Opinions on DSAT TecRec courses

[zerogravity89]

Has anyone taken any DSAT TecRec courses, either the Deep or the Trimix? If so how was it? How does it compare to say TDI or IANTD courses? This is coming from someone with no tech diving experience, but interested in taking courses in the future (something like deco and advanced nitrox together, which seems to be the equivalent of DSAT Tec Deep, and maybe in the future after that a trimix course). Obviously being a PADI Instructor on our IDCs and after we get a lot of "if you want to go tech do it through DSAT", but I am very open to anything, really I only want the best course. So any comments about the various courses are welcome, would like to hear from anyone who has or hasn't done DSAT courses, how it was, how you think it compares etc.

Thanks

 

[AndyNZ]

I've looked into the DSAT courses with a view to maybe teaching them in the near future. After a lot of analysis and thought, I've decided to go the TDI route rather than DSAT.

DSAT Tec Deep is about equivilent to TDI Extended Range - both are 55m qualifications involving multiple stage bottles, with "around 10 dives" to qualify. I've done TDI courses in the past, and also looked into the TDI standards.

I think it's harder to screw up teaching a DSAT course - the structure and skills are very prescriptive, where as TDI encourage a certain amount of interpretation and flexible structure. It would be real easy to deliver a rubbish TDI course to the minimum standard. The flip side of the coin, though, is that it's easier to tailor a TDI course to suit the students needs.

Enough of talking about this from the instructional perspective, in terms of taking either a TDI or DSAT course as a student..... I think the biggest choice would be on the basis of the individual instructor. There are some very bad TDI instructors out there, but there are also some very good ones. I would guess that there is a little less variation in DSAT instructors, so whilst you may not get any bad ones... it's harder to find "excellence" because of the highly prescriptive nature of the course.

Hope this helps.

 

[rjack321]

Has anyone taken any DSAT TecRec courses, either the Deep or the Trimix? If so how was it? How does it compare to say TDI or IANTD courses? This is coming from someone with no tech diving experience, but interested in taking courses in the future (something like deco and advanced nitrox together, which seems to be the equivalent of DSAT Tec Deep, and maybe in the future after that a trimix course). Obviously being a PADI Instructor on our IDCs and after we get a lot of "if you want to go tech do it through DSAT", but I am very open to anything, really I only want the best course. So any comments about the various courses are welcome, would like to hear from anyone who has or hasn't done DSAT courses, how it was, how you think it compares etc.

Thanks

DSAT is basically a deep air program. For me and my buddies we are pretty adamantly not exceeding a ~100ft END for deco diving. We want to be sharp at depth and be able to manage any issues, not be "significantly" compromised.

The definition of significant is subject to debate, but most tech divers nowadays are diving trimixes with a 80 to 130ft END. If you are taking DSAT progression you will very likely be exposed to END much deeper than that. For that reason I find their program, although new, quite antiquated.

 

[Colliam7]

Has anyone taken any DSAT TecRec courses, either the Deep or the Trimix? If so how was it? How does it compare to say TDI or IANTD courses?

I have taken DSAT Tec Deep and Tec Trimix. But, I can't 'compare' it to the TDI or IANTD sequences, as I haven't been exposed to those. As Andy indicated,the PADI / DSAT tec courses are very structured. I thought the courses were very good, and the written materials were excellent, particularly the book used for Tec Level 1 and Tec Deep. I was fortunate to have (what I considered to be) an excellent instructor. There is a lot of skill development in the sequence, and you go essentially from a single tank diver to a doubles diver with two deco bottles in the twelve dives in the Level 1 / Deep courses. Tec Trimix is less 'skill development intensive', and focuses more on understanding the principles of trimix diving and expanding experience, both in terms of using trimix, and diving deeper than the 165' maximum applied in Tec Deep. Rjack makes a good point about one aspect of the Deep course that is a source of considerable debate - diving air to 165'. In Tec Deep, the student and instructor are expected to dive the same backgas and that is supposed to be air. Some instructors are bothered by that, and do not feel as comfortable working with a tec student at 165', when they (the instructor) are on air. I have not (yet) had a problem diving air to 165' but my dive buddy feels quite narc'd on air at that depth. Once we finished trimix, we essentially adopted an END max of 130, however. Overall, I was very pleased with the content of the DSAT Tec courses.

 

[AndyNZ]

I thought the courses were very good, and the written materials were excellent, particularly the book used for Tec Level 1 and Tec Deep.

You certainly can't fault the DSAT materials - very professionally finished and a mine of information. Even though I've not done the course, I've got (and refer to) a Tec Deep manual.

My TDi manuals were spiral bound, black and white photocopies with none of the text actually square on the page because they were badly copied. TDI have stepped up to the plate with some new manuals but I haven't seen any yet.

Rjack makes a good point about one aspect of the Deep course that is a source of considerable debate - diving air to 165'. In Tec Deep, the student and instructor are expected to dive the same backgas and that is supposed to be air. Some instructors are bothered by that, and do not feel as comfortable working with a tec student at 165', when they (the instructor) are on air.

This is really why DSAT Tec Deep is equivilant to TDI Extended Range, also a deep air programme using air to 55m (165'). The only real difference is that the instructor can be on a different gas. There's a similar schism in TDI, though, with calls to ditch the Extended Range course and promote entry level Tx more strongly. I think in TDI, the normoxic Tx course had a depth limit of 60m so there's not really much difference between the two courses.

 

[zerogravity89]

Ok so for someone looking to get into tech diving for the first time, which course do you suggest?

 

[PerroneFord]

Ok so for someone looking to get into tech diving for the first time, which course do you suggest?

GUE Fundies, Tech1, Tech2

Or the Naui Tech equivalents.

I did IANTD Adv. Nitrox but have my issues with it (no 02) so I don't recommend that path. I refused to do a deep air course with anyone, and CERTAINLY not with the instructor diving on the same gas.

Take your time and look around. You'll find what you need. I know some espouse finding an instructor first, and though there is some merit to that, I disagree. I rather choose the course on it's merits, then find the best instructor I can who teaches that course. Asking a great instructor to teach a crappy course won't make anyone happy.

 

[texdiveguy]

Ok so for someone looking to get into tech diving for the first time, which course do you suggest?

Find yourself a good TDI instructor and review with him/her your needs....TDI offers a complete quality line of technical training courses.

 

[sweatfrog]

Find yourself a good TDI instructor and review with him/her your needs....TDI offers a complete quality line of technical training courses.

For you to make both the statements above and below certainly is confusing. Quality instruction can be received from a number of different places, including DSAT/PADI.

Being a PADI Pro myself I have for the most part supported the general formats and training offered by PADI. I am a holder of certf. from PADI O/W through PADI Divemaster and multiple specialties......in general the instruction and materials have been good.

 

[Rhone Man]

I am in a similar boat (long time recreational diver looking to take some introductory Tec courses), but no one teaches Tec where I am, and the nearest places that I can travel to easily (Puerto Rico) are all solidly IANTD. I am not too wild about the IANTD structure, but you have to play the hand that you are dealt.

I'd certainly welcome any comments or suggestions that anyone has on the IANTD course structure. There seems to me to be something of a disconnect between the IANTD website outlines and the material on the various LDS websites.