The usefulness of deco training without trimix

[tbone1004]

How does it compare to GUE Tec 1? Is there any crossover as far as procedures go?

tech one is a step above an/dp.
T1 is basically AN/DP plus normoxic trimix

 

[seeker242]

tech one is a step above an/dp.
T1 is basically AN/DP plus normoxic trimix

I was wondering if it would be beneficial to do AN/DP before doing T1.

 

[KevinNM]

I suspect it depends. On things like how similar the instructor wants the procedures done vs the GUE SOP.

 

[Jack Hammer]

I was wondering if it would be beneficial to do AN/DP before doing T1.

I would say it depends on your timeline. Tech1 covers much more than AN/DP in both knowledge and skill set. If your planning to take Tech1 in the next year or so then AN/DP will offer you little. Just get signed up and start studying the Tech1 materials (there's a lot of reading and quite a bit to digest). If you're not planning to take Tech1 for a few years then AN/DP may give you an introduction to some of the materials coverered more in depth in Tech1 (and possibly some bad habits too).

 

[AJ]

You first have to take Fundamentals with Tech pass to take Tech 1. No cross over there. AN/DP would be just one more training.

I don't think however AN/DP would help passing Tech 1. AN/DP is part of Tech 1, but Tech 1 is much more than that.

 

[beester]

You first have to take Fundamentals with Tech pass to take Tech 1. No cross over there. AN/DP would be just one more training.

I don't think however AN/DP would help passing Tech 1. AN/DP is part of Tech 1, but Tech 1 is much more than that.

I don't know if seeker is already fundies trained. If not yes that's the first step. If you are fundies trained then you could also do a rec 3 course which is right smack in the AN/DP line of course... although with some GUE touches (like already breathing some Trimix gasses like 30/30 or 21/35 and the GUE procedures). It's a nice stepping stone and I know some people who weren't sure if they were ready for T1 that first took rec3... and then when they did T1 a year and a half later had a lot of fun with a lot less taskloading because some of the stuff in T1 they already touched in rec3.

Negative is of course cost. A rec3 is going to be more expensive then the typical AN/DP course because of the mix involved and the fact it's GUE (typically the courses are more expensive).

AN/DP as such is also a good course but depends on the instructor as well. I know some IANTD instructors who are GUE trained (C2/T2) and they teach a very nice AN/DP course that keeps aligned to GUE SOP.

 

[beester]

I have Helitrox certification. But, now that I've done some dives using it, I don't find that helium is worth paying for at depths of 150' or less. But, I have done some nice long dives at depths less than 130' thanks to being able to carry a deco gas and do the stops on the way up. I did a dive a few weeks ago on a wreck where the sand was 135'. My average depth during the bottom phase was right around 130'. I took a single AL80 of deco gas and had a bottom time of 47 minutes. That was a nice dive (for me, anyway).

Not sure if your example is "right" for this discussion. We are talking AN/DP with limited deco. 47' of bottom time at 130ft is definitely not limited deco. In fact in my book, doing 40-50 min of deco, which is what the typical decompression time for such a dive would be, is a 2 deco gas range... I would like to have the added safety of a 2nd deco gas in case of lost decogas , plus to add to the deco efficiency. Finally from gas management point of view this is as well a "big" dive. Or you are carrying a bottom stage or some big doubles. In my book a 50' at 130ft dive is a 3 stage dive (bottom stage and 2 deco stages).

I treat long reasonably shallow dives (100-130ft) dives with a lot of respect Stuart, in fact I treat them as being more risky then typical normoxic dives (30' bt at 50m range). I've seen some buddies of mine come up from that kind of dives with type 1 but also type 2 hits. So I'm wary.

 

[fsardone]

I did an/dp and normoxic trimix back to back.
I ended up doing a lot of 40 meters diving on air but decompressing on ean50/oxygen with a few 60 on 18/40.
The air dives were most satisfing allowing 40-45 bottom time and additional 30-45 deco time and safer than going with just a single deco gas or no deco bottles.
In the end it depends on the dive but I see an/dp as an enabler for more rewarding diving even in rec range.
Further to that, when I did advanced trimix, I was happy handlix two stages and adding the third was less traumatic (fourth and leash with lost mask was another story )

 

[seeker242]

I'm wondering whether AN/DP (or the equivalent PADI courses) provide a certification and skills that are useful by themselves for real dives

I see it being useful for real dives around here all the time. Mostly on the 100'-140' wreck dives in the keys that can be a double dip or tech dive. For example, you could easily spend 45 min @100' on the Spiegel Grove and that would be a sweet "real dive".

 

[stuartv]

Not sure if your example is "right" for this discussion. We are talking AN/DP with limited deco

TDI AN/DP certification is for unlimited deco.

The example I gave was a dive with a plan that included coverage for the possibility of lost deco gas. Specifically, that is why my buddy and I both had an AL80 of deco gas.

Anyway, the point was to illustrate that AN/DP has good value in its own right. It doesn't have to be just a stepping stone to Trimix. Just because it will allow you to do some pretty serious, long deco dives doesn't mean you have to do dives that are that "big". It just means you can.