opinions on SDI-TDI Tech Courses

[John_B]

I think ALL the information in the world is good--I am an avid studier (just wish I could spell better)....IMO just don't see the need to dive He mixes at recreational depths which you indicate 'is just common sense'.

Nice that you have the background (training and experience) to decide for yourself. Wouldn't it be nice for a new tech diver to not have the agency decide for them (and give them no say in the matter)?

This is why I said earlier in the thread that the whole "its the instructor not the agency" mantra is BS. I wish people would stop repeating it without thinking it through...

John

 

[pir8]

Who said anything about DIR?

How about your byline?

 

[Steve R]

John B:

I think if you ask him he'll tell you he got his Nitrox, Adv Nitrox/deco, Mix and Full mix all within the last couple of years.

That's a whole lot of cards to be sure. Think they're all TDI cards too.

 

[rjack321]

From what I was told by the brass when I argued for such a course within TDI (Like what GUE and NAUI has).........No.

Now I don't believe it, in fact I think it's total bull - ****, but that's just my personal opinion.


Rainer:

It makes perfect sense to a whole lot of us, just not to some agencies which are evidently run from 1994 based thinking.




I mean, seriously. I'm OK with the idea that in some places you can only get "air", so deep air courses are still to this day taught, to 180......................what's the deal with the reciprocal thinking not working then?

We have plenty of helium, and dive in places that would highly benefit its use. (Cold, dark etc).

Diving mix vs. air takes no more skill or brains than you should really have anyway at this stage of the game, so most of the arguments against it are moot except the one where they can't nail you for several needless ($$$) classes prior to giving you a mix card.....

Ding ding, winner. This is the best and only argument I know of to pick an agency. Some screw you for a whole series of classes to finally get to trimix. When there are completing agencies that don't keep the goodies out of reach until the end. GUE, NAUI, and IANTD can all get you into helium in ~5 days. They limit your deco but not your gas choices. PADI and TDI limit your gases, too paternalistic for me.

IMO as you advance in deco diving its best to know how all the peices fit together rather than having this mysterious off-limits voodoo gas reserved for only mid-high level classes and the deepest most advanced dives.

 

[rjack321]

How about your byline?

Big whoop. My maximum END isn't even DIR. And I have recommended several agencies/curricula in this thread that aren't DIR either.

I didn't say you had to be DIR to get a good deco education. I said you should go for training which makes sense. Adv. nitrox without deco deosn't make sense. Reserving helium for the most advanced classes and super duper deep dives ignores its myriad benefits shallower.

 

[Jay Roy]

John B:

I think if you ask him he'll tell you he got his Nitrox, Adv Nitrox/deco, Mix and Full mix all within the last couple of years.

That's a whole lot of cards to be sure. Think they're all TDI cards too.

Anyway, that aside...its obvious that TDI is a decade or so behind the times training wise and with their ideas....They claim to be on the front lines of technical training, however their actions speak otherwise...A few years ago I was under the impression that things were going to be changing...But here we are having the same old discussions, and they're up to the same old tricks...
If people want to dive HE from 120' and on, they should have the option...Unfortunatly, within the TDI program, you have to complete a thousand bucks or so of courses before you can spend another grand to do intro to trimix...
Myself, I don't have any issues spending the extra bucks on trimix when diving deeper than 110-120 feet...and neither do the guys I choose to dive with...the clear head is well worth the extra few dollars...
Its nice to have the choice tho...

 

[amascuba]

Big whoop. My maximum END isn't even DIR. And I have recommended several agencies/curricula in this thread that aren't DIR either.

I didn't say you had to be DIR to get a good deco education. I said you should go for training which makes sense. Adv. nitrox without deco deosn't make sense. Reserving helium for the most advanced classes and super duper deep dives ignores its myriad benefits shallower.

