Please give me some instructor advice!

[SlightlySlanty]

Hello Scuba Board,

My name is Theo and I am looking to start some technical diving training. Currently I have ~120 dives with about 40 at 30m+, PADI Rescue, EANx, Deep, Drysuit. I have my own rec singles equipment in the DIR style and recently upgraded to a Perdix 2 in preperation for moving to Tec. My goal is to dive the Blue Hole arch at Dahab.

Currently I am trying to work through a few options:

Bubbles Gozo – I have taken ~20 friends over the past few years to learn to dive. I know (and like) the team there, and their Tec instructor Chris was a great guide for the recreational dives I did with him. Unfortunately they only do PADI courses and one of my friends doesn't have Rescue (required for Tec45) or much interest in pouring more money into PADI cards...

Egypt – I did a liveaboard with Emperor (South and St Johns) last year and loved it; the diving is a tier above anwhere in the Mediterranean. We would probably end up doing TDI courses purely as they don’t have the Rescue requirement, and we could potentially do the arch (with appropriate instruction etc).

I am also planning on doing another live aboard in Egypt next year.

What do you think? Who are the best instructors in Egypt? Who would you learn with if you had your time again?

Best,
Theo

 

[Tracy]

Hello Scuba Board,

My name is Theo and I am looking to start some technical diving training. Currently I have ~120 dives with about 40 at 30m+, PADI Rescue, EANx, Deep, Drysuit. I have my own rec singles equipment in the DIR style and recently upgraded to a Perdix 2 in preperation for moving to Tec. My goal is to dive the Blue Hole arch at Dahab.

Currently I am trying to work through a few options:

Bubbles Gozo – I have taken ~20 friends over the past few years to learn to dive. I know (and like) the team there, and their Tec instructor Chris was a great guide for the recreational dives I did with him. Unfortunately they only do PADI courses and one of my friends doesn't have Rescue (required for Tec45) or much interest in pouring more money into PADI cards...

Egypt – I did a liveaboard with Emperor (South and St Johns) last year and loved it; the diving is a tier above anwhere in the Mediterranean. We would probably end up doing TDI courses purely as they don’t have the Rescue requirement, and we could potentially do the arch (with appropriate instruction etc).

I am also planning on doing another live aboard in Egypt next year.

What do you think? Who are the best instructors in Egypt? Who would you learn with if you had your time again?

Best,
Theo

Personally?
I would decide what type of technical diving I am interested in.
Extended duration in recreational depths?
Deep dives to see different things not in recreational depths?
Deeper shipwreck diving leading to penetration?
Cave or mine diving?

Once I have sorted what type of diving I want to do, I would research instructors who specialize in that area. At that point, I would reach out to others for experience with that particular instructor.
I would then call or speak with that instructor to see how our personalities match up.

Then, I would book a class where that person teaches and go take it.

Technical diving isn't like recreational diving, they really aren't even similar. One requires that you show up and don't die during the class. The other involves learning skills, lots of skills. It should involve learning skills to near perfection. Picking a technical instructor because they work somewhere that you go is how you pick recreational instructors.

Sorry for the book, you asked for opinions.

 

[SlightlySlanty]

Thanks for the thoughts Tracy!

I'm interested in deeper diving, there seems to be lots of interesting stuff in the 50-60m range. No real interest in cave or wreck penetration.

How would you find the instructors to short list? I've tried googling but it's hard to find details beyond people's certification levels and student feedback (which is almost always good and from people with nothing to compare to).

Thanks

 

[Tracy]

Thanks for the thoughts Tracy!

I'm interested in deeper diving, there seems to be lots of interesting stuff in the 50-60m range. No real interest in cave or wreck penetration.

How would you find the instructors to short list? I've tried googling but it's hard to find details beyond people's certification levels and student feedback (which is almost always good and from people with nothing to compare to).

Thanks

so just open water ocean diving in the 50-60M range?

 

[Beau Holden]

How would you find the instructors to short list? I've tried googling but it's hard to find details beyond people's certification levels and student feedback (which is almost always good and from people with nothing to compare to).

Start in your local area. In my opinion traveling to start technical dive training is not the place to start. There is so much on learning skills and procedures to start with. I would learn and begin practice first.

One of the things I did first was to find people that were better than me in skills and start diving with them and begin practicing skills. Any good technical diver is always looking for someone to practice with and mentor. I know I do. I would also talk to other instructors and see if I could tag along when they are doing deep training (within rec limits) and watch and listen to what they were doing and saying. Visit other dive shops that do technical training and get to know them. You are not going to find your answer here on SB if you are serious.

Get out in your area, meet people, ask questions, listen, watch and learn. Then you will build your on short list. This is not a quick slam bam thank you sort of thing. It took me about two years working up on skills, equipment, mindset before I actually took any technical training and that was intro to cave.

In the 50 to 60 meter range, are you going to do this on extended range air, advanced nitrox or trimix?

 

[SlightlySlanty]

@Tracy most of the things I can't currently do that appeal are in the 40-60 m range, though I'm sure there are stunning things beyond that. All my diving is in the sea/ocean and mostly looking at life or interesting topography with no overhead environments.

@Beau Holden thanks for the tips. I guess my concern is my local area is all 0 viability silted up shipping lanes so I'd like to do some learning to give me a platform to then do more advanced diving with experienced groups. All my diving is on holiday (1-3 weeks per year).

 

[Beau Holden]

What is your local area? My local area now is within 400km east or west. A weekend trip for sure, but worth it. I would have thought there was some awesome diving around the UK.

 

[MarkA]

As you are from the UK. Why not join a diving club in your area. As you already have qualifications, and your own diving kit. Go and have a talk to some local ones and see if you and the club are a good fit to each other. It would give you the opportunity to dive most weekends. Depending on the club they may already have members who use Trimix and can help point you in the right direction. It’s starting to get a little parky now but with your drysuit you can still dive throughout the winter. Even if the majority is quarry diving. Plenty of practice.

There is a lot of very good diving around the UK in varying depths.

 

[mcohen1021]

120 dives and ready for tech diving?

Ok....

 

[SlugLife]

@Tracy most of the things I can't currently do that appeal are in the 40-60 m range, though I'm sure there are stunning things beyond that. All my diving is in the sea/ocean and mostly looking at life or interesting topography with no overhead environments.

@Beau Holden thanks for the tips. I guess my concern is my local area is all 0 viability silted up shipping lanes so I'd like to do some learning to give me a platform to then do more advanced diving with experienced groups. All my diving is on holiday (1-3 weeks per year).

You seem to have an inherit contradiction between wanting to advance, and do advanced dives, but only diving 1-3 weeks per year. Either is fine, I'm not judging someone who only wants to vacation-dive. Even if you're getting in 40 dives in those couple weeks, the down-time leads to stagnation.

Silted diving may not be fun, but can be it's own learning or practice opportunity.

I'm not suggesting you turn diving into a chore, or you have to be ultra serious. But it might be worth considering what you really want out of diving. Are you really looking to get really serious about diving and technical diving? Or do you mostly want to see and experience more cool dive spots?