Tech Instructor/Shop Recommendation - Seattle, WA

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

kastkr

Registered
Messages
8
Reaction score
4
Location
Seattle, WA
# of dives
100 - 199
Hi All - I have been diving for the past 20 years - all NDL - and have progressed through PADI courses. I am looking to progress into technical diving - either via TDI or PADI. Two questions I am hoping for assistance on:
  • Is there a strong recommendation or considerations between TDI and PADI?
  • Does anyone have any recommendations for dive shops or instructors within the Seattle area?
 
Get in touch with Kosta for recommendations. He's in the area and can tell you who to use and who to run like hell from. Kosta
Forget agency. At the tech level, if they are good, agency is immaterial. Prepare to be asked to demonstrate your skills and to be told you are not ready if you're not. At the least you should have an Intro to Tech in the gear you plan to use (backmount doubles or sidemount) and before going any further than Into, own the gear you are going to need.
Tech classes are not the place to show up with or expect to be supplied rental gear.
Unless you are traveling to somewhere that makes taking cylinders a problem.
I am biased being a TDI Instructor but I would also look at RAID to see if they have anyone or of course GUE.
 
Despite being a NAUI and GUE shop instead of TDI or PADI, I suggest you talk to the people at 8 Diving in Des Moines. They can set you up with GUE tech training as well as renting tech gear (doubles, BP/W, etc) if you want to try before you buy.
 
I'm in the Seattle area. I don't know a single tech instructor with PADI around here that I would recommend. The one's I am aware (granted there may be some I'm not familiar with) go up and down the slope at Mukilteo to get the required depth and minimum required bottom times. So basically - you won't learn how to actually "do the dives" from anyone like that.

I would suggest 8 in Des Moines. As GUE shop you'd need to take fundamentals before tech1. But from the sounds of your background you'd need to take intro to tech with most agencies anyway.

If you really want to stick with TDI, @girlwithbigtanks is my buddy and she's not going to run some powderpuff AN/DP course. You'd have to go to Vancouver, but at least you'd progress into "real" tech dives at Whytecliff and in Howe Sound.
 
Hi All - I have been diving for the past 20 years - all NDL - and have progressed through PADI courses. I am looking to progress into technical diving - either via TDI or PADI. Two questions I am hoping for assistance on:
  • Is there a strong recommendation or considerations between TDI and PADI?
  • Does anyone have any recommendations for dive shops or instructors within the Seattle area?
From the previous post, I believe you got the (correct, in my opinion) picture that agencies are not that important, the instructor is. Actually, GUE has excellent quality control of its instructors, *almost* guaranteeing that GUE instructors are good divers. However, you still need to be sure that you and the instructor go along well from a personal perspective, and no quality control can ensure it. So, again, you need to look at the instructor :)

Not being in the US, I can't suggest anything, but I am curious why you are restricting your search to TDI and PADI. Is there any specific reason?

Get in touch with Kosta for recommendations. He's in the area and can tell you who to use and who to run like hell from. Kosta
I believe @wetb4igetinthewater is in Greece now...
 
Hands down go to Eight Diving unless you are farther south. Off the Hook diving is another option with small classes and being taught neutrally buoyant and trimmed.

Not in Greece yet, but I'm working with archaeologists to introduce new technology to maritime archaeology.

It will be a game changer.
 
I should also note to the OP that if you want to meet some of the GUE instructors in the area and the other divers in the GUE Seattle community, we host Wednesday night dives that are open to any certified diver. You can check the 'GUE Seattle' Facebook group for time and location, or DM me here if you are not on Facebook.
 
Thank you so much all for all of the suggestions! I will check out Eight Diving and Off the Hook to begin with. Thank you again - always appreciate the expertise and friendliness here!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

Back
Top Bottom