TDI certification? Extended Range interest

[plongeursousmarin]

Hi,
What are the requirements to enter an extended range TDI course for air at max 200 ft? FWIW What are the costs associated with any such certification and what kind of insurance is available for such endeavors. Any good recommendation for training facility in the Ft Lauderdale area?
Thanks

 

[wedivebc]

Hi,
What are the requirements to enter an extended range TDI course for air at max 200 ft? FWIW What are the costs associated with any such certification and what kind of insurance is available for such endeavors. Any good recommendation for training facility in the Ft Lauderdale area?
Thanks

Last I looked the TDI standard only allowed 180ft for ext range. Now I need to ask, why when you have helium available at reasonable cost would you go that deep on air?
Are you fixed on TDI? There are other agencies that will introduce trimix before getting into extended range www.andihq.com

 

[Hyper-limits]

If you really want to take the course with TDI you could enroll in the TDI entry level trimix. You could then dive up to 200ft using helium which is a lot safer than 180ft using air. You don't need extended Range to enroll in the entry level Trimix as long as you deco procedure certified you good to go. I'm no angel by no mean I have done a few deep air dives, but a IMO deeper than 160 on air is pushing your luck. Like Dave mention other agencies like ANDI has a great Program using trimix early in the introduction to tech diving. (Technical Trimix Diver).

 

[plongeursousmarin]

Thanks both for the advice. I don't have any particular hang-up about air vs. trimix. I'm just very interested in getting deeper so the safest way to do it the better. I'd be open to consider various agencies, it's just that the TDI name came coming up more than any other while searching on this topic (not just this forum).

 

[mempilot]

TDI and IANTD require Extended Range or Technical Diver to do the Normoxic and then Hypoxic Trimix, but as stated above, you can do Recreational Trimix without the Extended Range or Technical Diver certs. This will allow you to dive He down to 150. If you want to go deeper, you can then do the deep dives rolled up in Normoxic and Hypoxic courses.

This alleviates the need to dive deep air.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

TDI Deco Procedures used to get you to 170 ft but that has been backed off to 150 ft. Extended Range certifies you to 180 ft. but I have to agree that I don't see the wisdom of actually going that deep on air.

Extended Range is no longer required for TDI's Entry Level Trimix (max depth 200 fsw). Deco Procedures and Advanced Nitrox, at least 100 logged dives, with 25 deeper than 100 ft are the prerequisites.

Extended Range is one of those courses that I suspect is probably going to eventually disappear.

 

[triton94949]

Thanks both for the advice. I don't have any particular hang-up about air vs. trimix. I'm just very interested in getting deeper so the safest way to do it the better. I'd be open to consider various agencies, it's just that the TDI name came coming up more than any other while searching on this topic (not just this forum).

I know that TDI, IANTD, and NAUI each teach technical deco diving courses and offer certification cards for trimix. You may want to do searches on each. If you can find several instructors who are available in your area, you could talk to them about the training requirements, and take your pick.

As far as your insurance question, DAN should fully cover you for tech and nontech training and diving afterwards. I do not know if DAN has a disqualifier for diving beyond your qualified limits. If you ultimately complete a TDI advanced trimix cert then that will state on the card that you are qualified to 11 ATAs (in feet and meters). You can call DAN and find out more on tech diving coverage.

I avoid insurance issues by using conservative settings on my deco software, and diving within the limits of my experience. If I am away from tech deco diving for awhile, then I get back into it gradually, starting at 5.5 ATAs and gradually working my way back down to 8.5 ATAs which I am accustomed to. I have never pushed the full 11 ATA limit. But if need be, then I would work my way up to it gradually as well.

After you experience trimix diving, you won't ask about extended range air again. Trimix is easier to breathe. Trimix gives you a clear head. With trimix there are neither the feelings of paranoia nor euphoria. Just plain good judgment.

Trimix diving starts to make sense at around 100 ft. The only issue is what fraction of Helium to use. Extended range air only makes sense if you are in a location where you cannot get trimix. Those locations are fewer these days. It's the same with nitrox as well.

 

[triton94949]

...Like Dave mention other agencies like ANDI has a great Program using trimix early in the introduction to tech diving. (Technical Trimix Diver).

You will want to visit and ask your local tech scuba store what they will want to see from you before they will give you trimix and 100% O2 fills. You will also want to call DAN and see what agencies they recognize as well for insurance purposes. That should answer the agency issue for you. Hopefully the stores and DAN will accept all agencies that you might be interested in. But you will not know until you ask.

 

[Azza]

Now I need to ask, why when you have helium available at reasonable cost would you go that deep on air?

What if you dont have helium available at a reasonable cost, or at all? Here in NZ it costs around $350 to fill a set of twins with 18/45.
Chuuk lagoon you cant get helium at all unless you import it. How many people dive at Chuuk every year? A lot of the islands in the pacific are air/nitrox diving only.

I do agree however that if you have the choice, dive mix.

The Extended Range certification is indeed 55m/180f.

 

[wedivebc]

What if you dont have helium available at a reasonable cost, or at all? Here in NZ it costs around $350 to fill a set of twins with 18/45.
Chuuk lagoon you cant get helium at all unless you import it. How many people dive at Chuuk every year? A lot of the islands in the pacific are air/nitrox diving only.

I do agree however that if you have the choice, dive mix.

The Extended Range certification is indeed 55m/180f.

The original poster mentioned he was looking for training around Ft Lauderdale where I am pretty sure helium is quite common. Yes I agree if I couldn't get helium and I REALLY wanted to go diving deep, Chuuk is a good example, I would do deep air dives. I personally am quite comfortable at 150ft or so on air (actually EAN25) but if I don't have to I won't and for sure if I lived in NZ the price of a rebreather would quickly be paid for by the cost of helium.