Tech Instruction Recommendation? - Chicago Area
- Thread starter SpeedyJ
- Start date
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DRIS is my shop. They have two tech instructors - James Lightbody and Tim Linse. Both guys are 30-something, so no old crusty fellers. 
James - TDI sidemount, Intro to Tech, AN/DP
Tim - TDI sidemount, Intro to Tech, AN/DP
Tim - PADI tec sidemount, PADI through Tec 50 (or whatever they call it)
I just had my SDI (rec) SM class with James this weekend. He talked about some of the tech SM skills. And had us perform some skills that are in the standards for the TDI SM class. These extra bits weren't necessary for the class, but boy, am I glad I did them! Shooting a lift bag (I used a 6ft SMB I have) and removing your mask and replacing it with a backup mask. He had me doing things I was surprised I was able to do! James is fair, but tough. He doesn't yell. Has a wicked sense of humor. He's been diving since he was a teenager, he told me. He's also an SDI OW and Advanced specialty instructor. He told me he dives SM for the vast majority of his diving.
Not sure how long Tim has been diving, but his parents used to own Scuba Emporium, another of the Chicago area dive shops, so it's been probably a good while. They then went down to St. Croix and now operate Sweet Bottom Dive Center. Tim lived in St. Croix for a while and just moved back to the Chicago area within the past year. Tim also works full time in the shop. He also has a wicked sense of humor. I can't speak to how he is as an instructor, but I've spent a lot of time chatting with him in the shop, and he's just lovely!
I'm a believer in doing your training locally, if possible. My passion (well, obsession!) is Great Lakes wrecks. It makes absolutely no sense to me to go to Florida to get training, when I'm not doing to be diving caves or salt water, but wrecks up here. I want to train with instructors who dive my beloved wrecks. It's fine to go to Florida if you want to cavern or cave dive or have a thing for salt water. None of those are applicable in my case.
I'm planning on TDI SM with James next year.
I had recently been considering going elsewhere in the region to do AN/DP/Helitrox combined, but I had such a positive experience with James that I really would prefer to do AN/DP here and then follow up with Helitrox elsewhere.
I did SDI OW, Advanced, and Rescue with DRIS and I have never had a bad experience with any of their instructors. They are really excellent.
James - TDI sidemount, Intro to Tech, AN/DP
Tim - TDI sidemount, Intro to Tech, AN/DP
Tim - PADI tec sidemount, PADI through Tec 50 (or whatever they call it)
I just had my SDI (rec) SM class with James this weekend. He talked about some of the tech SM skills. And had us perform some skills that are in the standards for the TDI SM class. These extra bits weren't necessary for the class, but boy, am I glad I did them! Shooting a lift bag (I used a 6ft SMB I have) and removing your mask and replacing it with a backup mask. He had me doing things I was surprised I was able to do! James is fair, but tough. He doesn't yell. Has a wicked sense of humor. He's been diving since he was a teenager, he told me. He's also an SDI OW and Advanced specialty instructor. He told me he dives SM for the vast majority of his diving.
Not sure how long Tim has been diving, but his parents used to own Scuba Emporium, another of the Chicago area dive shops, so it's been probably a good while. They then went down to St. Croix and now operate Sweet Bottom Dive Center. Tim lived in St. Croix for a while and just moved back to the Chicago area within the past year. Tim also works full time in the shop. He also has a wicked sense of humor. I can't speak to how he is as an instructor, but I've spent a lot of time chatting with him in the shop, and he's just lovely!
I'm a believer in doing your training locally, if possible. My passion (well, obsession!) is Great Lakes wrecks. It makes absolutely no sense to me to go to Florida to get training, when I'm not doing to be diving caves or salt water, but wrecks up here. I want to train with instructors who dive my beloved wrecks. It's fine to go to Florida if you want to cavern or cave dive or have a thing for salt water. None of those are applicable in my case.
I'm planning on TDI SM with James next year.
I had recently been considering going elsewhere in the region to do AN/DP/Helitrox combined, but I had such a positive experience with James that I really would prefer to do AN/DP here and then follow up with Helitrox elsewhere.
I did SDI OW, Advanced, and Rescue with DRIS and I have never had a bad experience with any of their instructors. They are really excellent.
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+1 for Tim Linse. Good instructor and lots of fun. Did tech 40 and 45 with him.
Jack Hammer
Contributor
+1 for DRIS. A lot of their staff are tech/cave divers and good people. The instructors that teach through them are all solid. They are my lds, even though I have to drive 45 miles each way to get to them.
Depending on what direction you want to go, GUE is another solid option for tech training. Though there is not currently an instructor for them locally, their instructors do travel for training and there are local GUE divers.
Overall the the tech community here is made up of divers trained through a wide variety of agencies.
Depending on what direction you want to go, GUE is another solid option for tech training. Though there is not currently an instructor for them locally, their instructors do travel for training and there are local GUE divers.
Overall the the tech community here is made up of divers trained through a wide variety of agencies.
Thanks all!
@Jack Hammer I am in the same boat - quite a trip to get down to them, but a good shop is worth the time in the car.
@Jack Hammer I am in the same boat - quite a trip to get down to them, but a good shop is worth the time in the car.
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