Planning my Tech Learning adventure

[Ally_Cat]

To the OP: First of all, welcome to Scubaboard.
Shouldn't you make a few hundred dives before venturing into tech? Not dampening your enthusiasm at all. Gaining experience in diving takes time and patience.

In case someone tells me who I am to say something like this, I consider myself a beginner.

Heya - yes indeed I'm planning to definitely complete more dives before venturing into tech. Thank you for advising this btw, I appreciate it

Things is I'm a bit of a nerd and analyze things to death so I do want to start gathering information now in order to make the best possible decision for myself and my future diving wishes...

 

[Ally_Cat]

Hey, i see your from the Netherlands. I would go for gue fundamentals. Why? Cause The Netherlands is in de top 5 biggest gue country's in the world. If you go down the gue road you will find easy ow/tech/cave buddy's. The gue community is really big here and there tons of people that want to train with you. If you ever would like to go dive, send me a PM.

On top of that we have some top notch gue instructors in country as well.
I did my gue fundamentals after AOW with 35 dives logged, it was a major challenge but totally worth it.
Even if you switch to other agency's after you did your fundamentals, a lot of instructors are still happy to take you in after you did fundamentals.

Hi Thank you for your reply - sounds great! i will look into GUE here in the Netherlands...
Maybe drop you a PM some time if thats okay?

 

[Germie]

In the Netherlands IANTD is quite big also. Normally you could start with Advanced nitrox or advanced recreational trimix. Here your learn the new kicks, how to handle a decocylinder, valvedrill, plan and execute some decodives with maximum of 15 minutes deco.

From there you can go to normoxic trimix or cave diving. If you want more info, just sent a pm.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

What I assume is happening in that picture is one part of Trimix dive #1. The student has to

• carry 4 stage/deco bottles.
• stage all four
• pick them up again.
• repeat the above without a mask

Some would argue that it is more than “Swim down, swing around, and swim back up." The full tech program requires multiple bag shoots, multiple decompression stops held within a couple feet of depth, multiple valve shutdown drills (including while holding decompression stops at the assigned depth), safety drills, "surprises" provided by the instructor, etc. Rather than “Swim down, swing around, and swim back up," on all the latter dives the students must plan and execute suitable missions for the dives.

John,

Carry 4 stage/deco bottles? What's in the bottles? Sizes? What depths is the dive that would require (I'm assuming) 4 different deco gases? I'm also assuming normoxic trimix, yes?

 

[LiteHedded]

John,

Carry 4 stage/deco bottles? What's in the bottles? Sizes? What depths is the dive that would require (I'm assuming) 4 different deco gases? I'm also assuming normoxic trimix, yes?

didnt you see the PADI picture AJ posted? there's NITROX in the bottles. duh

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

didnt you see the PADI picture AJ posted? there's NITROX in the bottles. duh

Ah, I didn’t detect the sarcasm. Never mind

 

[J-Vo]

One of the skill requirements is don/doff of 4 stage/deco bottles without mask while maintaining trim and buoyancy within a couple feet. Getting to the point where I could do this in side mount LP108s and all AL80 stages brought my buoyancy control up a level. I would rather not ever have to carry all that on a real dive.

It is unfortunate that nearly all the photos in the PADI/DSAT manuals do not represent the required skill level that is explicitly written in the text. I believe it sets a bad example to students, especially should they land on an incompetent instructor.

We should all be able to admit we are not gods and will have embarrassing moments that we would rather not have captured on film.

 

[boulderjohn]

John,

Carry 4 stage/deco bottles? What's in the bottles? Sizes? What depths is the dive that would require (I'm assuming) 4 different deco gases? I'm also assuming normoxic trimix, yes?

The required skill being taught and practiced is handling four stage/deco bottles, for whatever depth they might be used and for whatever gas they might contain.

For the purpose of the class, the skill itself is done in shallow water on Dive #1.