Planning my Tech Learning adventure

[leadduck]

Hi everyone! hope you're all doing well

I'm planning to get into tech diving in the near future. So far, I've have been PADI trained - almost MSD certified - however since I'm planning to switch from recreational diving to technical diving, I was thinking to also switch agency... I know "it's the instructor not the agency" (which I completely agree with btw) but surely there must be differences in material taught and skills focused on? Especially with technical diving as I'm guessing its a lot more well, technical, than recreational diving??? -please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm here to learn

Any advice, tips, points in the right direction is appreciated.
I'm based in the Netherlands, but travel whenever I can, with scuba gear in tow of course

now getting back to the OP ...

At first, why do you want to go technical? Are you interested in wrecks, caves, longer dives, rebreathers, ...? Some posters quickly jumped to cave diving, but Netherlands isn't exactly cave country. If all you want is North Sea wreck diving, then Mexican style cave training will still be interesting but also kind of a detour.

Then, what's your preferred diving style? Want to go sidemount, or backmount doubles, or don't care? Do you want to set up and train for the occasional solo dive? Start early with a rebreather, or do a lot of open circuit first?

Choice of instructor is very important, but the agency sets the curriculum. Some agency such as GUE is special in how they teach (quality assurance), and what they teach or not (sidemount, DIR, solo, standardization, best mix, ...). I like how they teach, but I don't like what they teach.

 

[rivers]

[QUOTE="Superlyte27, post: 8375339, member: 148904".[/QUOTE]

Welcome back! Haven't seen you in ages

To the OP. You're in the Netherlands, contact JP Bresser. He's a GUE instructor and does a lot of teaching there. If you're anywhere near Vinkeveen, the GUE lot hang about there and do a bit of diving.

 

[Superlyte27]

I miss you Rivers. Me and Tim talk about you often. I hope all is well.

 

[rivers]

I miss you Rivers. Me and Tim talk about you often. I hope all is well.

Miss you guys too! I'm doing pretty good and hope you are as well.

 

[Ally_Cat]

There are good instructors in different agencies but how do you know good from bad when you are getting into tech? You do not have the skills or the knowledge by which you will evaluate the skills and the knowledge of the instructor. This is what agencies are for. Their brand name means they have separated / filtered out the ones that were unworthy of carrying their name. Which agencies are doing that and which ones are leaving their instructor cadre to create a personalized market reputation themselves?

Hey, thank you for your reply...yes indeed - i would have no clue whether instructor, dive shop (or agency) is good or bad as I would be a complete beginner... Hence the request. Maybe i should've phrased it "which agency is known to monitor the instructors" or something like that???

 

[Ally_Cat]

[QUOTE="Superlyte27, post: 8375339, member: 148904".

Welcome back! Haven't seen you in ages

To the OP. You're in the Netherlands, contact JP Bresser. He's a GUE instructor and does a lot of teaching there. If you're anywhere near Vinkeveen, the GUE lot hang about there and do a bit of diving.[/QUOTE]

HI! Thanks for the tip. I am indeed quite near Vinkeveen, was there couple of weeks ago testing out my new stuff wing and reg set
Will look up JP Bresser. Again thanks for the tip

 

[Ally_Cat]

Agree with Steve. An Intro to Tech/Fundamentals style course is a good pairing with a Cavern course. First, you can work on trim, buoyancy, propulsion, and safety skills in intro to tech then take these new found tools into the overhead where the rocks act like a Catholic nun with a ruler. If you don't exercise good technique you either bump something or create silt. Cave training changes your mindset and helps you reverse engineer dives while promoting a less is more streamlined kit. From there, you can continue your overhead training with Intro to Cave, Apprentice, Full Cave or begin to learn how to do deco diving in an imaginary overhead in Advanced Nitrox. Quality cave skills make it easier to maintain good discipline in the technical environment

where the rocks act like a Catholic nun with a ruler...
good tip, thanks. will look into Cave. makes sense....

 

[Ally_Cat]

now getting back to the OP ...

At first, why do you want to go technical? Are you interested in wrecks, caves, longer dives, rebreathers, ...? Some posters quickly jumped to cave diving, but Netherlands isn't exactly cave country. If all you want is North Sea wreck diving, then Mexican style cave training will still be interesting but also kind of a detour.

Then, what's your preferred diving style? Want to go sidemount, or backmount doubles, or don't care? Do you want to set up and train for the occasional solo dive? Start early with a rebreather, or do a lot of open circuit first?

Choice of instructor is very important, but the agency sets the curriculum. Some agency such as GUE is special in how they teach (quality assurance), and what they teach or not (sidemount, DIR, solo, standardization, best mix, ...). I like how they teach, but I don't like what they teach.

Hi Leadduck,
Thanks for your reply... many things to consider.... Indeed Netherlands is not really cave diver country, I usually travel abroad to dive.
I think I need to spend some time looking into what courses are available and take it from there. Easy answer would be I want to try it all, but that's probably not feasible...

 

[BazzaB]

Step 1: Take the Fundamentals class !

Can't go wrong with taking this class.
If you want to continue Tech or Cave with GUE, you have required certification.
If you want to go to another agency, you already have the 'fundamentals'.

and Yes, there is a large GUE community in the Netherlands (and various intructors)

 

[Ally_Cat]

My thinking is first consider what sort of tech diving you want to do and where. I’m all wrecks, no caves. Cold(er) water. If you want to dive local wrecks in cold water, get trained locally or at least regionally in the same conditions.

It doesn’t make much sense to me to go get trained somewhere warm in a wet suit if you’re going to be diving drysuit in cold water.

completely agree - unfortunately i live somewhere cold but would prefer to dive somewhere warm...