Advanced Nitrox is a prerequisite for CCR, I believe, because of the O2 that is used. The TDI Advanced Nitrox class isn't really a class that teaches you how to accelerate your decompression. It's just a Nitrox class that goes into a little deeper depth into O2 cleaning and goes into the 'best mix' math, but pretty much everything else that's in the Advanced Nitrox manual is in my SSI Nitrox manual. There are a few reasons why to take Advanced Nitrox without Decompression Procedures, but those reasons are few and far between.

Edit: ... oh yeah .. almost forgot... My Advanced Nitrox manual/class is the first class that I took that actually went into dive planning in depth. That was the best part of the class IMHO.

 

[texdiveguy]

What's with these 2 fellows :11: ..... Steve and Jay (co-chums in Niagara Scuba) .....you both have totally shown the readers of this thread IMO your insecurity that someone else might have an opinion that differs from your own. Its disturbing to see industry dive Pro's acting so child like. You are obv. DIR mind set divers and it bothers you that most of us are not......and we do quite fine!

True that I have only been doing recreational technical diving for the past couple of years (you have to start somewhere...I think that is the normal course),,,,and its true that all my technical training from Adv. Nitrox through Adv. Trimix is with TDI programs, (Steve just to clear one thing up...my Nitrox was with PADI)...so what is your point???
My bio is filled out so readers have some idea of the 'other guy'....neither of yours have much of value I saw.....not that it matters I think your sly comments on this thread pretty much sum it up.

I am just lost with this persl. highlighting and quite taken back by it....my comments in this thread has been civil, and I never select a 'target' and gang up in hopes to be hurtful.....it lends me and others to think that you are implying that you are 'elite' divers with the right to jab at others in hopes to to bring some credit to your opinion and views.

I am a heck of a nice fellow and scuba diving is a passion of mine, I just don't see you guys ( Steve and Jay) mind set in all this.

 

[mpd525]

well, apparently i've created a monster, although i did get a pm from a certain person in my area that corrected me that SDI is not the technical side. Basically according to his snide little pm i'm an idiot, but that's another story.

Anyway, the one thing i do like about the couple of TDI manuals that i've looked through, they are pretty well spelled out in "dumb people" terms, which is good for me.

I think everybody's opinion on agencies seems to be biased depending on what agency there trained by.

Just my opinion.

 

[k-valve]

well, apparently i've created a monster, although i did get a pm from a certain person in my area that corrected me that SDI is not the technical side. Basically according to his snide little pm i'm an idiot, but that's another story.

Just give people like that one of these...:mooner:. As you can tell from Steve's and Jay's posts to this thread there are plenty of close-minded, inflexible know-it-alls posting on SB.

I think everybody's opinion on agencies seems to be biased depending on what agency there trained by.

Just my opinion.

Ha! You pretty much got that right...it's because many divers...even very experienced ones...are only familiar with one or two agencies. I have a bunch of SSI certs, an SDI c-card, am working on my 3rd & 4th TDI cards, and am in the process of getting my PADI DM card. I've been happy with every class I've taken (except my SSI Nitrox class). I believe that's because I've had great instructors (with the exception of the Nitrox class). I choose the instructors carefully...not so much the agency. A good instructor will work with you and work the curriculum/materials to give you the experience and information you need to succeed. It's not the DIR attitude. It's more of a do what is right for the individual mindset.

What's with these 2 fellows :11: ..... Steve and Jay (co-chums in Niagara Scuba) .....you both have totally shown the readers of this thread IMO your insecurity that someone else might have an opinion that differs from your own. Its disturbing to see industry dive Pro's acting so child like. You are obv. DIR mind set divers and it bothers you that most of us are not......and we do quite fine!

Don't worry about them, Alan....they're Canadians...chances are they weren't raised right and don't know any better! Besides, if either of them had a lick of sense they'd know it's not the years you've been diving it's the number and quality of dives that count. Hell, one of 'em doesn't appear to be comfortable, or able, to dive safely below 120' on air. Sounds pretty lame to me...in my most humble, and technically inexperienced, opinion.