.4 ATA), the test had a lot of stuff like "You plan on doing a drift dive at 100 fsw, what's the best mix" [where you have to _know_ that a drift dive is a relaxed dive, and therefore you could run 1.6 ATA O2 dose instead of 1.4]. Basically the test required you to make the right choice from a number of unknowns that weren't given to you.
It was definately the first diving related test that I truely felt challenged, and when I completed the test and went over the couple I got wrong, I truely felt I missed them for a reason, and I learned things that I didn't think of before the test began.
So if you are looking to just get a nitrox card, go for someone else. If you are truely desiring learning something, and seriously testing yourself to make sure you know your S**T, I strongly recommend the TDI course.
I end up early most of the times when I leave work to get somewhere, as the traffic is occasionally really bad. So I left work at 5:00, got to the shop by 6:15, and sat down to flip through my TDI Nitrox book [which I picked up on Wednesday]. Tom [the owner] was working on a regulator in the shop, and I didn't notice he noticed I was there, until he asked "Any problems getting through the material in such short time?" [He didn't have any books on-hand last saturday, so he had to order one, and I only had a couple very busy days to study]. "Nope".
He came in after about 10 minutes and ran through the basic formulas to make sure I knew 'em all. We then went and played with blending, filling things out, he showed me all the equipment, how to work the mixes with whatever he had banked at the time. Talked to me about hyper-air, and even touched into trimix blending. We went through the analysis, he had me analyse, tag, and sign out a tank. Then he had me analyse a partially filled tank, analyse the bank fO2 [it was a fresh bank and he needed to do that anyway], and calculate out how much from the 41.8% bank to add to the 33% tank to end up with 28% after topping off with air. I ended up with 28.5% which I didn't think was too shabby for my first time.
So by now the PADI folks had showed up, and their instructor was lecturing in the classroom so Tom grabbed a chair and moved me out into the store floor to take my test. It was a bit distracting to hear the lecture while I was trying to take the test, but I managed through it.
I did pick up on some of the PADI lecture, and there was a lot of "Set your computer to such and such, and you see such and such", as I'm plugging away at my calculator to get the ATA to come up with the EAN, to run a 3 dive profile with the navy tables to come up with the final nitrogen group letter.
I must say, I loved the TDI course. Unlike PADI, the TDI exam had maybe one or two questions that were almost word for word with the homework. The rest really drew together the little parts in the homework into the big picture. Where the homework had a lot of givens (what's the depth limit for EAN32 at 1.4 ATA), the test had a lot of stuff like "You plan on doing a drift dive at 100 fsw, what's the best mix" [where you have to _know_ that a drift dive is a relaxed dive, and therefore you could run 1.6 ATA O2 dose instead of 1.4]. Basically the test required you to make the right choice from a number of unknowns that weren't given to you.
It was definately the first diving related test that I truely felt challenged, and when I completed the test and went over the couple I got wrong, I truely felt I missed them for a reason, and I learned things that I didn't think of before the test began.
So if you are looking to just get a nitrox card, go for someone else. If you are truely desiring learning something, and seriously testing yourself to make sure you know your S**T, I strongly recommend the TDI course.
