liuk3
Contributor
Dude, I think you need to work on reading comprehension skills cause you got some feedback.
TDI or PADI?
- Thread starter GregT943
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waterpirate
Contributor
To the op:
padi is padi. Regardless of the level of instruction, they are still Padi. I have met scant few padi proffesionals that I viewed as being "squared away" in terms of anything beyond 130. The ones that were also taught another agency beyond 130 and did the padi thing for 130 or less. Since we are talking about gross stereo types, padi has a long documented history of the money grab, here is your card, have a nice day.
It is imperitive that you choose a instructor with a pedigree of dives like the type you want to do. That you get along with and mesh with said instructor. That the instructor you choose tells you upfront that failure is an option if you do not meet the standards. If you apply this to your selection proccess the agency and the cost become secondary. True tech instruction is and should really be an apprenticeship after the standards have been met, when the instructor deems you safe and profecient in the applied knowledge, not a trip to somewhere for a long weekend where you hope to get gifted a card.
Also +1 on the introduction of helium sooner than later. This is a hotly contested issue among tech instructors. Choose the instructor that supports what you think on the helium question.
Eric
padi is padi. Regardless of the level of instruction, they are still Padi. I have met scant few padi proffesionals that I viewed as being "squared away" in terms of anything beyond 130. The ones that were also taught another agency beyond 130 and did the padi thing for 130 or less. Since we are talking about gross stereo types, padi has a long documented history of the money grab, here is your card, have a nice day.
It is imperitive that you choose a instructor with a pedigree of dives like the type you want to do. That you get along with and mesh with said instructor. That the instructor you choose tells you upfront that failure is an option if you do not meet the standards. If you apply this to your selection proccess the agency and the cost become secondary. True tech instruction is and should really be an apprenticeship after the standards have been met, when the instructor deems you safe and profecient in the applied knowledge, not a trip to somewhere for a long weekend where you hope to get gifted a card.
Also +1 on the introduction of helium sooner than later. This is a hotly contested issue among tech instructors. Choose the instructor that supports what you think on the helium question.
Eric
Wow!
First of all, instead of shouting at people a response that you already knew something they have said, you might have written it like this: "Thanks for the ideas about the importance of the instructor. I really already knew that, but I guess I should have said so in my opening post."
As for the rest, I think you got all the information you might need in the replies you got. I really don't know what else you need, honestly. Now that I have read the reply quoted above, I think I would keep anything else to myself if I did have more to say.
fire_diver
Contributor
If the only thing you wanted was the differences in courses, go buy the books and compare them yourself. Why do you need our help with that?
BabyDuck
Contributor
ok, op. here's the simple version. avoid padi for tech. happy?
FWADIVER
Contributor
Ugh, all the books are pretty useless, it all comes down to the instructor, between the open water book and the regular nitrox book, I really didnt find any additional useful info in any of the intro to tech, advanced nitrox etc books. So it really comes down to the instructor and what they teach.
FWADiver -- I think you are wrong. NOT all the books are worthless. In fact, I believe that many of the PADI books have very good, well presented, information in them -- even the "TEC DEEP DIVER" book I referenced earlier. What is amazing to me is that there appears to be an inverse correlation between the written materials and the instructor skill set/teaching. (For those who are unable to read between the lines -- The GUE written materials are generally horrible while I believe (and this opinion is shared by many) the GUE instruction is generally the most thorough and stringent).
OP -- I looked into becoming a PADI/DSAT technical instructor (if you search you might find the thread on this from Dec. 2009) and concluded that if that was all it took, I wouldn't want to take a class from me. This isn't about "the instructor" -- it is about the basic philosophy in how one becomes an instructor and the basic skill set desired of the overall agency instructor corps.
BabyDuck wrote it very succinctly.
BTW, I have never taken a PADI/DSAT course; I have not taken a TDI OW technical course (I have my Cave training, Cavern/Intro/Full through TDI although the only reason it is a TDI card was because my instructor is convinced TDI sends the cards out fastest of the agencies with which he is aligned); I have NAUI OW Technical Cards from two different instructors who both had GUE backgrounds/training and their inwater skills were great -- written materials, well.... [For purists out there, I'm using "OW" only to contrast with Cave since I think non-Cave technical training can be/is different from Cave technical training.]
OP -- I looked into becoming a PADI/DSAT technical instructor (if you search you might find the thread on this from Dec. 2009) and concluded that if that was all it took, I wouldn't want to take a class from me. This isn't about "the instructor" -- it is about the basic philosophy in how one becomes an instructor and the basic skill set desired of the overall agency instructor corps.
BabyDuck wrote it very succinctly.
BTW, I have never taken a PADI/DSAT course; I have not taken a TDI OW technical course (I have my Cave training, Cavern/Intro/Full through TDI although the only reason it is a TDI card was because my instructor is convinced TDI sends the cards out fastest of the agencies with which he is aligned); I have NAUI OW Technical Cards from two different instructors who both had GUE backgrounds/training and their inwater skills were great -- written materials, well.... [For purists out there, I'm using "OW" only to contrast with Cave since I think non-Cave technical training can be/is different from Cave technical training.]
DevonDiver
N/A
+1 on those that suggested researching the instructor, not the agency.
I know good and bad instructors from both agencies. Many of the PADI tec instructors I know cross-trained from existing TDI tec instructor qualifications. I also know a lot of TDI instructors who originally taught rec diving with PADI...and then transfered their DSAT quals to TDI or just moved across to TDI in the days before the PADI tec system was popular.
I know good and bad instructors from both agencies. Many of the PADI tec instructors I know cross-trained from existing TDI tec instructor qualifications. I also know a lot of TDI instructors who originally taught rec diving with PADI...and then transfered their DSAT quals to TDI or just moved across to TDI in the days before the PADI tec system was popular.
I opted to work with a trusted shop that works with instructors from GUE/PADI TEC/TDI/IANTD. After working with the shop and instructors, I decided on working with an instructor I clicked with who recommended the IANTD curriculum.
One aspect I really appreciate with IANTD is the option of certifying with TRIMIX in the first technical course. IMHO, diving deep on air is illogical. I would not discount TRIMIX. If I'm going to dive in the 130-170' range TRIMIX is the only option.
One aspect I really appreciate with IANTD is the option of certifying with TRIMIX in the first technical course. IMHO, diving deep on air is illogical. I would not discount TRIMIX. If I'm going to dive in the 130-170' range TRIMIX is the only option.
DevonDiver
N/A
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