OK, so what next...

[pakman]

Ok... So while I try to cram in as many dive trips as my work schedule allows and just keep building experience, I've decided to start doing some diving locally. Unfortunately what's available is not too exciting and tend to be 10m or less dives unless I want to sit around in poor visibility looking at sand at 20M or more. So been thinking about doing some additional courses to build up my c-card collection (just kiddin on the last part)...

For an AOW/ Nitrox diver who's still under the 100 dive mark but has good buoyancy control, decent/ improving sac rate, decent finning technique, what would be worthwile course to take? I'm leaning twds the tech route but holding off on that a little longer until I get more dives under my belts and more importantly find some people locally that I feel comfortable training and diving with.

Is the rescue diver course worthwhile? I thought about doing the PADI wreck course but the more I read about it, it just seems a waste and if I was that serious on penetrating wrecks, then I'd better do it the proper way thru tech/wreck training. Plus seeing the shoddy quality of some newly minted OW and even AOW's on some recent trips, I'm starting to think it might not be a bad idea to know how to deal with an emergency situation... I don't have aspirations of quitting my job to become a DM or instructor but just want to keep building my knowledge base. :06:

 

[Kim]

The Rescue course is an excellent next step IMO.

 

[JimC]

If your looking at heading toward technical diving a DIR-F or some sort of introductory technical course such as cavern or NAUI's intro to tech. They will help you understand where your skill level needs to be and give you some direction and an instructor to direct 100000 questions at.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Another vote for Rescue Diver.
An essential course for the "compleat" diver.
Rick

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I agree with those who say you should take a Rescue class ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Paco]

Yup. My wife, daughter and son-in-law took the rescue this summer and all three said it was great and are glad they took it.

 

[Scuby Dooby]

Pakman,

I would also say take the Rescue course, whether you plan to go the tech route or not it is a very worthwhile course. Out of curiosity, which shops are you thinking about doing the training with locally? Plenty of options both here and in the philippines - seems we both choose the same islands as a getaway to dive!

 

[String]

Definately rescue.

 

[markfm]

Hmmm -- starting to look like a trend here Taking EFR and Rescue myself now, definitely an interesting (good) course.

 

[pakman]

Pakman,

I would also say take the Rescue course, whether you plan to go the tech route or not it is a very worthwhile course. Out of curiosity, which shops are you thinking about doing the training with locally? Plenty of options both here and in the philippines - seems we both choose the same islands as a getaway to dive!

I'm open to suggestions if you can recommend some local shops/ instructors. Not sure yet in terms of who I'll use for the rescue course but I will prefer to do it locally if I can find an instructor that's doing a course in english... I'd rather save my vacation time for the other stuff.

As for the tech training, I just went out on a local dive trip yesterday with the South China Diving Club for a leisurely dive. One of guys heading that SCDC trip mentioned there is a group of SCDC members who were pursuing tech training. They suggested Mandarin Divers over in Aberdeen had a good reputation for tech. Of course, as you mentioned there's a lot of good tech shops in PG, philippines ...