I'm just curious what people think about the tech courses through SDI. I've talked to one guy that did nothing but bad-mouth it, because PADI has the best Tec courses, yada, yada. Anyway, i've looked at NAUI's web, and PADI,and TDI's, and they all seem kinda the same. The one difference i've noticed is that TDI's Seems to be a bit more minimalist, instead of having 30 different courses they put some of them in one class. Thanks.
opinions on SDI-TDI Tech Courses
- Thread starter mpd525
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
- Status
Hey, there's another option that you don't have listed there that I feel is the best agency for tech diving. Just my opinion, but any of the others are pretty much the same, and what really matters, especially in tech level courses is the instructor.
GUE has much more rigorous standards and training. It's not for everyone though.
Assuming that you are committed to reading, studying and learning, and that your instructor is committed to teaching you in detail, TDI tech courses are excellent. Certainly the TDI curriculum is adequately comprehensive. Much depends on how compatible you are with your instructor and the relative commitment on both sides.
ianr33
Contributor
The TDI manuals are pretty crummy but as scubakevdm already said what really matters is the instructor.
I do like the TDI course progression. Really there are only 3 non overhead courses anybody need ever do:
1)Advanced Nitrox/Deco. Essentially 1 course. Certifies for 150 feet and 100% O2
2)Intro Trimix. Good for 200 feet.
3)Advanced Trimix. Hypoxic mixes. Good for 300 feet.
After that you should know enough to make your own decisions!
I do like the TDI course progression. Really there are only 3 non overhead courses anybody need ever do:
1)Advanced Nitrox/Deco. Essentially 1 course. Certifies for 150 feet and 100% O2
2)Intro Trimix. Good for 200 feet.
3)Advanced Trimix. Hypoxic mixes. Good for 300 feet.
After that you should know enough to make your own decisions!
NAUI tech is the way I'm going and am comfortable with it. First two classes were intro to tech which I found very helpful and Heliotrox. I'm a PADI DM and looked at the DSAT courses but could not for the life of me justify going to 165 on air when helium is a proven method for reducing narcosis. The helio course goes to 150 but with experience and for now being willing to deco on backgas( at least till I get deco procedures under my belt) I'm comfortable pushing that a little. My last dive on it was to 155. Planned for 165 with a 21/26 mix but there was for me not as much interesting at 165. I wanted to see the wreck not look at the sand. Next will be adv nitrox and deco and with experience go to 180 or so. I'd want full trimix before doing anything in the 200 range plus. For me it's a good progression. Others may disagree but I'm comfortable with it and it meets my diving needs. My NAUI tech course is also thorough, good materials and instruction, and has a very big emphasis on safety.
The TDI courses give the instructor allot of leeway in what and how they teach their courses. So it really does matter how committed the instructor is to provide a good course. I've seen some awesome TDI instructors really spending quiet a bit of time with their students and I've seen some that weren't so great and taught the bare minimum.
As with any class
IT's The INSTRUCTOR
Not the AGENCY
IT's The INSTRUCTOR
Not the AGENCY
I like others above put a lot of weight in the quality of your instruction....get with an instructor whom has 'real world' experience in the course he/she is instructing!!
IMO the TDI programs are really good....several of the text have been re-done and a few are in the process.
With TDI you can take about any technical course you want from Basic Nitrox thru Advanced Trimix to CCR and Cave and Advanced Wreck..plus others....of course each program has its own prerequisits.
Everyone has their opinion on training programs....make up your own mind!!
Most agencies now also offer a course usually titled Intro to Tech that gives the diver a taste of what they might be getting involved in without taking one of the main courses.
Other good agencies with tech offering are NAUI, DSAT, SSI, IANTD, GUE...I am sure I am missing a few.
Good luck on your research and learning....from your bio you are still a ways out from tech...
IMO the TDI programs are really good....several of the text have been re-done and a few are in the process.
With TDI you can take about any technical course you want from Basic Nitrox thru Advanced Trimix to CCR and Cave and Advanced Wreck..plus others....of course each program has its own prerequisits.
Everyone has their opinion on training programs....make up your own mind!!
Most agencies now also offer a course usually titled Intro to Tech that gives the diver a taste of what they might be getting involved in without taking one of the main courses.
Other good agencies with tech offering are NAUI, DSAT, SSI, IANTD, GUE...I am sure I am missing a few.
Good luck on your research and learning....from your bio you are still a ways out from tech...
I started my tec side on the IANTD curriculum and it was so jumbled and the test was so poorly written that my instructor had a hard time with it. He has since gone to the TDI/SDI curriculum and is very happy with it. I'm headed up for my normoxic training cert. next week, so I'll chime back in after the classand let you know how things go. Like others have said previously, it really helps to have a good instructor that cares about informing his students in SAFE practices. I also believe that you only get what you put into it, in the end the live you save will be YOUR OWN!!! Also, before I took any tec courses I interviewed the instructors I was looking to get training from, too make sure there was a comfortable fit between he and I. I believe in the end it has worked well for both of us, I feel confident in that he will give me the knowledge it will take too handle the situation in an unlikely event of a catastrophic failure and come out unharmed, and he feels confident that I can handle the situations as they occur. In any event, take your time in finding the instructor that works for you, the cirriculum is all for not if the instructor cannot relay the meat and potatoes of the meaning to keep you alive!!! Dive safe and remember, ANYONE CAN CALL A DIVE FOR ANY REASON WITH NO QUESTION!!!
- Status
Similar threads
