TDI or SSI

[ucfdiver]

No offense, but talking to a shop won't help you a whole lot. Ask a wide variety of divers doing the types of dives you want to do and get opinions from them. If you're new to this stuff, it's VERY easy to BS you, and that's what a lot of instructors will do. Start your search with people who don't have any money on the table.

 

[Mattleycrue76]

Reading the Xtremely amusing site SSI Scuba Schools International: SSI - Serious Diving, Serious Fun
I see no mention of 100% O2 on their courses. If so thats dumb. Why would anyone do a 180 foot trimix dive and only use 50% for deco?

UTD Tech2 (and I believe GUE tech1) advocate these types of dives (to around 160-170ft max) with 50% as deco gas. The reason given is usually that this cert is good for one deco gas only and using 100% would make rock bottom reserves outrageous. Therefore they use 50% as a compromise. UTD offers an endorsement for carrying a second deco bottle (100%) at the T2 level. Don't know about GUE.

Don't know about SSI, I'm just relaying the reasoning given to me by my instructor

 

[Rainer]

UTD Tech 2 is not a 180' certification. Neither really is GUE Tech 1. I have both certs.

For a 180' dive, I'd take 50% *and* O2 (that's generally what UTD and GUE would both recommend as well). You're in for some serious backgas deco if you lose your single bottle of 50% for such a deeper dive.

UTD Tech2 (and I believe GUE tech1) advocate these types of dives (to around 160-170ft max) with 50% as deco gas. The reason given is usually that this cert is good for one deco gas only and using 100% would make rock bottom reserves outrageous. Therefore they use 50% as a compromise. UTD offers an endorsement for carrying a second deco bottle (100%) at the T2 level. Don't know about GUE.

Don't know about SSI, I'm just relaying the reasoning given to me by my instructor

 

[H2O 70]

TDI has been doing tech longer than SSI. Again though it is the instructor.

 

[ianr33]

You're in for some serious backgas deco if you lose your single bottle of 50% for such a deeper dive.

My thoughts exactly.

And if I'm paying for a trimix course I would like to be able to "legally" get an O2 fill afterwards.

 

[Diveralan]

SSI covers 100% O2 in advanced decompression.

Reading the Xtremely amusing site SSI Scuba Schools International: SSI - Serious Diving, Serious Fun
I see no mention of 100% O2 on their courses. If so thats dumb. Why would anyone do a 180 foot trimix dive and only use 50% for deco?

 

[Diveralan]

TDI has been doing tech longer than SSI. Again though it is the instructor.

This is true however, many SSI tech instructors were teaching tech with another agency before crossing over to SSI.
For tech I highly recommend talking to the instructor and if possible some of their previous students before making a decision. As you get into more advanced diving the quality of the instructor becomes even more important.

 

[Blackwood]

SSI covers 100% O2 in advanced decompression.

But do they teach that 180 foot class using only one bottle? That's a lot of eggs to fit in just one basket.

 

[adm3745]

Going quickly through my manual here they say the deco course is one deco tank of EAN50. I guess if you've taken the Adv Nitrox you could use 100 %.

For the Trimix course it does not say you need the deco class as a pre req. 10 dives, or 4 plus tech foundation/deco procedure certs. It says you'll use max 21/30 and 50 as a deco gas.

In the advanced Deco section they talk abot 21/30 with EAN 50 and O2 runtimes.

So I guess the plan is to learn how to deco on one gas, then get introduced to trimix, then conduct "real trimix dives in the advanced deco course using 2 bottles or more.

 

[ianr33]

SSI covers 100% O2 in advanced decompression.

Thanks,found it on the website.Guess I should have looked more closely at it

But do they teach that 180 foot class using only one bottle? That's a lot of eggs to fit in just one basket.

From the website:

<<You will learn the procedures for using Normoxic Trimix blends with helium concentrations as great as 30%. Training dives will be conducted to depths of 180 fsw and EAN50 will be utilized to complete stage decompression stops.>>

My personal OPINION is that I see no advantage going with SSI over TDI

TDI has been in the game longer. My TDI Trimix card is good for 200 feet,no less than 18% O2, no limit on He%,no limit on number of deco tanks.

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of attending Divetechs Tekweek in Cayman.
Each day we did a 200 foot dive on 20/35 with IIRC 40/25 and 80% for deco (Take the 80% thing up with Divetech,I dont want to hear it )

200 feet is where the slope changes to a vertical wall on the west side of Cayman.The dives were awesome, but I would have been diving beyond my certification with an SSI trimix card.