Opinions on DSAT TecRec courses

[Blackwood]

In that order?

TDI and IANTD simultaneously, UTD later.

 

[boomx5]

Oh, and one word of advice; be sure that you never call a commercial diver a cowboy in a bar.

Lol...you commercial divers are a rough and tumble crowd! One of my best friends and dive buddies has been a commercial diver for about 18 years. I understand where you guys come from based on what you do on a day to day basis. Black water, high current, burning piles at 170'+ on air...that's a tough way to make a living!

I guess what it boils down to is levels of acceptable risk for the individual diver. I think most of us who have been around long enough have done some pretty stupid things. The lessons we've learned or the close calls we've had, have helped to shape our points of view on how we want to conduct our dives. Those of us who subscribe to the DIR mindset of diving maybe set our limits back a few notches within a range of diving as that's where we accept our level of risk. Then there are those who may not have their "risk set-point" at the same spot as they find they are more comfortable pushing the limits. As a "DIR Practitioner" for almost 7 years, I've found that this style of diving gives me the most bang for my buck as far as diving enjoyment is concerned...but I'm sure others would certainly disagree.

 

[liuk3]

I guess what it boils down to is levels of acceptable risk for the individual diver.

Ding ding ding. I think we have a winner...

 

[AndyNZ]

TDI and IANTD simultaneously, UTD later.

How did you feel about your first class(es) a few weeks after it had finished? Did you feel that they added to you as a diver, or were they a complete waste of time.

 

[Blackwood]

How did you feel about your first class(es) a few weeks after it had finished? Did you feel that they added to you as a diver, or were they a complete waste of time.

A few weeks after? I was probably just happy it was done

I learned a lot, and must note that my training is probably not representative.
From the time we (two buddies and I) did the classroom sessions to the time the instructor deemed us competent and signed us off, we'd done over a year of training and diving.

I'm not necessarily saying that the bar was inordinately high. Rather, the instructor's standards were high, and he wasn't willing to just go through the motions. I probably had something on the order of 60 hours of in-water time with the instructor (and more with my team).

Most of what I learned directly relates to shallow single tank dives as well as stage decompression dives (gas switching notwitstanding).

With sincerity, I became a more complete diver.

 

[AndyNZ]

Thanks, Marc.

 

[Peter Guy]

Andy and Devon D -- Thank you for your answers. Andy, as you know, I'll probably end up trying to do this as a specialty or just as a non-card "workshop." You are quite correct that I don't want to go down the DSAT path to become a "Tech Instructor."

Hmmm, I wonder if my LDS owner would still let me teach if I got a UTD card to teach Essentials and Rec 1!

 

[AndyNZ]

Andy, as you know, I'll probably end up trying to do this as a specialty or just as a non-card "workshop."

I'm semi-serious with the "PADI DIR Diver" course, there is a place for such a course and it doesn't fit entirely in the PADI or DSAT domains. Those niche areas are where the fun is!

If you wanted to work together on one, Peter?? I probably wouldn't teach it for a few years (we'd rather people just did Fundies!) but it would be a 'nice to have'.

 

[Peter Guy]

Tempting Andy, tempting. We need to come up with a name.

PADI Tweener Diver Specialty?

PADI TecReational Diver Specialty?

PADI Sk.I.N. Diver Specialty? (Skills I Need)

Seriously Andy, it really is pretty much your Distinctive Specialty without the emphasis on independence and redundancy.

 

[DCBC]

Is it dictated by the customer? (I could see a customer being unwilling to pay for He for a 100 foot END)
Or by OSHA?
Or is it up to you?

There is a big difference depending upon the commercial contractor and where the work is being undertaken. For example, OSHA allows the commercial use of SCUBA; IMCA (International Marine Contractors Association) doesn't. The IMCA Code of Practice is much more restricting, however not all contractors conform to it.

So answering your question is difficult. The Diving Superintendent (and in-turn the Diving Supervisor) is responsible for assigning the gas to be used and is ultimately responsible for the safety of the diver.

As a Diving Superintendent, I've never had any Client complain about the use of Helium so its has never been restricted. Big Oil doesn't consider such costs to be an issue. Although saturation projects do "reclaim" Helium in a closed-circuit gas system to increase safety (insure supply) and lower cost (imagine the cost of Helium for 6 divers at 1300' for 14 days and an addition of 14 days of decompression!)

There are some similarities between recreational and commercial diving when it comes to a comparison between air and mixed-gas Divers. Generally speaking mixed-gas Divers are the few, the elite.

In most instances, the commercial mixed-gas diver has paid his dues by having mastered their occupation in the "Air" diving environment. This is not necessarily true in the recreational field. New recreational students get into Nitrox immediately after certification and then move on into Trimix. This is why they have never developed a need to deal with narcosis and why it is such a danger to recreational divers today.

The danger has always existed, but years ago, the majority of recreational divers didn't have a choice. This in one way, was more similar to the commercial industry. Most commercial diving companies make their livelihood by using air only. Divers are subjected to depth for extended periods of time and subsequently, they learn to adapt or they leave the profession.

By the time they make the move to mixed-gas, they have the experience necessary to move to the next step. Nothing comes easy.

Some might feel that they are cowboys, but no more than other professionals that make their living by doing something that's potentially dangerous such as rodeo riders, loggers or downhill skiers. They don't just decide one day to do it and 3 weeks later, there they are, saturated at 1000'. Sorry for the ramble...