Opinions on DSAT TecRec courses

[padiscubapro]

Hi Folks,

To the OP's question (if they are still around reading this as this thread was started over a year ago), I just finished a DSAT Tec45 course. I have no experience with any of the other tech agencies, so I'll restrict my comments to what I actually experienced. The only other bit of "fine print" is that the shop the instructor teaches from is also a UTD facility.

We (my classmate and I) started the course in late July with a dive, with the instructor, the purpose of which was to assess our skill level - buoyancy, gas comsumption and gear handling. We were using the standard tech rig - doubles, long hose... etc. After the dive, we were instructed on the skills we were to practice and the advised on the gear we'd need to officially get started with the program.

Then, we did four days of training - two in the classroom using the DSAT Tec Deep Manual and two in the ocean (no deeper than about 30') learning and practicing skills - valve drills, S-drills, having our fin kick technique observed, deployment of an SMB, ascent produres, simulated deco stops, deploying a line on the bottom (no overhead) and following it, and signalling. There were likely others... All of this was video taped and reviewed after the dives. Then, on the second day we practiced the skills again and got into "senarios" - post failures, fixable and not, manifold failures, masks off, line entanglements and OOA situations - at times, with more than one issue going on at a time. Again, the whole drama was video taped for our education. This weekend also included one deco bottle and associated gas switches.

Then twice a week for almost 8 weeks, my classmate and I went diving to practice skills as well as to practice more skills, but also to practice skills.

We then got together with the instructor for another classroom session and planned our graduation dives - two weekends, two weeks apart with more practice inbetween. Wrote the final exam, handed in the knowledge reviews (went over them, and the exam) and handed in prepared dive plans.

I took the course largely in an effort to update myself - I had been "tech" diving in the late 80's and very early 90's before there were accessible courses around. We "borrowed" from the Florida cave divers and east-coast wreck divers to do what we were doing. I felt the course was very good - I learned a lot. Also, at no time ever, were we allowed, encouraged, or was it even suggested, we could start the skills on our knees on the bottom! Despite what the photos show in the manual!

I felt the content was good and the instructor very good - a good teacher and an active tech diver himself. I'm already signed up for the next DSAT course that we're planning to start in Jan/Feb next year. In the meantime, dive, dive, dive.

Hope that helps.

Lee

Lee,

WHile I agree skills should be able to be done cleanly while swimming or in miid water, don't discount thee ability tou doing skills on ones knees... You must be able to perform EVERY skill in any imaginable position.. There are times you might not have the benefit of being in the prone position and some skills are HARDER when upright..

for example moving and handling stages when swimming/prone is a piece of cake, but depending on the cylinders and gear configs, upright can be alot harder..


I can remeber a student that I was training on a new CCR (he was an OW AND a CCR instructor), I had him go through drills.. It was so ingrained with him that he SHOULDNT ever do skills on kis knees (he also didnt allow his ow students to do drills this way), that some skills he could not do cleanly in this position...

I asked him.. what if he was forced to be helping someone that required him to be upright and his mask became dislodged?? was he going to go into the prone position to clear?? in the prone position he was perfect, but in an on his knees position HE COULD NOT cleanly clear his mask.. He had to use lots of gas.... not a good thing for someone on a CCR..

I personally think the point is to instill what is the preferred position to doing things but not ignore conditions that someday you MIGHT find yourself in..