opinions on SDI-TDI Tech Courses

[Warren_L]

As with any class
IT's The INSTRUCTOR
Not the AGENCY

I agree to a point. It is primarily the instructor, but the agency does have something to do with it, as really, unless the instructor is planning on going outside agency standards and guidelines, there are limitations in what can be taught with any agency. I've taken tech courses through TDI and GUE and each has its benefits and limits. I do not disagree that the instructor is a big factor, but selecting a good tech course based on one metric alone is limiting.

 

[xiSkiGuy]

Other good agencies with tech offering are NAUI, DSAT, SSI, IANTD, GUE...I am sure I am missing a few.

I'm sure there are some good instructors offering the PADI/DSAT courses, but the fact that their training video shows divers doing skills on their knees in a pool instead of hovering midwater, would make me question the quality of the curriculum.

 

[Mike Manthe]

...their training video shows divers doing skills on their knees in a pool instead of hovering midwater...

That's the reason why we don't show the videos during the courses. After certification we let our freshmen watch the video. So they can find out that their skills are much better. During the courses we use the 5th-d DVDs

 

[John_B]

As with any class
IT's The INSTRUCTOR
Not the AGENCY

I disagree. Its both, not one or the other.

To the OP, the agency sets the minimum standards (and sometimes the maximum standards as well). They also certify that the instructors are qualified to teach to those standards, however high or low the bar may be set.

Look at the S&P document for each agencies programs (and some agencies don't publish this stuff which should be the first red flag) to evaluate whether even the greatest instructor would be able to teach a safe and effective course. Just as examples, do they still require deep air dives (165')? Does their END include or exclude O2 and if the latter does the END and MOD for the gas they certify you make sense to you? Do some research, talk to some instructors, and then decide for yourself.

John

 

[PvilleStang]

I fully agree with the fact that its both the Instructor and the Agency. I took TDI, and I had a fairly good instructor. He taught me everything I needed to know for Adv. Nitrox / Deco Procedures. I don't like the texts used in the class, because they were cheesed out with dry humor and left out some key details, IMO. My instructor did a great job filling in the blanks though. My problem, though, was my instructor taught in a style that said, do as I say, and don't ask why. But my intuition wants to ask, Why? Why do we do this when doing that would be much simpler and save time and effort. And before you say it, no, I'm not an insubordinate student, I just want to know reasonings behind theories, thus making them stick better. To make a long story short, interview your instructors, ask if you can sit in on a class or two, maybe even shadow in some of the training dives he does. And try to find at least two instructors to interview, so you have a comparison point.

 

[worlddiver]

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.

At Divetech in the Cayman Islands they have a great solution between SDI/TDI and IANTD. At the end of their course you get both cards for a small add-on because their Tek instructors are certified with both. Nancy and Nat are also instructor trainers for both agencies. Nancy says it's is nice to have both so you can go any place in the world tek diving and by taking both at the same time you can see the small differences for yourself. From my search and attending many semniars PADI & NAUI Tec are not for the serious divers, especially if you want to go into the rebreather world. No bubble diving with a 3 hour run time is awesome beyond words.

 

[John_B]

From my search and attending many semniars PADI & NAUI Tec are not for the serious divers, especially if you want to go into the rebreather world.

Aren't you assuming that tech training is necessarily rebreather training? That may apply to you, but may not apply to many (most?) tech divers...

John

 

[rjack321]

I'm sure there are some good instructors offering the PADI/DSAT courses, but the fact that their training video shows divers doing skills on their knees in a pool instead of hovering midwater, would make me question the quality of the curriculum.

And their intro deco course has no helium and 2 deco gases. Narked with 2 loaded guns clipped to you is just dumb. Avoid any curriculum/instructor doing "deep air". For me trimix below ~120 is just common sense.

I don't know the latest TDI course progression. Historically they have had a jumble of official courses. Regardless try to combine those into a ~5 day deal getting you: normoxic trimix + deco on elevated O2 with one deco gas. The course names/combo may vary by agency but this is the emerging bar.

 

[texdiveguy]

For me trimix below ~120 is just common sense.
??? Please explain why it is "just common sense" ???

I don't know the latest TDI course progression. Historically they have had a jumble of official courses.
??? What is the TDI "jumble of official courses" mean ???

Not ragging on you/no flame,, just a bit lost on your statements.....maybe I have missed something through my experiences diving both air and trimix,,,,and having completed TDI courses I just never felt them to be a 'jumble' of classes.

Thanks, always interested in others perspective..........

 

[rjack321]

Do deep air if you want to, I don't give a hoot. But if someone is interested in decompression diving they might as well get some sort of card which teaches+allows helium. They'll then have the basis to make informed judgements on maximum END to accept. Personally my max END is 120ish. But that depends on the site/location, I may go shallower. PADI/DSAT and analogs limiting helium to just the highest cert levels are old skool considering NAUI Tech, GUE, and IANTD all have helium in their curriculums in the recreational depth range (<130ft)

Regarding the jumble...
TDI Adv. nitrox gets you 50%, O2 or whatever. But the deco proceedures is a seperate class. Ummm what's the point of that?