NSSCDS VS. IANTD training

[Jonesy920x]

I think the IANTD manual is the worst of the bunch, although Matt from Protec has written a more up-to-date version of it. Also, IANTD appears to defer accelerated deco and O2 use until their Technical Diver course, but I'm not sure if this an agency thing, or just the way things work out in Mexico.

From what I've been told and read on thier website it is an agency philosophy.

 

[Scott L]

I don't think central Florida would win wife points -- the OW diving there isn't inspiring, and there aren't any pretty beaches! (And not much in the way of frou-frou drinks, either )

Don't over-look staying in Gainesville, the Harvard of the South (U of F).

 

[Dive-aholic]

IAlso, IANTD appears to defer accelerated deco and O2 use until their Technical Cave Diver course, but I'm not sure if this an agency thing, or just the way things work out in Mexico.

None of the agencies allow decompression or O2 use in cavern and intro. This is not specific to IANTD. There's also not much difference between IANTD's Cave Diver course and Technical Cave Diver course. The main difference is you must already be decompression trained and certified to receive the Technical Cave Diver certification. Many Florida cave instructors require, or at least encourage, this anyway because at the Apprentice/Cave levels in North Florida caves decompression is almost a given.

 

[Hetland]

None of the agencies allow decompression or O2 use in cavern and intro. This is not specific to IANTD. There's also not much difference between IANTD's Cave Diver course and Technical Cave Diver course. The main difference is you must already be decompression trained and certified to receive the Technical Cave Diver certification. Many Florida cave instructors require, or at least encourage, this anyway because at the Apprentice/Cave levels in North Florida caves decompression is almost a given.

I'm getting different answers from different divers so I figured I'd ask the expert

Is there an expiration date to IANTD's "Cave I" level course?

Thanks

 

[dl348]

To answer your question, there is no expiration date on IANTD's Intro. to Cave or Cavern certifications. Even if the class is completed in double tanks, the cert. does not expire or change to only a single tank certification after 12 or 18 months. Some of the NACD and NSS-CDS certifications do expire after a specific period of time.

 

[Dive-aholic]

None of IANTD's certs expire. The NACD Apprentice cert expires. The NSS-CDS Basic and Apprentice certs expire.

 

[Jonesy920x]

None of IANTD's certs expire. The NACD Apprentice cert expires. The NSS-CDS Basic and Apprentice certs expire.

So do you do a refresher course ? Or do you have to run the full course again ?

I'm assuming that it's motivation to go get your "Full Cave" done and then there is no expiration ?

 

[rongoodman]

There's also not much difference between IANTD's Cave Diver course and Technical Cave Diver course. The main difference is you must already be decompression trained and certified to receive the Technical Cave Diver certification. Many Florida cave instructors require, or at least encourage, this anyway because at the Apprentice/Cave levels in North Florida caves decompression is almost a given.

Do you require the student take the IANTD Technical Diver course as part of the Technical Cave Diver certification, or would you accept deco training from another agency, such as TDI's Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures? If so, how long would the Technical Cave update from Full Cave be? Thanks.

 

[Dive-aholic]

So do you do a refresher course ? Or do you have to run the full course again ?

I'm assuming that it's motivation to go get your "Full Cave" done and then there is no expiration ?

It depends. I usually don't teach stand alone Apprentice. I view that certification as more of a provisional. I will schedule Apprentice and Cave on separate weekends, but so far I haven't scheduled an Apprentice weekend without having the Cave weekend also scheduled.

As for Basic Cave (and anyone at the Apprentice level) that has expired, if divers finished previous training with me I may require an additional day to assess where skill levels are. If they come from another instructor with an expired cert, I might require them to do the full course again. It's all on a case by case basis.

Do you require the student take the IANTD Technical Diver course as part of the Technical Cave Diver certification, or would you accept deco training from another agency, such as TDI's Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures? If so, how long would the Technical Cave update from Full Cave be? Thanks.

Standards allow equivalent. I'm also a TDI instructor and usually issue TDI AN/DP certs. IANTD's Technical Diver course is similar to TDI's Extended Range Diver course. They both fall between AN/DP and normoxic Trimix. They are basically deep air courses. Neither is required for IANTD's Technical Cave Diver course. To go from Cave to Technical Cave I'd want at least 2 days.