Nitrox Training?

[PaulSmithTek]

Alright I dont want this to be a bashing section as they usually do. I am going to get my nitrox, trimix and Extended range Deco. I am trying to find out which training agency to go through. TDI or IANTD. I love my LDS that is TDI, there is currently not a IANTD shop in Utah. Would have to travel out of state. Just curious if you travel Internationally are both agency's noticed and respected as a respectable cert. Thanks for everyones help.

 

[ppo2_diver]

You are going to here this alot. It's not the agency as much as it is the instructor. If you are comfortable with the TDI instructor at your LDS, then stick with him/her. The problem with traveling to an instructor is that you really need to interview and grill the potential tech instructor. That way you aren't throwing your $$$, time, and vacation hours away.

 

[amascuba]

I would go with the instructor that you feel will make you a competent diver in the environment that you want to dive in. If you feel that your LDS will provide that for you then I would go with them. If you don't, then I would shop around and talk with different instructors and dive with them. I wouldn't focus so much on the actual agency that they teach through. You can go to New Mexico in February though and take a DIR-F class with me and a few others too.

 

[rjack321]

You need to find an instructor doing the dives you want to do and interview them.

Here are some example questions:
How many tech dives they've done in the last year?
Where?
How deep?
How did they plan their dives?
Which deco models do they follow/stress?

What do you learn in each class?
Which deco gases are taught and when?
What are the maximum narcotic depths and why?
What are the depth limits for each class and why?
edit: how long have they been teaching each level?
edit: can I talk with some of your former students?

What kind of equipment will I need?
Why that stuff vs something else?

There are no right answers, but try to gauge their overall approach and attitude.

 

[ppo2_diver]

You should also ask how many non-teaching dives the instructor does. If someone tech dives for fun as well as teaches it, then they will go the extra mile to learn more about that topic and pass that knowledge onto you.

You should also ask how many students have not passed on the first attempt. You want to avoid someone who just hands out c-cards to everyone who signs up for the class.

 

[texdiveguy]

I went thru TDI for my tec level courses and found the corp. materials good and the instruction fine. I am with the sugg. above about interviewing the instr. about the questions that are important to you....I know of several instructors not with TDI that got their tec level courses and within a few weeks after completing those both were also a tec instructors with NO actual experc. other than the dives they conducted in classes....both now instrc. tec and still has no dives outside of the ones they recv. in their tec training and now teaching of a few tec classes----that in my view is not the level of tec instructor you want to look at. This is not recreational level diving anymore. Make sure you get with someone whom just does not have the 'card',,but actual diving experience in the area of tec you want in real-world dive situations (extensive experc.). DSAT has a good program and materials....finding a qualified experc. instructor may be tough since there are not many of them. Best of luck.

 

[Fort Collins Bob]

Alright I dont want this to be a bashing section as they usually do. I am going to get my nitrox, trimix and Extended range Deco. I am trying to find out which training agency to go through. TDI or IANTD. I love my LDS that is TDI, there is currently not a IANTD shop in Utah. Would have to travel out of state. Just curious if you travel Internationally are both agency's noticed and respected as a respectable cert. Thanks for everyones help.

I would suggest that if you go the TDI way that you take the following
courses:

1) Tech Nitrox
2) adv Nitrox
3) Deco Procedures
4) Trimix
5) Adv Trmix

The extended range is fine but the materials are also covered in the trimix class.

I am sure that your instructor can also suggest the path to follow.

Bob fridell - TDI Instructor